Destinations > Arnhem Land

Garig Gunak Barlu is home to some unusual animals. As far back as the 16th century, Macassans from the north visited its shores, primarily to collect sea cucumbers and search for pearls. As a result Asian animals like Banteng Cattle, Timor Ponies and Javan Rusa Deer can still be seen in the bush. There are also wild horses, dingoes and feral pigs. There are four main Aboriginal groups who live on the peninsula and you pass roads to some outstations. Entry to these areas is by permission only.

When you arrive at Smith Point the first thing you see is the beach and the enormous Port Essington, which is a natural harbour far bigger than Sydney Harbour. It is quite unusual looking at such a large natural port with no structures or buildings on its far shores.

At Black Point there is a Ranger Station and a cultural centre that features displays of Aboriginal, Macassan and early European artifacts. As well as trade with the Macassans, which happened up until the early 1900's, the area was a site for one of the first major European settlements in the Top End. The British named the peninsula in 1818. In 1827, a defence settlement was established on the northern shore called Fort Wellington. Because the harbour formed such a large natural port, which could easily be defended, Captain Gordon Bremer was commissioned to set up The Victoria Settlement in 1838.

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The site that was chosen is in the southern end of the harbour, and it can only be reached now by boat. At the small store near the Ranger Station, you can book tours to the ruins of the settlement. This is a worthwhile tour - you will be amazed at the extent of the ruins. This was a major attempt at establishing a port; there is a hospital, houses, kiln and cemetery. Old artifacts and mud bricks are scattered about on the beach.

Although the site was a good natural port the harshness of the environment took its toll. After eleven years it was abandoned with 80 lives lost. This is a remote and unforgiving part of the world. The site was hot and humid with a lack of good fresh water. Disease, termites, a lack of supplies and frequent cyclones made life difficult. About twenty years later Darwin was chosen to replace the settlement.

Because Port Essington is such a big harbour, it's great to explore in a boat. Lots of people bring their own boat to this area but you can also hire dinghies from the store. We spent a day on the harbour and saw some fascinating sights. About 10km south of Black Point is Berkeley Bay, which has a creek. There is good fishing in this creek, but it's also full of crocs - we decided to tie the boat to some mangroves to get out of the sun and nearly ran into a croc' resting amongst the roots.

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