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Destinations > Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land
Words and photos by Andrew Gregory
Arnhem Land's vast area only has a population of about 12,000 people and it is a huge wilderness filled with beaches, islands, rivers and wetlands. Gaining access to the region isn't easy. Almost all of it is off limits to ordinary travellers. One of the more accessible places is Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, which is 200km by sea or 570km by road from Darwin. You must apply for a permit to get there, and numbers are strictly limited with only 20 vehicles at a time being granted access. Permits are available for 4WDs only, and no motorcycles are allowed.
Garig Gunak Barlu National Park is Aboriginal owned land. The National Park includes the peninsula and surrounding waters, which were once part of the Coburg Marine Park. The peninsula is one of the most northern points of the Territory and juts out into the Arafura Sea. It is very remote and is accessed by driving through Kakadu and Arnhem Land.
Jabiru is the closest town, which can be reached via the sealed Arnhem Highway. The East Alligator River forms the border between Arnhem Land and Kakadu. It can be a dangerous river and has claimed many vehicles. Cahills Crossing is the only way across - it is a sealed causeway, which is never dry. Although the crossing is 80km from the coast, the tide still surges up the river, taking five hours to reach the crossing. A high tide will probably completely cover the crossing and make driving a vehicle across impossible. The East Alligator is a popular fishing spot and you can watch people lure fishing for Barramundi. Take care though, there are some big crocs near the crossing and in the past people have been taken off the banks.
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Once you cross the East Alligator you drive through a beautiful stretch of road in between the wetlands and some huge sandstone escarpments. Permission can be obtained to visit Oenpelli, which is an Aboriginal community and cultural centre. From Cahills Crossing it is 266km to the Ranger Station at Smith Point and for most of the way the road is good gravel. There are a few river crossings and in places washouts and muddy sections. Be warned that there are a few blind corners and you may encounter other drivers who are on the return leg of the trip.
The trip will take about five hours and the permit does not give permission to stop on the way, so be prepared to make the trip in one go. On the way you will pass a range of scenery from plains and forests to water crossings with massive paperbarks. There are sections with large numbers of Kentia and Coburg Peninsula Palms. Huge termite mounds also feature quite regularly. Garig Gunak Barlu contains the first wetland in the world to be recognised as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Agreement of 1974. It now joins Kakadu as being one of fifty sites from around Australia protected under that agreement.
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Arnhem Land's vast area only has a population of about 12,000 people and it is a huge wilderness filled with beaches, islands, rivers and wetlands. Gaining access to the region isn't easy. Almost all of it is off limits to ordinary travellers. One of the more accessible places is Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, which is 200km by sea or 570km by road from Darwin. You must apply for a permit to get there, and numbers are strictly limited with only 20 vehicles at a time being granted access. Permits are available for 4WDs only, and no motorcycles are allowed.
Garig Gunak Barlu National Park is Aboriginal owned land. The National Park includes the peninsula and surrounding waters, which were once part of the Coburg Marine Park. The peninsula is one of the most northern points of the Territory and juts out into the Arafura Sea. It is very remote and is accessed by driving through Kakadu and Arnhem Land.
Jabiru is the closest town, which can be reached via the sealed Arnhem Highway. The East Alligator River forms the border between Arnhem Land and Kakadu. It can be a dangerous river and has claimed many vehicles. Cahills Crossing is the only way across - it is a sealed causeway, which is never dry. Although the crossing is 80km from the coast, the tide still surges up the river, taking five hours to reach the crossing. A high tide will probably completely cover the crossing and make driving a vehicle across impossible. The East Alligator is a popular fishing spot and you can watch people lure fishing for Barramundi. Take care though, there are some big crocs near the crossing and in the past people have been taken off the banks.
read on below advertisement
Once you cross the East Alligator you drive through a beautiful stretch of road in between the wetlands and some huge sandstone escarpments. Permission can be obtained to visit Oenpelli, which is an Aboriginal community and cultural centre. From Cahills Crossing it is 266km to the Ranger Station at Smith Point and for most of the way the road is good gravel. There are a few river crossings and in places washouts and muddy sections. Be warned that there are a few blind corners and you may encounter other drivers who are on the return leg of the trip.
The trip will take about five hours and the permit does not give permission to stop on the way, so be prepared to make the trip in one go. On the way you will pass a range of scenery from plains and forests to water crossings with massive paperbarks. There are sections with large numbers of Kentia and Coburg Peninsula Palms. Huge termite mounds also feature quite regularly. Garig Gunak Barlu contains the first wetland in the world to be recognised as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Agreement of 1974. It now joins Kakadu as being one of fifty sites from around Australia protected under that agreement.
next page »
