The Gove Peninsula (12°17′S 136°49′E) is at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia.
Arnhem Land is a vast tract of nearly 100,000 sq km of Aboriginal owned land is one of Australia's last strongholds of traditional Aboriginal culture. The Yolŋu people have inalienable freehold title over this land, currently with the exception of the mining lease that the town of Nhulunbuy is located on. The Aboriginal Land Trust holds this title. Permission to enter Arnhem Land MUST be obtained from the Northern Land Council.
Getting to Nhulunbuy
The Central Arnhem Road leaves the Stuart Highway 52 km south of Katherine. The first 30 km is sealed but from then on the road is corrugated, slippery with loose gravel and in some places heavy with bull dust. There are also river crossings.
It is advisable to check road conditions before travelling. Please ensure that you have adequate fuel for the journey. There may be fuel at Bulman and Mainoru Station but up to date information should be obtained from the Mainoru Store.
Please note all Arnhem Land is Aboriginal land and visitors require a Transit permit online from the Northern Land Council to travel on the Central Arnhem Road. This permit is also required to enter onto land outside of the Rio Tinto Nhulunbuy town lease and Dhimurru Recreation Areas. There is no cost for this permit but it is necessary to preserve the area and monitor the numbers of people accessing the land. Penalties apply for moving throughout the region without a permit and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of the Traditional Owners in this regard.
Please note that the Central Arnhem Road is NOT recommended for caravans (sturdy off-road camper trailers only). Caravans are not permitted to access the Dhimurru recreation areas. There is a caravan park at the Walkabout Lodge and adjacent to the Boat Club. .
Nhulunbuy (Gove) can be reached by air from Cairns (1hr 40mins) or Darwin (1hr 10mins) with AirNorth.
General Information about East Arnhem Land can be found at the www.eastarnhemland.com.au
Dhimurru Short Stay Hostel
Dhimurru offers short term hostel style accommodation at our facility located on Arnhem Road. The facility has three bedrooms and a shared kitchen and bathroom. Please see our Short Stay Accommodation page for more information. bookings for the short stay hostel can be made online. A Visitor Access Permit must be held to book this accommodation.
Weather
The tropical dry season (May-October) is our 'winter' and temperatures hover around 28 degrees Celsius with superb tropical nights warm enough to dine out under the stars.
Rainfall is usually high during the tropical summer season (November-April) and daytime temperatures are around 30-33 degrees Celsius with sea breezes. We enjoy temperatures up to 5 degrees cooler than Darwin or Cairns. Remember that during the wet season some roads and tracks may become impassable. Road Report on the Central Arnhem Road can be found at https://roadreport.nt.gov.au.
Arnhem Land is a vast tract of nearly 100,000 sq km of Aboriginal owned land is one of Australia's last strongholds of traditional Aboriginal culture. The Yolŋu people have inalienable freehold title over this land, currently with the exception of the mining lease that the town of Nhulunbuy is located on. The Aboriginal Land Trust holds this title. Permission to enter Arnhem Land MUST be obtained from the Northern Land Council.
Getting to Nhulunbuy
The Central Arnhem Road leaves the Stuart Highway 52 km south of Katherine. The first 30 km is sealed but from then on the road is corrugated, slippery with loose gravel and in some places heavy with bull dust. There are also river crossings.
It is advisable to check road conditions before travelling. Please ensure that you have adequate fuel for the journey. There may be fuel at Bulman and Mainoru Station but up to date information should be obtained from the Mainoru Store.
Please note all Arnhem Land is Aboriginal land and visitors require a Transit permit online from the Northern Land Council to travel on the Central Arnhem Road. This permit is also required to enter onto land outside of the Rio Tinto Nhulunbuy town lease and Dhimurru Recreation Areas. There is no cost for this permit but it is necessary to preserve the area and monitor the numbers of people accessing the land. Penalties apply for moving throughout the region without a permit and visitors are asked to respect the wishes of the Traditional Owners in this regard.
Please note that the Central Arnhem Road is NOT recommended for caravans (sturdy off-road camper trailers only). Caravans are not permitted to access the Dhimurru recreation areas. There is a caravan park at the Walkabout Lodge and adjacent to the Boat Club. .
Nhulunbuy (Gove) can be reached by air from Cairns (1hr 40mins) or Darwin (1hr 10mins) with AirNorth.
General Information about East Arnhem Land can be found at the www.eastarnhemland.com.au
Dhimurru Short Stay Hostel
Dhimurru offers short term hostel style accommodation at our facility located on Arnhem Road. The facility has three bedrooms and a shared kitchen and bathroom. Please see our Short Stay Accommodation page for more information. bookings for the short stay hostel can be made online. A Visitor Access Permit must be held to book this accommodation.
Weather
The tropical dry season (May-October) is our 'winter' and temperatures hover around 28 degrees Celsius with superb tropical nights warm enough to dine out under the stars.
Rainfall is usually high during the tropical summer season (November-April) and daytime temperatures are around 30-33 degrees Celsius with sea breezes. We enjoy temperatures up to 5 degrees cooler than Darwin or Cairns. Remember that during the wet season some roads and tracks may become impassable. Road Report on the Central Arnhem Road can be found at https://roadreport.nt.gov.au.
For more information on the Gove Peninsula and/or travelling in North East Arnhem Land please see our Contact page
