Fishing

East Arnhem

Fishing is a major drawcard for East Arnhem. Fish are abundant including barramundi, red emperor, Spanish mackerel, coral trout and billfish. A range of charters are available from half-day to extended island safaris, and there are excellent boat launching facilities in Nhulunbuy for those towing their own craft.

Wessel Islands, Bromby Islets, English Company Islands, Elizabeth Bay and Bremer Island are accessible by boat from Gove Harbour. These island groups offer unbeatable fishing opportunities. Permits may be required.

Touring

East Arnhem

The pristine environment can be enjoyed overland with guided and tagalong tours that encompass Yolngu art and culture, flora and fauna. Other activities include scenic flights, bushwalking, beachcombing, 4WDing and fishing. Self-drive visitors can get out and explore the region and its many recreational areas.

Baringura (Little Bondi Beach)

Baringura is a 41km drive from Nhulunbuy and lies at the northern end of the coastal walking trail that includes the beaches of Ngumuy, Garanhan and Binydjarrna. The access track is dirt and sand so a 4WD vehicle is needed. Visitors to the Gove Peninsula will be amazed by the quality of the beaches, ideal for picnics, day trips or camping.

Daliwuy (Daliwoi Bay) is a popular fishing spot, Ngumuy (Turtle Beach) is a beautiful, sheltered sandy cove, and Garanhan (Macassan Beach) has an historical link with the Macassan sea traders. Camping is available.

Gayngaru Wetlands (Town Lagoon) Gayngaru is a tranquil wetland and walking track winding through stunning paperbark forests with an abundance of native wildlife. The lagoon is home to around 200 species of birds and has an observation platform providing an ideal hide for keen bird watchers. The 3km walking track starts just 700m from the centre of town.

Roy Marika Lookout

The Roy Marika Lookout at Mt Nhulun in Nhulunbuy provides expansive panoramic views of the town and its surroundings. Look over the lagoon wetland with its abundant birdlife, the activity on Gove Harbour, the coastline and the town centre.

Wanuwuy (Cape Arnhem)

Wanuwuy is two hours’ drive from Nhulunbuy with long, white sandy beaches and sand dunes as far as the eye can see. This is the perfect destination for absolute peace, solitude and relaxation. Camping is available.

Wathawuy (Latram River and Goanna Lagoon)

About 30km or 30 minutes’ drive from Nhulunbuy, Wathawuy is a freshwater stream that winds its way through eucalypt forest and bushland. Mostly shallow and sandy with a few deeper waterholes, this inland oasis has little cascading rapids that trickle downstream, and shady riverbanks lined with pandanus and other native flora. Camping is available.

Connection to Country

East Arnhem

Yolngu culture in East Arnhem is among the oldest living cultures on Earth, stretching back more than 60,000 years. The earliest history is recorded in the paintings, dances and songs of the Yolngu people, which tell of creation ancestors bringing lands and waters, people, animals and plants into being and laying down the law that governs them.

Aboriginal Art

Contemporary Yolngu art is available in the form of wood carvings, bark paintings, screen prints, woven baskets and mats. Examples of traditional and contemporary art can be found at one of Australia’s best Aboriginal art centres at Yirrkala, 15 minutes from Nhulunbuy, and at community art centres including Gapuwiyak, Milingimbi, Ramingining and Elcho Island.

Cultural Experiences

Visitors can engage with Yolngu culture in a variety of ways. Yolngu Homelands including Bawaka (featuring the picturesque Ngalarrkpuy, or Lonely Beach), Dhalinybuy and Buymarr offer day tours, accommodation and cultural experiences that include bunggul (ceremony and dance), yidaki (didgeridu), bush foods and medicine, pandanus weaving and spear making.

Each year East Arnhem hosts Australia’s biggest Aboriginal cultural gathering, Garma Festival, that brings guests from around the country to Gulkula, about 40km from Nhulunbuy, for a four-day celebration of Yolngu culture.

Connection to country

Central Australia

 Connect with living culture at Nyinkka Nyunyu Cultural Centre by booking a cultural tour or seeing and perhaps purchasing artefacts from over 130 Barkly and Warumungu artists.

Tennant Creek

Today, the town of 2,949 is a friendly outback oasis where people still have time for a yarn, panoramic lookout views, self-guided town walks, picnics by Lake Mary Ann and bush poetry with the legendary Jimmy Hooker.

South to Alice Springs and Central Australia The Stuart Highway heads south for 508km to Alice Springs.