Northern Territory For Everyone: Gove Peninsula

Gove Peninsula

Gove Peninsula is on the west coast of the Gulf of Carpentaria at the northeastern corner of Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. It is a vast tract of Aboriginal owned land on the Northern Territory coastline. The township of Nhulunbuy is the main commercial and service centre of the Peninsula and is 600 kilometres east of Darwin. The peninsula became strategically important during World War II when a Royal Australian Air Force base was constructed at what is now Gove Airport. The peninsula was named after Pilot Officer William Gove, who was killed in a mid air collision in 1943.

Of the peninsula's 14,000 plus population, almost 64% are Indigenous people. Its main towm, Nhulunbuy has a population of nearly 4,000, the majority being non-Indigenous people. The economy of the Gove Peninsula is centred on the Alcan Gove Bauxite Mine and Refinery which is located of leasehold land within the boundaries of Aboriginal freehold land.

Transport

It is possible to hire four wheel drives, conventional vehicles or bicycles in Nhulunbuy and an airport bus and taxi company service the town.

The Gove Airport is located 13 km from the town centre of Nhulunbuy. Qantas and AirNorth have a daily flight to Gove from Cairns and Darwin which then connect to cities around the world. The Cairns – Gove flight is 1 hour and 40 minutes duration and Darwin – Gove is 1 hour and 10 minutes.

By road, the most direct route to Nhulunbuy from a major Highway is via the Central Arnhem Road which leaves the Stuart Highway 52 km south of Katherine. The first 30 kilometres are sealed and then the rest is a gravel road.

A four-wheel-drive vehicle is recommended, particularly for the two major river crossings, the Wilton River near Bulman Aboriginals Community and the Goyder River, about 300 kilometres from Nhulunbuy. Fuel needs to be carried as travellers may not be able to purchase fuel along the way. The Central Arnhem Road is 682 kilometres long, plus the 52 kilometres from Katherine to the turnoff makes a long drive, approximately 8 or 9 hours drive with good conditions. Travellers require a permit as the road runs across many Yolngu Clan lands.

Walks

The peninsula is barely touched by western development, with the exceptions of Nhulunbuy and the bauxite mine and alumina refinery. There are vast tracts of unspoilt land, beaches and ocean. The beaches, bays and islands are idyllic with stretches of beautiful white sand and clear blue ocean waters.

Some favourite destinations of locals and visitors alike are Nanydjaka (Cape Arnhem), Lurrupukurru (Oyster Beach), Rangura (Caves Beach), Baringura (Little Bondi), Ngumuy (Turtle Beach), Garanhan (Macassan Beach), and Daliwuy (Daliwoi Bay). Most are ideal for beach walking.

There are three marked coastal walking trails, providing relatively short and pleasant walks. These are Daliwuy to Garanhan (3 km, red trail marker), Garanhan to Ngumuy (2.5 km, yellow trail marker) and Ngumuy to Baringura (1.5 km, black trail marker). Yolngu elders have provided interpretive material along the way so visitors can enjoy and appreciate their rich culture and beliefs.

Climate

Situated just 12 degrees south of the Equator, the Gove Peninsula has a monsoon climate. The non-Aboriginal people of the Northern Territory tropics recognise two distinct seasons, the dry season from May to October, and the wet from November to April. During the dry, temperatures range from 15 to 18 degrees Celsius at night to 28 to 30 degrees Celsius during the day. There is virtually no rainfall, clear blue skies and cool ocean breezes. The wet season brings the monsoon weather with hot and humid days ranging from 31 to 35 degrees Celsius and warm nights. Electrical storms are spectacular and there can be cyclonic activity. Humidity is high and rainfall averages between 100 to 300 milli-metres per month with an annual rainfall around 1100 mm.

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Yolngu however recognise eight seasons derived from changing behaviours and patterns apparent in the land, flora and fauna. Yolngu seasons calendar Dhuludur’ (‘the Pre-wet season’, October–November) when the weather is erratic, ‘female’ thunder and lightning storms are frequent, turtles and Threadfin Salmon are hunted, and the ‘male’ thunder shrinks the waterholes. Bärra’mirri (‘the season of Heavy Rain and Growth’, December–January) when there is heavy rains and prolific plant growth, the Magpie Geese arrive and shellfish are harvested. Mayaltha (‘the Flowering season’, February–March) when there are bright sunny days but little bush tucker, flies arrive and mosquito larvae are abundant in the pools. Midawarr (‘the Fruiting season’, March–April) when the east wind signals a time of abundant bush foods, including fruits, nuts and barramundi.

Ngathangamakulingamirri (‘a two week Harvest season’, April) Dharratharramirri (‘the Early Dry season’, May–July) when the trade winds (south-southeast) arrive, the bush is fired, Magpie Lark flocks arrive and sharks and stingrays give birth. Burrugumirri (‘the time of the Birthing of Sharks and Stingrays’, three weeks in July to August) Rarrandharr (‘the Main Dry season’, August to October) when warm southeast winds blow, the soil is hot, young sharks and stingrays are hunted, and the stringybark flowers. National Oceans Office, 2003, Snapshot of the Northern Planning Area, Hobart.

Yolngu culture

Owned by the traditional Aboriginal owners, the Yolngu people, it is a place rich in culture with Yolngu maintaining strong ties with their land, religion and traditions. Rather than the name of a clan or family group, Yolngu is the word that Aboriginal people from East Arnhem Land, including the Gove Peninsula, use to refer to themselves. The main five clan groups of the region are Gumatj, Rirratjingu, Djapu, Madarrpa and Dhalwangu. Any non-Yolngu person is called a Balanda (thought to originate from the word 'Hollander' for a white or Dutch person).

Arnhem Land, including the Gove Peninsula, is home to what is commonly referred to as the didgeridoo and Yolngu are master players and craftsmen of the instrument. In this region, therhythms, techniques and compositions endemic to the people are of outstanding musical interest Didgeridoos from north-east Arnhem Land are instruments of the highest cultural integrity.

The use of the didgeridoo in this part of Australia continues as an unbroken tradition since time immemorial. In recent times, the Yothu Yindi band and Djalu Gurruwiwi - Mr Didgeridoo himself - has done much to popularise the yidaki around the world. Yidaki are commonly made in north-east Arnhem Land from gadayka - Eucalyptus tetradonta or Stringybark, gungurru - Eucalyptus miniata or Woolybutt, and badawili - Eucalyptus ferruginea or Rusty Bloodwood.