East Arnhem Land camp sites - recommendations/reviews please

In 2023 we included both east & west Arnhem Land in our travels. In the east we stayed at...

Garanhan (Macassans): 5 camps - we stayed on site 2 - can be breezy but waves exploding on the rock shelf is quite exhilarating
Banamgarrnga (Rainbow Cliff): 4 camps - we stayed at site 1 - on the cliff top - good views - More private than the other camps - short walk to beach access - 15mins or so to the cliffs
Gapuru (Memorial Park) : 1 camp spot - appreciated this the best - no other campers as only one camp area - waterfalls and rock pools for swimming - isolated.

You will enjoy the area and the Cobourg Peninsula is spectacular with many beach walks, bird life and a few drives. Rangers are very helpful.

Graham

We visited Coburg Peninsula in June 2021.
Great place and the service from the Rangers is spectacular.
Be aware that most of the peninsula is off limits and it is not permitted to camp anywhere but the allocated camp ground, but what you can see is worth the effort.

12 minutes video clip: Cahills Crossing to Pt Smith. https://youtu.be/gX0c9WWYLnY
Short video clip: Coastal scenic drive. https://youtu.be/_nTkUnYjnwo
Short video clip: Wetland scenic drive. https://youtu.be/mVQLJbnpdwE

We were booked in for the normal 1 week, but covid caused a lack of bookings and we were able to extend our stay by another week half way through the first week. As it turned out, the locals announced that they were going to close Cahills crossing for covid protection and we had to dash out 2 days early before they blocked the road.
Cheers,
Peter
OKA196 motorhome

In East Arnhem Land we had a fantastic time a couple of years ago at both Bawaka and Cato River - very welcoming communities

We stayed at the Walkabout lodge and at scout camp which is quite nice with the river. We actually swam in the river on quite a few occasions and locals also came for a dip but probably wasn't the smartest thing do do.

All the other popular campsites were booked out well in advance. Some of the beach camping sites were vacant but the tracks were quite overgrown and we would have had trouble even getting our camper into them. Sand is very fine amd powdery and sites we looked at quite exposed for the more private sites.
Seem to remember there was a large ground on the beach but it didn't appeal to us as amenities were few.

Coburg peninsula was ok but not really anything do there if you don't fish. Two big camp areas, one generator one no gens permitted. We were booked into the non gen area but found all the shady sites taken, also was quite boggy in there. We opted for the gen area, again all the shady sites taken but we found one with a shelter and its own shower/toilet and no oe was using generators anyway. Personally would only go back again to see the old settlement which we had booked a tour of but they cancelled it as there wasn't enough takers to fill the boat. From memory caravans were banned but there was a few there. From memeory there was also supposed to be a cap on how many could stay at one time but there were a lot more there than the was suposed to be so not sure how that worked.

Rangers were good and would drop in daily to check on us and clean the amenities.

I came across a brochure from the Dimurru Aborginal Corporation in East Arnhem Land stating that their camp sites had a 2.5 m height access limit & a 3.5t weight limit. & 2.1m width.

This promised to put paid to our visit altogether in our 3.2m high, 2.1m wide, 7t truck.

I emailed the Dhimurru Aboriginal Corporation , being clear about our truck's height & weight & received a very prompt & very helpful response from them, informing me that there are indeed 3 sites where we would be unable to get into, but that all the rest would be ok, so long as we are careful.

The 3 that are unsuitable include two we had hoped to camp at - Cape Arnhem & Turtle beach, the third being the beach 'next door' to Turtle, - Little Bondi beach. But we can still day visit some of these - just have to park & walk a bit further & there are other beach camps nearby that we can accesss.eg Maccassans beach. All of the inland sites should be accessible.

So the trip planning is back on. Getting the permits was quick & easy. The Transit permit from the Northern lad council is free & arrived 24 hours after applyng online. The Dhimurru Visitors access pass - $182 for 2 people for 30 days also received within 24 hours. - also all done online.

Camp fees are $33.50 per night for two (same price for one)

All quite a lot more expensive than our usual free camping style, but not unexpected , And considering some are exclusive - you have the whole site to yourself - even though there is room for 5 vehicles. If 5 travelling together book- they have it to themselves. If just 1 like us book it we have it to ourselves. Max 2 nights.

For the Cobourg Peninsula camping - another very prompt response saying our dates are provisionally booked & we will be contacted in the new year to confirm & make payment by card over the phone.

Generally I have been most impressed by the promptness & the helpfulness of all the communications.I confess to having worried that we may have come up against over-caution on the part of office based employees with 'computer says no' type answers, but not so at all, quite the opposite & quite refreshing,

A couple of places you may want to visit, about 150k's north of Bullman heading to Nhulunbuy, there will be a turn off to a Yolngu community called Baniyala.
The community has a recreation place about 4ks out of the community that faces the stunning blue waters of Blue Mud Bay.
Blue Mud Bay
There is also location of Cape Arnhem, again permits will be required, it is a very impressive place...with some beach driving.