Gulf of Carpentaria: What is it and where is it?
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea in northern Australia, bordered by the Arafura Sea, Cape York, the Carpentaria region of Queensland and Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory.
The Gulf of Carpentaria, in the most basic terms, is that big bit of water that cuts a massive chunk out of northern Australia.
What is the Gulf of Carpentaria?
There’s some debate over whether the Gulf of Carpentaria is a sea or an inlet of the Arafura Sea. Given that it has its own distinct characteristics, and fairly easily definable boundaries, it’s probably best to treat it as a sea. But it’s a very shallow sea. The Gulf of Carpentaria is generally only 55 to 66 metres deep, with a maximum depth of 82 metres. The Gulf’s water area is around 310,000 square kilometres.
Where is the Gulf of Carpentaria?
There’s no universally agreed definition of the Gulf of Carpentaria’s boundaries, but most of them are pretty obvious. The Australian continent provides the southern, eastern and western coasts.
The northern boundary of the Gulf of Carpentaria is a little trickier to define. However, a straight line from the top of Cape York in Queensland to the western tip of the Gove Peninsula in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, is tough to argue against. That line separates the Gulf of Carpentaria from the Arafura Sea.
Towns on the Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a very remote part of Australia, and there are very few settlements along its coast. On Cape York, Weipa, Aurukun and Pormpuraaw are what pass for towns. In the Carpentaria region of Queensland, Karumba near Normanton is a renowned fishing hotspot, but the Carpentaria Highway stays well away from the coast.
Some of the Wellesley Islands, further west, are inhabited, but they are almost always reached by air. There are REX flights to the largest island, Mornington Island, from Cairns. Mornington Island is an Aboriginal community – you require special permission to visit.
In the Northern Territory, Borroloola is close to the Gulf of Carpentaria coast, and acts as the hub for the Pellew Islands. Further north, the Gulf of Carpentaria borders Arnhem Land. Again, permits are required to enter Arnhem Land. Numbulwar is the main settlement on the Gulf, although there’s a population of fishing paradise Groote Eylandt.
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