Gulf of Carpentaria

The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large shallow sea located in the north west of the Northern Territory, sandwiched between Arnhem Land and the Cape York Peninsula in North Queensland. The climate is hot and humid and like the rest of the Territory it has a dry and wet season; between November and April the gulf is a breeding ground for cyclones. When Jan Carsterzoon explored the gulf in 1623 he named it after Pieter de Carpentier, the Govenor General in the Dutch East Indies at that time. The area is home to four indigenous language groups, Yanuwa, Mara, Kurdanj and Karawa. Today the gulf region is home to some of Australia’s largest cattle stations, some of them are even the same size as a small European country. The Gulf’s waterways are ideal for fishing in both fresh waters as well as coastal waters. The Gulf is accessible overland via Daly Waters or Mataranka along either the Carpentaria or Roper Highways.