Destinations > Arnhem Land

There are some stunning coloured cliffs that are vividly orange and white. There are also long sandy beaches to explore. Although the water is warm and inviting you are advised not to swim alone. It is home to sharks, box jellyfish, stonefish and blue ringed octopus. Crocodiles cruise the port and coastal beaches. Of course, there's excellent fishing that attracts many anglers who catch Mackerel, Queenfish and big Trevally. I caught a large Barracuda and had a Sea Eagle swooping down on it as it was jumping out of the water - a spectacular sight. The Bay is also home to many dolphins and turtles and we were lucky enough to have a dugong surface only metres from our bow - I didn't tell anyone, though, as they are still hunted by the traditional owners.

There is plenty to do in the harbour, but the camping area is on the other side of the peninsula. The site is quite idyllic, and as you come around the point you will see white sand hills. The campsites are far more organised than I thought they would be. Set amongst tall casuarinas, each individual site has its own fireplace. There is also a shower hut. We were amongst the first in for the season - during the Wet the camping area is under water. This is basic bush camping with no power but a couple of kilometres away there is an area set aside for people with generators.

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There is a magnificent beach out the front with white sand dunes. It is hard to look at the blue water and tell yourself that swimming isn't recommended. Still, the ocean breezes keep you cool and at low tide there are shallow pools left to splash in. There are still crocs on the Oceanside and we saw some tracks from a very large specimen leading down to the water from a billabong near our camp. The beaches on the east side are fantastic for beach combing. There is an abundance of shells and bits of coral but no collecting is allowed. Offshore there are coral reefs and a number of small islands.

There is a sandy track from Smith Point to Stewart Point, which is about 20km long. On the way, the track passes sandy beaches and dunes. There is bay after bay of white sand and rocky headlands. Inland, there are rainforest patches, swamps and lagoons. We actually found the bays further south to be better for fishing and landed some big trevally right off the beach. It's possible to take a track through the bush and end up on the main road south of Black Point.

As you reach Stewart Point, the bays become rockier and you can see one of the Aboriginal Settlements on the other side of Port Bremer. The park is within the clan estates of the Iwaidja speaking people of Western Arnhem Land. Ownership is shared between four Aboriginal clan groups - the Agalda, Ngaindjagar, Madjunbalmi and Muran. There are a few outstations around the ports and harbour. The parks are managed jointly by the traditional owners and the Parks and Wildlife Commission. Most of the traditional owners keep to their own areas, and you won't come into contact with many of them. We spoke to some of the locals using a spear to fish near Smith Point.

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