Friday, May 28, 2004 at 01:50
Hi Andrew,
Massive change, especially from Sept onwards. Also depends on size of the wet and when last rains fell ie: March or May.
General rule, April ( if road is open) May / June grass green, rivers all flowing, falls all falling.
June/ July still plenty of water normally clear days, cold nights.
This year is proving the one in seven exception with storms still hanging about, could bring the rare winter rain.
August onwards starting to dry up or after a small wet can be quite dry, rivers slowing or stopping, not much green remains.
Sept onwards getting dryer and warmer, falls may be stopped, idiots leaving
camp fires not fully put out, throwing ciggi buts or matches start unstoppable fires and burn us out.
Oct onwards getting pretty dry and hot, some years very dry and very hot.
Visitor numbers start to slow down about mid August and fall of after that.
About mid Sept onwards as customer numbers reduce sevices available reduce ie: scenic flight plane departs from here, sometime in Oct the choppers offering scenic flights depart from the
Mitchell Plateau.
Later Oct and through Nov wet season build up is starting, hot & dry, or showers and hot and humid.
I honestly can't recomend doing the trip in October unless you are used to the heat, don't have children and enjoy having not many fellow visitors about.
The fishing can be good at anytime on the coast but can depend on tides, wind etc quite a bit. The barra can be better just after and just before the wet but experienced guides like Greg Harman from Ultimate Adventures seem to be able to catch them all the time ( I can't) We get no Barra up here due to being 1,200 ft altitude but the good side is we also get no salties.
Bottom line, it could be two totally different
places for all the differences between May and October.
cheers, Anne
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