Who doesn’t have a lifelong dream of catching a barra in the Top End? It’s been on my bucket list and it’s still on my great mate, former personal trainer from Australia’s The Biggest Loser, Shannan Ponton’s.
So for those of you who talk the talk but can’t really walk the walk in fishing terms, those of you just like me, then my tip is head to the Northern Territory. The Northern Territory is amongst the world’s best places to play, stay and fish.
I headed off on a three-day fishing trip from Darwin with Shannan – someone who has always dreamed of catching a barra but has never actually given it a go. Fishing is one thing but fishing for a barra is another and fishing for a barra worth a million dollars? Well, that’s just insane. But you read it right. Every year from October through to February, Tourism NT band together and release 101 different species of fish all over the NT, one has a tag worth $1 million and the other 100 are tagged with $10,000 worth of prizes.
They say you have to be in it to win it, so we hooked up our new age caravan to the Isuzu D-Max, stock standard from the show room floor and off we trotted to Darwin and Bynoe Harbour. We left the wives in Darwin to do girly things for the weekend while we hit the remote Bynoe Harbour region. Darwin itself is known throughout the world for its fishing and how regularly big fish are caught, often right in close to shore.
The wet season is the ultimate time to go to the Northern Territory for fishing. From a charter boat, your own dinghy, the muddy banks, a pier – there is always an adventure waiting around every corner when you’re fishing around Australia. Leaving from the Darwin Freespirit Holiday Park, a brilliantly set up right on the highway as you drive into Darwin, there is a service station right next door and within the park itself there is a bar and restaurant right alongside the huge pool area. What more could you ask for?
We headed out to Bynoe Harbour a couple of hours drive from Darwin, dropping into the Berry Springs Pub for a quick look and, of course, some much-needed rehydration. Just for the memory bank too, every Melbourne Cup Day here at the Berry Springs Pub they have crocodile races instead of horse races so add that to the list of must-dos in the region. Arriving at our accommodation and the first fishing location, we check into Crab Claw Island Resort at Bynoe Harbour. This is a superb place to stay. A real hidden gem. It has 12 elevated beachfront cabins, two semi-beachfront cabins, four family cabins, five retreat cabins in a palm garden and a powered area for caravanning and camping.
So we park up the New Age van and the Isuzu – in a shady spot, too. Lucky us! We unload all our fishing gear including two Berkeley fishing tops, brand new straight out of the wrapper – you can ever be too sun smart these days! I often say look good, feel good play good, and Shannan and I are definitely looking good. We fish for a few hours straight off the beach, right in front of the bar area, catching plenty of fish – and yes I have to admit it, the tally so far is Spida 0, Shannan 5. But no Barra!
We have a nice selection of salmon that the chef will cook up for our dinner and we traded a few mud crabs with another traveller so we have dinner sorted. While it’s not the million-dollar fish, it still tasted very, very good. Although, I would prefer million dollars or $10,000 any day. Day two and we are all over Dundee Beach, which is a relaxed coastal town and very popular fishing spot some 120 kilometres south-west of Darwin. Situated on the shores of Fog Bay, this tiny settlement is a popular weekend destination for fishing folk, which is what brings us here today. The only problem here is deciding where to fish. Perron Islands, Point Blaze, Finniss River or the Bynoe Harbour. We decide on Finniss River, with Captain Jack from River and Reef Fishing Charters.
We hit the river hard, trolling, casting, trolling, casting… but nothing. As they say in the classics “that’s the fun of fishing” some days you’re on and some days you just aren’t. We had a cracking day pulling in three or four decent sized fish but unfortunately no barra! We gave it our all and the one positive to come out of it for all of you, is that the Million Dollar Fish is still out there waiting to be caught! Whether it’s the Finnis River, the islands or the harbour, the waterways are so clean, so untouched and so easily accessible in such a remote location.
Our full day fishing trip was over, and we overnighted again at Crab Claw Island Resort. Unfortunately, we had to head back to Darwin but both of us could have easily stayed a week to 10 days out there. We stop in at the Sand Palms Pub along the way. Outback Pubs like this are what makes Australia special.
Drop in, have a beer or a soft drink, whatever you like, but its meeting the people who call these places home that really make special memories. Tommy the owner of the Sand Palms is a true Aussie character and a legend at that. Definitely pencil in a stop when you’re out that way as I can assure you Tommy will have you in fits of laughter the entire time. Once back and parked up at Darwin Freespirit Holiday we decide to see this area from a different perspective and that is from the air.
On day three we take in Litchfield National Park by helicopter! If you don’t like helicopters you can always drive to Litchfield, it’s all sealed and a nice easy 90 minute drive from Darwin and known for its waterfalls, pristine swimming spots, beautiful walking trails and hidden natural wonders. Wangi Falls is the star attraction here.
The falls here flow all year ‘round and are most spectacular in the wet and early dry season. We walked along the hiking tracks (why did I choose to bring a personal trainer along?) and witnessed hidden waterfalls where no one was within even “cooweee” distance. The gushing water coming straight over sandstone cliffs. If you wish to stay out here you definitely can, but get in quick as this place fills up quicker than a local bar at happy hour.
With all the facilities you need, including a kiosk, hot showers and barbecues they say this is living and I agree as Shannan and I cheers each other after a solid day hiking, walking and swimming with a good local Darwin beer.
Seeing Litchfield National Park from the air with Nautilus Aviation is something you will never forget. This remarkable landscape is totally different from the air. From up here you see the enormity of just how big it is, and the true sense of just how awesome the Territory is. We flew right over Wangi Falls – it’s just magic! Nautilus Aviation do flights all over the Northern Territory so be sure to look them up for a dramatic and awe inspiring birds-eye vision of the region.
With our long weekend from Darwin complete, we settle back into our work, dreaming of the day we catch a million-dollar barra in the Northern Territory. Our 2018 trip is already booked for November and I am eagerly counting down the days!
This post was written by Peter ‘Spida’ Everitt from Great Australian Doorstep. The Great Australian Doorstep TV Show airs Saturdays @ 2.30pm on Channel 7Two. This episode about Fishing the NT will air on 20 January 2018.