Why you should visit Arnhem Land right now
Covering almost 100,000 square kilometres in the northeaster corner of the Northern Territory, Arnhem Land is a vast and mysterious wilderness that’s one of the country’s hidden gems.
It’s largely undiscovered
Tens of thousands of tourists visit Kakadu, the best known national park in the Top End, ever year. Arnhem Land welcomes only a fraction of that, so there’s a good chance you’ll have many places all to yourself. In Arnhem Land intrepid travellers can really get away from it all and, provided they are fully self sufficient, head out on some of the region’s remote roads for a one of a kind experience.
The fishing is unbeatable
Fancy catching a barramundi that’s almost as big as you are? The NT is renowned for its barra fishing, but many places around the state can be crowded with locals and tourists alike. In Arnhem Land there are essentially no crowds and no one to compete with for that perfect catch. Stay in a remote fishing lodge or campsite and spend your days puttering around the estuaries looking for barra, queenfish, giant trevally, mackerel and more.
You can mmerse yourself in indigenous culture
The Yolngu people of Arnhem Land have an ancestry dating back more than 50,000 years, making it one of the oldest living cultures on the planet. Their culture remains strong with a fascinating belief system, art and music, and many operators are now introducing them to visitors. You will be welcomed into the local community and learn about language, lore, kinship and their connection with the land.
It's home to unique wildlife
This untouched wilderness is home to plenty of wildlife that you won’t see anywhere else in the country. They are generally pretty small, but keen spotters should be able to see some including the Arnhem rock-rat, black wallaroo, central rock-rat, carpentarian rock-rat, kakadu dunnart, central pebble-mound mouse and kakadu pebble-mound mouse. It's also a fantastic birdwatching destination with up to 200 species to be seen across different environments from swamp and estuaries to savannah woodland, coastal mangroves and offshore coral cays.
Have you ever been to Arnhem land? Share your experience in the comments below.