Travel to Kimberley incl.Kalumburu 2006

Hi Mama, you have my attention. Like you we are heading that way this season. Traveling from Gold Coast and arriving Broome around 5th June. Departing Broome around 20th June for GRR, Mitchell Plateau, Kalumburu etc etc.
Hope to camp and fish (alas no tinnie on this trip) around Honeymoon Bay ourselves. So we are interested in any info on this as well.

We are doing the 'slow tour' on the way back and don't expect to see home before September.

Like you we are traveling alone. We look like our rig pic. Pretty blue Hilux with an Odyssey CT in tow. Give us a hoy if we cross paths.

A mate of mine suggested that there seem to be random fees charged if you ask for anything. He asked "where are the ruins of the mission" and was told where. He was then told that the advice cost him $10.

We stayed at Honeymoon in 2005, paid our camping fees and all was good there, relativerly nice bunch of people there.

However we drove down into another camping spot a few days later to check out the scenery, looked at the possibility of fishing, quick hello to some campers there and then decided to leave.

While driving out, on the dirt/dusty track (that was well used) and an obvious exit, the 'caretakers' came running out screaming and throwing there hands about in the air... "Thats not a bloody track, we dont need you hooligans tearing up our campsite and disturbing the dust for all the other campers (of which there was only 1 couple, way over yonder)... Didnt you bloody see the sign? (the one that is hidden behind bushes) saying stop here before entering..."

Was quite a laugh actually, we showed them though...

Anyway, there is some good spots, and there is some bad spots, just depends on who is cashing in on it... Oh and there is plenty of places to fish without going near the camping areas.

One thing I did forget to mention in my post is that we don't have a boat so will be relying on fishing either off rocks somewhere or a beach, whether the beach where we're camping or another.
Thanks
June

G'day Mama June,

We were there last Sept and had a ball. We camped at McGowans and found George a most obliging individual. He made sure we could catch some bait on our arrival and even offered to take us fishing. We had our own boats and hooked up with a young couple that had been there for a while, they had been given GPS coordinates for a reef some kilometers out. George has these at his office. We followed them out on day 2 and the reef was small and not particularly easy to find but the fishing was superb. Funny how we all have different impressions, we decided to go and have a look at Honeymoon and were not impressed with the people who wanted to charge us $5 just to have a look and they were not impressed that we hadn't stopped at the "office" before we drove to the shoreline. Anyway we were happy at McGowans.

We found the people at the township (Kalumburu) friendly. They were sitting around near the office when we were getting our permits and asked us where we were going and we joked about getting lost and had a good laugh.

My wife caught this and certainly hasn't let me forget it either,



This is the type of beach scenery that awaits,



Have a great time.

Kind regards

Thank you all for your most welcome information and advice. I think I may phone ahead to find out a bit more about prices and visitors' "rules".
That's a very impressive fish Beatit, that your wife caught, and the scenery looks delightful. Can't wait to get there!
See you all somewhere along the track.
June

hi mama

if you do get to honeymoon bay, the people are great.
its run and owned by a local family, and yes they do charge for camping, its income for them.
the oldies are les & ruth and grand son who is an actor, been on some tv , great fun & experience, do go fishing with them in thier boat , huge red emporer & plenty of them , maybe ruth will show you how to hunt for turtle eggs, interesting.
they speak good english but can't say the letter " f " so ever thing is pucken .
go and have a stay you'll love it, we did.

froomey

Mama June, The boss @ I go to Kalumburu regularly from Darwin for the fishing & the scenery. We always stay at Honeymoon Bay -Facilities are usually better (in relative terms) and Mcgowans was very sandy last time we had a look.The highlight of a trip there is the guided tour tour through the museum by the old priest-priceless.Be sure not to pay any money to anyone except the permit office staff in town or the camping ground owners no matter how convincing they sound.
Fill your water jerry cans at the tap at the side ofthe Mission store-much more drinkable than the bore waterat the beaches.If you don't have a boat take a local"fishing charter" it will be a memorable experiance. To fish off the shore go to Jacobs Beach, the turnoff is a few kms back from Honeymoon on the left-ask someone.
We will be up there from about September 12 with boat so if anyone is up there then come & say hello. White RV Cruiser with blue canopy NT plates 658 010
John & Penny.