Garig Gunak Barlu National Park: Why visit the Northern Territory’s Cobourg Peninsula?

The Garig Gunak Barlu National Park covers the Northern Territory’s Cobourg Peninsula. It’s best accessed on a guided tour through the Arnhemland, and offers top drawer fishing, birdwatching and a surprising ruined settlement.

The Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory has several well known National Parks. These include the country’s biggest, birdlife and rock art-filled Kakadu. But at the eastern end of Kakadu, just past Ubirr, comes one of Australia’s most notorious river crossings.

Cahills Crossing crosses the East Alligator River, and is impassable during the wet season. It is also crawling with crocodiles, so you really don’t want your vehicle to break down there. Well, unless you fancy bumping up the Australian croc death statistics.

Garig Gunak Barlu National Park in the Northern Territory’s Arnhem Land

On the other side of the East Alligator River is Arnhem Land, a vast area largely inhabited by Aboriginal Australians. Traditional ways of life live on in Arnhem Land. You need special permits from the Northern Land Council to enter the region.

The Cobourg Peninsula, at the north-western edge of Arnhem Land, isn’t part of the permit area. But to get there by land, you need to travel through the permit area. Given the necessity to have a four wheel drive vehicle, tackle Cahill’s Crossing, then some pretty dicey four wheel drive tracks to get there, it’s no wonder that few visitors get to the Cobourg Peninsula.

The peninsula is covered by the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. This park also includes some of the neighbouring waterways. All up, the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park covers 4,500 square kilometres. But for adventurous types, there’s plenty to do, there.

Garig Gunak Barlu National Park eco-system

There are several sandy beaches within the National Park, although don’t get too excited about sunbathing on them, as there are also plenty of crocodiles. The eco-system of rainforest, swamps, lagoons, sea grass meadows and mangroves makes for plenty of birdlife, too.

Beach in Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, Northern Territory — A currently crocodile-free beach in the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, on the Northern Territory’s Cobourg Peninsula. Photo by David Whitley/ Australia Travel Questions

Fishing is one of major highlights, with massive trevally, snappers and queenfish in abundance. There are plenty of sharks, too – care is required.

On a more educational level, the Black Point Cultural Centre covers the Aboriginal, Macassan and European histories of the region. There’s also the abandoned ruins of the Victoria Settlement. This was a tragic early attempt by the British to settle the enormous Northern Territory. Amid the ruins, signs tell of the hellish time the would-be settlers experienced.

Getting to the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory

The Victoria Settlement is only accessible by boat, however. This provides an excellent example of why almost everyone visiting the Cobourg Peninsula will do so on an organised tour.

There are two camping grounds on the Cobourg Peninsula for intrepid independent travellers. But everyone else is going to be staying at a private lodge on a multi-day tour from Darwin. Venture North and Outback Spirit are the main two operators going to Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. A warning: they aren’t cheap.

For charter flights to the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, go through the tour operators.