Kalumburu - McGowan Island Beach or Honeymoon Bay

We have stayed at both, but mostly at Honeymoon Beach (down at the beach, not up the top).
Both are fine, which was best for us was determined by who was running it at the time. I suggest you decide when you get there after talking to the hosts and having a look around at both.

ps... Irrespective of what the locals might tell you, there are crocs at both. No swimming.
We spent a couple of months up there each year from 2005 to 2008. The spectacular fishing needs a boat. There may be someone to take you out at either, if that is your thing. I preferred Honeymoon for fishing.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

Thanks Peter -I appreciate the insight!
Cheers

There has been a history of animosity reported between the owners of the two places, but we saw none of that during our stay in 2019.

Mcgowan is a shorter distance from town than Honeymoon, & we stayed at McGowan. We were lucky to get a spot, the caretaker allowed us in as we had a mechanical issue, but was turning others away, & sending them on to Honeymoon. Over the course of a week or so, we met a number of folk who had returned from Honeymoon to Mcgowan with tales of poor quality, undrinkable water. We didn't go to Honeymoon ourselves & highly likely this was a temporary issue.

There were also bushfires when we were there, (had to risk driving through one on our way back from the old Kalmburu site). Mcgowans was well protected by the pre-season burns done around the site by the caretaker who was there then (Matt). Honeymoon had a more 'exciting' time with campers needing to join the firefighting efforts.

As Peter suggests, check it out when you get up there, situation could easily be reversed/different now.

Our blog from Kalumburu may offer a bit more info of interest.

Nick, not sure if you are aware of the Covid restrictions with travelling beyond the Mitchell Plateau turn off?

I presume current situations are the same as last year. By rights a permit is required from the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley (Kununurra). You still need the Kalumburru Permit but you can't stop even for fuel, purely a transit permit.

We came out of the Oombie Track so didn't venture further north than the Carson River, but if we had the above would have been applicable.

Enjoy the trip and hope you have the same road conditions as we had, we copped it straight after the grader and it was like silk.



Cheers

Dunc

What?? he's got an Island named after him now?

He must be the Messiah....

One thing not mentioned was the sand flies at honeymoon bay but has far better fishing ! & charter boat operating out of there when we were up that way 2019 we stayed at McGowan and is a very pretty place we didn't have any problems w flies . But they do have a lack of water problem , limited space .. pay phone & little internet at office . Pre covid was a shop at klumbaru when the barge comes in from Darwin one day a week , the road into kalumburu is terrifically rough from GRR , many damaged cars trailer etc inc our suspension;(( but well worth the trip just the same..

There can be sandflies at either or both depending on the vageries of the weather.

We also spent some time volunteering at the Mission and were fortunate to get to know Father Anscar before he retired.
We helped to build the new museum which you should not miss.

And there are WW2 relics about.

This place deserves a couple of weeks rather than days.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

McGowen Island is closed.