Access to Cockatoo Island (Kimberley)?

Submitted: Thursday, Mar 08, 2007 at 21:19
ThreadID: 43047 Views:9107 Replies:7 FollowUps:4
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Hi

As a young kid I grew up on Cockatoo Island off the Kimberly coast, leaving when I was about 7 (end of 1983 when BHP started to wind up its operations). I have many fond memories of the place, and would love to go back.

At the moment I understand the island is closed, for mining operations by Portmans.

I am going to be up that way on honeymoon in May/July, and would love to visit the island. I will definitely be at least doing a fly over, probably from Cape Leveque where I am spending a week, but was wondering if anyone knows of any legal ways to visit the island (at a reasonable cost)? (ie not chartering a luxury cruiser to land on the beach!!) Or will I have to wait for the island to re-open as a resort when they finish mining??

Justin.
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Reply By: Topcat (WA) - Thursday, Mar 08, 2007 at 22:00

Thursday, Mar 08, 2007 at 22:00
You could try here:
Cockatoo Island Resort
PO Box 996, DERBY
KIMBERLEY WA 6728
Ph: 08 9191 7477

AnswerID: 226198

Reply By: dozerdude - Thursday, Mar 08, 2007 at 23:17

Thursday, Mar 08, 2007 at 23:17
nice place ,was working up there for awhile. great fishing..
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Reply By: Pajman Pete (SA) - Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 00:03

Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 00:03
Join the Navy, volunteer for Patrol Boats - then you will get paid to go there for free!

I have been there quite a few times in the mid 80s and mid 90s courtesy of the grey funnel line. That swimming pool would have the best location in all Oz.

Cheers

Pete
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Follow Up By: Tony - Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 12:17

Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 12:17
Pete, I was on the old Attack boats late 60"s in and around there. Had the odd session in the wets when the mines were in full opperation. There again after Tracy with Moresby doing surveys.
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Follow Up By: Pajman Pete (SA) - Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 12:51

Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 12:51
Another ex Pusser on here! There are a few of us.

And how many times did you visit Crocodile Creek? I believe it is still there, just not as well used anymore.

Cheers

Pete
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Follow Up By: dozerdude - Sunday, Mar 11, 2007 at 20:48

Sunday, Mar 11, 2007 at 20:48
i dont know if i want to tell you this but the house i lived in was over looking the top pool when i was working there very senick....
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Reply By: Kumunara (NT) - Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 00:55

Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 00:55
Justin

I believe there a tourists flight that incorporate Cockatoo Island.

You should enjoy Cape Leveque. My wife has family in that area and we have visited a few times. A great place to relax.

Tjilpi
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Reply By: The Boy - Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 14:58

Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 14:58
Justin,
I too grew up on Cockatoo Island with my parents, leaving about the same time in 1983.
Also have some good memories from there, great for us kids, eat, swim, fish and shh.... beterr stop there haha
Have been thinking about a trip back myself for some time but never really got off my rear to check how.
Would love to know if its possible?

The Boy
Gary C
AnswerID: 226362

Reply By: Wayne-o - Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 17:00

Friday, Mar 09, 2007 at 17:00
justin,
get hold of broome air services, i used to fly for them, they can arrange to take you too the island. The airstip is just long enough for a light single engine, and flight time from broom is less than an hour.
you can visit their websit..... www.bas.com.au
hope this helps
AnswerID: 226393

Reply By: Justin - Saturday, Mar 10, 2007 at 09:10

Saturday, Mar 10, 2007 at 09:10
thanks for the replies guys. I will check out the address Topcat found - I have seen those details before, but though it was from an out of date webpage...

As for the airstrip being long enough for a single engine aircraft - I seem to remember regularly flying to and from Derby, and Koolan from Cockatoo in twin engine De-Havland Otters and Nomad Islanders. I also remember once seeing (and hearing) a particularly big aircraft visit the island - C130 (or Hercules as we called them in those days). The dust storm it created on landing/taking off was phenomenal - well I assumed it landed, it may have just been doing touch and go practice... The armed forces (navy/airforce) seems to have had more than just a passing interest in the island the quite a while now...

The airstrip was also used as a cricket pitch, with play being stopped infrequently to allow aircraft to land!

I also heard it was one of the tougher airstrips to land on, and from memory aircraft used to disappear between dips in the airstrip when taxi-ing.... (I was much shorter then, so the dips may not be that bad?) Anyway, perhaps it has deteriorated to the point that only single engine craft can land there now???
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Follow Up By: blown4by - Saturday, Mar 10, 2007 at 14:32

Saturday, Mar 10, 2007 at 14:32
Justin I was the Senior Maintenance Engineer at Koolan for 4 years and used to travel up and down there for about 3 years prior to that, visiting Cockatoo and Koolan. I worked for BHP for 15 years before leaving. You are right, Twin Otters and the Britton Norman Islander used to land there all the time. Also at one time BHP had their own aircraft based in Derby which was a twin engine Scottish Pioneer called "Yampi Pioneer" and it was wrecked by a cyclone in 1960 and it's remains are still on Koolan today on the North side of the airstrip in a gully. We had an army Caribou? land at Koolan once and they are specially designed for short take off and landing so they can access remote airstrips. They are commonly called an "Ugly Duckling" because of their upswept fuselage and huge tail. They virtually just start rolling along and then leave the ground at a speed an observer on the ground would swear is not fast enough to fly. You are right about the airstrip being a difficult one as was Koolan to the inexperienced and uninitiated. The main problem in the 'wet' is cross winds and in the 'dry' the updraughts and downdraught's caused by the hot air rising of the land especially over the hot Murphy Gully waterbore area and the Paradise equipment salvage area. Another difficulty was the Workshop and Main Store buildings and the large flat area of hot waste dump material. Those airstrips if built today or if for regular public transport, as opposed to private use, probably would fail to comply with safety regulations. Regarding your trip, I too spent some time there in 1973 as part of my honeymoon and that is what made me all the more determined to go back and live there which I did some 6 years later. I thought the holiday side of things at Cockatoo was still operational even though there is mining activity at the mine. Maybe you should look up Google etc...... and see what you can find. After the mine closed in 1984 Alan Bond had some holiday accommodation business running in the converted BHP accommodation including the 'White House' and I know it has changed hands a number of times and I have spoken to people who have stayed there and commented on hearing blasting activities. What the situation is today though I am unclear. Did you ever get to Crocodile Creek while you were there? A good friend and respected work colleague of mine, Ron Lind, who has sadly passed away, was the Maintenance Supervisor on Cockatoo for 34 years. He wrote a 375 page book called "The Very Last Load" which has a lot of history about Cockatoo in it and includes the names of school teachers and the children's names who attended the school when BHP finished mining. If you haven't seen it I am sure you would be interested to read it but I don't think it was ever sold in book shops although it should have been. You could get a copy from an old Cockatoo-ite as I am pretty sure he only sold it, or knowing Ron probably gave most of them away, by word of mouth. Good Luck.
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