Kakadu to Nhulunbuy

Brian

The only way you will get a permit is either you are working in one of the communities or have family there, otherwise totally out of the question.

Permits from the Northern Lands Council to Nhulunbuy via the Central Arnhem Highway are free and they are now encouraging tourists into the area.

Good luck and let us know if things have changed

Travel along the "top track"..out from Cahills..into East Arnhemland you will need to get the OK from the Northern Land Council..I am lead to believe that the travel company "Outback Spirit" has something to do about the restriction of using the "top Track"..this might have changed...
If you want to visit the art galleries along the Top Track...Outback Spirit has it all tied up.
When living in Nhulunbuy..it was a huge "bone of contention" about the commercialisation of the "Top Track"..I wanted to drive to Millingimby to visit a family member who was working there..I could fly in...but driving there was completely out of the question.
You will have have to travel down to Katherine and let the Land Council know you are travelling along the CAR..it is more of letting them know who is on the track...

Good Luck.

Only two years ago I remember Nhulunbuy was looking for tourist dollars due to a mine or some income stream drying up. When we were in Darwin mid 2018 we thought we might drive across there but we changed our plans to do other things in QLD. I'm sure back then you could get a permit and drive your 4x4 across. Things must have changed in the last few years. Michael

We did part of that trip with Outback Spirit a couple of years ago. Credit where credit is due, they are an Aussie company who had done a huge amount of work and invested a lot of money into make it happen. On our trip it followed a lateish wet season and it was impossible to get the buses through, so they managed to keep the trip going by flying people from one community to the next. Unfortunately we had to pull out early in the trip because of a death in the family, but the friends we were travelling with said the rest of it was both good and average. The fishing experience was underwhelming but they were happy to see and go to locations that were otherwise not accessible. It was one of those trips that is expensive and you are only likely to do once, but happy you've done it.

I find this thread somewhat depressing.
Why, because I dream of spending an extended period in Arnhem Land, a minimum of 6 months. Not on expensive tours , without seeking employment, & without going there as an ‘expert’ of some sort. The only place I have been in Arnhem Land to date is Ngukurr which I loved & found extremely welcoming.

We travelled to Nhulunbuy in 2018. While we were there we made enquiries along the lines of Brian T's post ie travelling back via Maningrida etc. We were told that the permits we already had were sufficient to cover the trip however communities along the way were apt to close access without notice and it was possible - even likely - that we would become stuck. In fact when we made our enquiry Maningrida was closed for a week presumably due to a death. We chose not to chance it. I had been to Maningrida previously and I suspect part of the reason the route isn't generally available is that the communities aren't set up for all and sundry to camp in / near them. Then there are breakdown recoveries, medical emergencies and so on. All the things remote travel brings with it. The commercial venture is self accommodating and there is a degree of control over movements, numbers, frequency etc. Nhulunbuy is in a unique position with the plant closing down over such a long period of time (10 years I think?) and the need to maintain facilities for both the indigenous and white populations while that happens. The tourist $ contributes to this.