Thanks Ross.

We are lucky to have someone to clarify these conflicting answers for us.  I was confused to say the least. See you out there up the rivers!

Robert

Hi Infinity skipper and crew;

Thanks for your thoughts.

My yacht is currently in Darwin.  I don’t like the idea of attempting the sail upwind back to Victoria via the east coast and I’ve waited a long time to sail the Kimberley Coast.  I’m 73 years old. I don’t want to spend all of 2022 in Darwin waiting in hope for permits in 2023.  I feel I have to sail to Perth next season and if that means not going ashore anywhere in the Kimberley then sadly that’s what I’ll have to do.  However, I will need to refuel with ULP.  Hopefully from the Shorelands barge in West Bay and at Dog Leg Creek.

I agree there will probably be restrictions on entry to Aboriginal communities.  And ‘cruising’ the area in the normal sense of going ashore to see the sights with an ALT permit and purchased visitor Passes from Wunambal Gaamera, Dambimangari and the Department of Parks & Wildlife may be restricted or not permitted at all.

I am very concerned about what I can do next year and I need to be sure I understand.  Please tell me if you have a different opinion.

Robert

PS  I sailed along the Arnhem Coast this year but not permitted ashore.

Hi Ross & Everyone here;

I don’t want to wear out my welcome but I have another question or two.

I’ve been on the ALT site and tried to match their site names with places on my route.  There are many places I will anchor and perhaps go ashore that do not have a site name on the ALT “Places of Interest” list.  Just to name two, Silver Gull Creek and Dog Leg Creek.

If I can arrange to re-fuel at West Bay do I need a permit for West Bay if I don’t need to go ashore?

Does my first draft list look reasonable or nuts?  Have I missed key stops? Am I asking for to many permit locations?  Am I asking to go to ‘no-go’ locations?

Berkeley River Falls/Gorge

King George Falls

Honeymoon Beach

McGowan Island

DC3 WWII crash site

Ngula (Jar Island) #2 South West

Freshwater Cove

Mitchell Estuary Upstream

Surveyors Creek

Wuuyuru (Bigge Island)

Wunbung-gu (Careening Bay) ‘Mermaid/Boab Tree’

Purulba Cave

Banjadoo (Camp Creek Falls)

Banjadoo (Rock Art)

Langgi

Ngumbirri (Raft Point)

Ngumbirri Cave (Art Site)

Robert

Hi everyone;

I sailed my catamaran Sundowner from Paynesville on the Gippsland Lakes in Victoria from March 2021 up the east coast to Cullen Bay Marina in Darwin at the end of August.  Spent September and October on land exploring Darwin and surrounds.  My Seawind 1000 XL2 doesn’t have A/C and by the end of October I’d had enough of the heat and humidity and flew back home to Melbourne.  I may regret that decision come time to sail to the Kimberley next May.  I think I will be allowed to fly back to Darwin but I have no idea if WA Covid rules will be permit me to sail on down to Perth.

And worry number two is ULP fuel.  My boat has twin outboard motors. I planned to take on 200L of ULP at McGowan Island camp.  And another 200L at Dog Leg Creek.  But McGowan Island fuel supply is no longer available and I have no back up plan. I have lots of time to explore the Kimberly so expected to use quite a lot of ULP (motoring, dinghy, water maker, generator).  I would really appreciate any information on the plans for availability of ULP next season.

And, will we be permitted to go ashore at any interesting locations along the Kimberly Coast?  Or will all permits be rejected as were all my requests for permits to go shore on the Arnhem Coast.

Robert