Kalumbaru - worth the trip?
Submitted: Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 22:15
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blitto
Gidday
Planning to head up that way in July.
Dinghy on the top of the camper trailer.
Doing a few days at
Mitchell Falls - still tossing up whether to tow trailer all the way in or leave it at
King Edward River campground - any advice please????
We WERE then planning to head north to McGowans at Kalumbaru.
Please - any advice?
Worth the trip??
Dry town????
Anyone been there last year - how strict does "dry" mean????
ta
blitto
Reply By: Motherhen - Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 23:42
Sunday, May 19, 2013 at 23:42
Hi Blitto
We only spent a day at
Mitchell Falls and decided we had time to return to the caravan and
King Edward River campground rather than
camp at the Falls Car Park
campground. We did not see any point in towing up and back on the corrugated road.
Certainly our three days at
Kalumburu and camped at McGowns was most enjoyable. The Mission Tour was a real highlight. We went fishing from McGowans and the fish we caught and ate there were the nicest of anywhere. You can only catch what you can eat whilst there, so a lot of fish went back on a fun day out fishing.
Yes, it is a dry community and to ensure no 'sly grog' sales, you should not have any alcoholic drinks in your possession when you arrive. However there were people at McGowans enjoying a few drinks n privacy.
You are welcome to look through My
Blogs (2008) for more about what we did and saw.
Motherhen
AnswerID:
511424
Reply By: Member - Peter S (VIC) - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 00:09
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 00:09
Hi Blitto
I,m heading up there myself in about 5 days going to
Broome first,then up the
gibb river road, hope to get out to welsh point from
Mitchell falls for a few days,then go up to kalumbaru.Was there about 10 yrs ago really enjoyed it ,great fishing I will have a tinny on top of the cruiser and towing a quantum camper.We camped at
honeymoon bay last time.We had no trouble enjoying a few evening beers there last time,I think as long as your discreet about it you won't have any trouble.
Cheers
Peter
AnswerID:
511428
Follow Up By: PhilD - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 04:49
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 04:49
Hi,
I have fished out of McGowans 3 times in the past 8 years. The fishing is brilliant, but you need to know the marks, or be able to find the bommies and lumps on a sounder. A GPS and sounder makes a huge difference up there as there is a lot of useless ground, but when you are in the right place you will catch a huge number of fish, hence the catch and release policy. The oysters are great too. You sometimes need to go a distance eg 40 Kms in a day, so a tinny can be limiting if it is windy. There are grounds close in to the
camping area, but the others are 6 to 20 Kms each way.
Walsh Point used to be sand fly haven, and a poor camping spot, but that is a few years ago, so something may have changed. You need to travel some distance from there to get to the reefs. The track in has been a shocker full of washouts for the last 5 Kms, so I don' know if things have improved.
Phil
FollowupID:
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Follow Up By: Michaeljp - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 13:42
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 13:42
Gday Peter,
Before you go up to Welsh Point make sure you have midge proof screens on your tent and plenty of "Bushman" repellent the one in the red can. I was up there about 5 years ago. The first night i was eaten alive, the 2nd night i camped way up on the
hill behind
the beach and had a peaceful sleep.
FollowupID:
789694
Follow Up By: Member - Peter S (VIC) - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 23:18
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 23:18
Thanks michael I will take that on board,I know from past experience at other locations how anoying the midgies can be so Ill have plenty of spray we me.
cheers
Peter
FollowupID:
789738
Reply By: Members Pa & Ma. - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 11:28
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 11:28
Hi Blitto,
McGowan's Island is just beaut. It was run by a very nice family. They sell fuel there too.
We went into
Kalumburu on a chaotic day. The volunteers were changing over.
We went up to McGowan's & lunch at
Honeymoon Bay.
Honeymoon Bay is very exposed & windy.
McGowan's has good facilities & is lovely camping we stayed the night & thoroughly enjoyed it. The little crabs come in at night & get over every thing , they do no harm & exit it the morning.
Honey moon Bay is very basic.
Take care, safe travels Ma.
AnswerID:
511438
Reply By: Rangiephil - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 13:02
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 13:02
I was unimpressed with both McGowans and
Honeymoon Bay for different reasons.
McGowans was full of fishermen with several generators running, and the main generator was right near the
camp spots. The setting was nice and they looked like they cared a bit but I don't need deulling genes all night.
Honeymoon Bay when we arrived had a teenage girl, the daughter of the owner racing around the campsites in an old 80 cruiser with no windows and no muffler. The main residents were long term in enormous vans again with generators. It may have been OK down on
the beach but overall the feeling was not great. I suppose if you are a keen fisho , then both would be OK.
We ended up staying at the Mission
campground behind the petrol station and it was great with nicely grassed areas and clean amenities.
Regards Philip A
AnswerID:
511440
Reply By: Motherhen - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 14:25
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 14:25
We were virtually on the on beach beyond the main
campground at McGowans. Nice and quiet and a short walk back to the amenities which were at the time basic donga style with cold showers (water was warm enough during the day) as the
camp had suffered storm damage some time prior and amenities had been destroyed. It was a beautiful spot.

View from the door at McGowan's Island Beach

Colourful sunsets every night

The best fishing ever
AnswerID:
511445
Reply By: Member - eighty matey - Monday, May 20, 2013 at 16:51
Monday, May 20, 2013 at 16:51
G'day blitto,
Kalumburu and McGowens Isalnd were one of the highlghts of our
Kimberley trip last year.
Kalumburu is a really good Community. The Mission and museum are worth having a look at. Don't turn up at lunch time because they have a siesta every day.
McGowens is a bit pricey for the facilities you get (cold showers and use your own
toilet paper) but the location is hard to beat. Plenty of good fish if you are quicker than the
sharks. Stacks of oysters.
The trip up past
Honeymoon Bay to the old abandoned Pago Mission is a good drive. Plenty of history and isolation to be had.
If you take it easy it, and you have a strong trailer, the trip to Port Warrender/
Walsh Point is worth while. It's easy to launch the boat at the end of the road. We camped up on the
hill and had no midgees. There's a dunny up there but it's not maintained.
The road in is not real bad but it is rough for a bit in the last four kms.
The corries before you get to
Mitchell Falls is probably harder on the trailer than anything else.
The road to
Kalumburu can't be done in a hurry and gets rougher the closer you get to the Community. It is a nice area to drive through and some decent size vans make the trip.
I'm itching to get back up there.
Hoo roo,
Steve
AnswerID:
511451