Discovering the Rich History and Breathtaking Landscapes of East Arnhem Land

I’ve been pretty lucky in my travel days, exploring our countries great drives, But having just spent time in East Arnhem Land, I reckon this has to be classed as one of Australia’s most iconic drives. The Central Arnhem Road takes you on a journey through 60,000 years of history in East Arnhem Land’s vast untouched wilderness.

The Central Arnhem Road is 675 kilometres long and is predominately unsealed dirt with a few small river crossings, the drive begins 50km south of Katherine and finishes in Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula.

Now before you jump the gun and race straight into East Arnhem, there’s permits to be got. East Arnhem is 100% Aboriginal owned and by applying for permits it allows visitors to enter their private land. The system is designed to help protect the privacy of the Yolnu communities, their culture and to promote visitor safety in East Arnhem.

It’s a pretty easy process to apply for a travel permit that allows you to tackle the Central Arnhem Road over two days, but you'll also need to apply for your accomodation permit also. All this can be done through the eastarnhemland.com.au website which has a host of info and explains why you need these permits.

Most travellers head to either the stunning Gove Yacht club or the Walkman Hotel to set up as a base and then head further out, but getting into these places can be tricky as they both only have 22 sites and book out very fast each year.

There are 9 other areas where you can bush camp, but these have limited sites and you’ll need your camping permits in place to explore them. The transit permit along the Central Arnhem Road allows 24 hours for you to travel its length, and a recommendation is to camp at Mainoru Store campground which is about 200km into the trip.

Now there’s a few things along the way where you can start your East Arnhem Land experience and the first stop I did was at the Aboriginal Community of Beswick, just 60km from the Stuart Highway.  I had read about there Djilpin Arts centre at Beswick where local artists make a huge range of stunning work, plus they have a permanent showcase of cultural art works in a private museum called the Blanasi Collection.

When the local artists are painting out the back, visitors are more than welcome to sit, watch and chat with them as they create stunning art pieces. Guided tours can be arranged to Beswick Falls which is a significant cultural area, they also offer accommodation in the community if you like to stay a little longer.

After leaving Beswick, for about 60 kilometres keep your eye out for the next stop, a lookout known to locals as ‘Jurassic Park’ or Conway’s Lookout. The lookout has breathtaking views over an escarpment and is a great place to stretch your legs. The stop is not sign posted so make sure you keep your eye out for the rest bay on the right side of the road.

It’s another hour until the Mainoru Store campground where according to your permit, you need to stop over night. It’s an impressive setup with acres of green grass, full amenities plus they offer a pretty good menu.

If you arrive early enough, take a walk upstream to the swimming hole for a cool dip, and don’t worry there’s only a freshie or two apparently that call this stretch of water home.

By leaving Mainoru early the next day along the central Arnhem Road this allows you to just cruise along and enjoy the sights for the next 470km to Nhulunbuy.  I saw countless donkeys, buffalo, dingoes and a huge range of birdlife for most of the journey.

It’s raw country with small creek crossings, dusty dirty sections and road maintenance can be a bit thin so by dropping some air and being a bit cautious the trip will be more enjoyable across the rocky or rough sections.

A good spot to stop midway is Flat Rock Creek, a nice waterside stop to fill your belly and stretch your legs. Another couple of hours and you’ll soon arrive in the Nhulunbuy area where the roads greatly improve due to mining activity and increased traffic.

Now depending on where your designated camp is, this will determine where you head as you get closer to Nhulunbuy. Most of the designated camps start about 40km out of town and they need need to be booked in advance as they all get very busy, from freshwater creek camps to beachside they are all spectacular.

Places like the stunning Turtle Beach, Rainbow Cliff, Goanna Lagoon and Memorial Park all have special qualities. I spent a night at Macassan’s beachside camp, not only to enjoy the serenity but to explore the rock pictures laid out when there was inter-island trading between the Yolnu people and traders from Indonesia.

The stone pictures were constructed by the elders so that future generations would know the history. Walking around the protected area and reading the info boards that give an insight to each of the stone pictures, trading was a huge part of life back in the day and the Indonesian people would come in towards Arnhem Land, they would harvest and process the local Sea Cucumber in exchange for cloth, Tobacco and rice.

Nhulunbuy is a well serviced town with everything you could ask for and is a good base for a day or two to get your head around the place. There are about 5000 Yolnu people living In East Arnhem speaking more than 16 Yolnu languages across the region. They have been living here for 60,000 years and its a complex network of interconnected relationships between the people and the landscape.

Around Nhulunbuy there’s plenty to see and do including visiting the Roy Marika lookout which gives a great panoramic view across town which is a sacred site and where Nhulunbuy got its name. You can also see the Rio Tinto bauxite mine, Gove Harbour and the spectacular coastline. Downtown you can wander around Gaynaru - the town lagoon or head out to East Woody Island at low tide.

For a cultural experience and to admire world-class artwork take a trip out to Buka-Larrngay Mulka just 20 mins out of Nhulunbuy. Established in 1976 it’s one of the oldest and most celebrated indigenous art communities. The centre has its own museum and a huge array of products available to be purchased, and on most days visitors can see local artists creating stunning pieces.

Now while I’ve only touched on what to see and do in East Arnhem there are plenty of guides and websites that can offer unique experiences depending on your budget. It’s a stunning place where the sheer rawness is the beauty of the area and where the Yolnu people are welcoming to their traditional land.

WHERE

Arnhem land is located in the far north eastern side of Northern Territory. Often regarded as one of the last frontier locations in Australia, its rich with history, cultural heritage and some of Australia’s most stunning landscapes. Covering a staggering 97,000 square km’s it’s a declared reserve for the Aboriginal people who live across this vast area. Travelling in by road on the Central Arnhem Road is an adventure itself, where for most of the 734km it’s unsealed. Where creek crossings and rough rocky sections are part of the journey, but there are stunning views across the homelands. Wild donkeys and buffalo are often seen on the road and part of the permit requirement, travellers are requested to break their journey into a 24 hour trip where you’ll need to camp over night at Mainoru Store and campgrounds. Nhulunbuy has a commercial airstrip where both mine workers and tourists can fly into.

ESSENTIALS

Permits rule in Arnhem Land. Before heading into the area visitors must have the correct permits including Transit, general access, camping, fishing and recreation if visiting an offshore island. The best website to apply for permits and read all the relevant information for your visit is www.eastarnhemland.com.au 

Nhulunbuy ( or Gove ) is the largest town in Arnhem Land where all the right essential services can be found from shopping, mechanical, accommodation and fuel.

SIGHTS TO SEE AND THINGS TO DO

Once you’ve accessed all your permits, this opens a host of areas to explore, camp and delve into cultural experiences. There’s camping on the coast, beside freshwater creeks where some are croc free and perfect to soak in, the fishing is next level where you can jump onto a charter boat, bring your own or hire a tinnie, there are multiple tour companies to show you around or take you sky high for an overall view of the amazing area, there’s a coastal hike or just simply soak up the cultural heritage on a tour or by visiting one of the many art centres. Maybe absorb a stunning sunset across Melville Bay or from the towns main lookout, you truely won’t be disappointed.