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Gove Peninsula

If you plan to travel by road, the Central Arnhem Road requires trekking over many Yolngu Clan lands,so a permit from the Northen Land Council (NLC) is required. There is no cost for this permit at this stage but it is necessary to preserve the area and monitor the numbers of people on the track. Permits can be obtained from the NLC office in Nhulunbuy.

The Central Arnhem Road leaves the Stuart Highway 52 kilometres south of Katherine. There are two major river crossings: the Wilton River near Bulman Aboriginal Community and the Goyder River, about 300 kilometres from Nhulunbuy.

Once you arrive in Nhulunbuy, it is necessary to obtain a visitors permit from Dhimurru Land Management for a nominal fee. This will then allow you to travel to recreation areas designated on your permit map where bush camping is available. There is no facilities or amenities at these areas and carrying fresh water and fuel is essential.

There is a free bauxite mine and plant tour each Friday morning leaving from the Endeavour Square bus stop, which gives an informative look at the local mining operations.

Eco/cultural tours are also available and are an interesting way to learn about this unique region and the Yolngu people (Yolngu is the name that the local Aboriginal people use to refer to themselves, it is not a name of a particular language group). It is important to rememeber that Yolngu solely own the entire Arnhem Land region and it is important to respect the access restrictions this brings. Arnhem Land is one of the few areas in Australia where Aboriginal people still live a traditional life and maintain a strong culture.

In the Directory

Photos

Crocodile - Photo courtesy of Northern Territory Tourist Commission

Sailing at Gove - Photo courtesy of Northern Territory Tourist Commission

Aboriginal Culture - Gove - Photo courtesy of Northern Territory Tourist Commission

Underwater Recommendations

There is exciting diving and snorkelling to be done north of the Gove Peninsula with Barramundi, turtles, Manta Rays, Trevally and Barracuda. A variety of hard and soft corals, tropical fish, anemone fish in their anemone and nudibranchs colour the reefs surrounding the many islands off the peninsula. Whalesharks are sometimes seen here during the summer.
Water temperatures are very comfortable and vary from 24 - 32 degrees.

Getting There

The airport is located 13 kilometres from the town centre. Qantas flies to Gove Airport from Cairns and Darwin with connections to anywhere in the world. The Cairns - Gove flight is only 1 hour and 40 minutes with the Darwin - Gove flight being only 1 hour and 10 minutes.

Road:
The first 30kms is sealed but from then on the road is corrugated, slippery with loose gravel and in some places heavy with dust. Accessibility is 4WD only.
The only fuel available on the track is from The Outback Store (about 250km from Katherine) at Mainoru River where you can also get cold drinks, fuel and supplies. There is no more fuel after this until you reach Nhulunbuy, so it is necessary to carry jerry cans of fuel.

Coach:
An airport shuttle bus meets every flight for transfers to accommodation houses in Nhulunbuy and costs approximately $7 pp each way.