Rod Gets Lost in Arnhem Land

Rod Gets Lost in Arnhem Land

After just returning from a 5 week trip in my Toyota 79 Series Auto, taking in both Arnhem Land and the Kimberly I can tell you that we truly live in an extraordinary country. Obviously not sticking to the main roads meant  the trip took some time but it was worth every second.

Filming with my mates, Graham Cahill and Shaun Whale from 4WD Action, we met up with some awesome locals that showed us around central Arnhem. We were given the chance to see just how the local indigenous people hunt and gather and the local kids made Shaun, Graham and Myself look stupid when it came to fishing. What surprised me most was how sharp these guys were when it came to knowing what dangers lurked beneath the waters or behind you in the bush.

At one point the teenage girls had become separated from the boys because apparently “that’s what boys do” according to them! Suddenly they felt that something wasn’t right in the bushes behind them and being late at night with no moon, this made our surroundings absolutely pitch black. This was no matter to them as they knew exactly what to do to protect themselves which involved setting fire to a large scrub bush that suddenly erupted into an enormous ball of flames, lighting up the sky and land for hundreds of meters in each direction. I don’t know about them but it had me feeling much safer right up to the point when I turned around and found a huge buffalo standing within meters of us and it was this that the girls had picked up on. I didn’t see, hear and sense anything but they sure as hell did and knew exactly what to do and how to get him to move on.

After a few days spent in central Arnhem Land we moved on towards the coast and the local mining town of Gove that sits right on the northern most tip of the N.T side of the Gulf Of Carpentaria. My first thought is that just over the other side of these waters is Cape York and Weipa. Quite a random thought I know but it’s amazing some of the stuff that goes through your head when your visiting places like this for the very first time!

The sat phone kept me in contact with the wife that was holding the fort back home at the wildlife shelter and what a great job she did while I was away! Slaving my guts out day after day with constant BBQ’s, Beer and Laughter! Oh, and did I mention some driving we did in-between?! What struck me most was the complete lack of people, even though we were travelling in the holiday season and if you like land based fishing, the tip of Cape Arnhem at the river mouth was out of this world! Be warned, don’t stand still for too long or even stand in the same place twice because under the water lurks some critters with big teeth.

I have said it before and I will say it again, take the time from your busy schedules and get out there and see the lucky country. Take your partner or some mates but get out there! You only get one shot at being on this beautiful planet so make the most to experience all she has to offer.

Regards Rodney