My year on Bathurst Island, NT

You ever plan a trip away with friends only to have it blow up in your face? Well I just had one! I will try to keep it short, however to fully tell the tale I might have to get a little deep. I live on an island in remote Northern Territory of Australia. Bathurst Island to be exact. it is about 80km offshore. About 50 miles in the old money. two friends and I drove about 65km to the other side of the island to go fishing in my boat to a place called Ranku.  the drive took about 2.5 hours as the dirt road is pretty badly rutted and quite rough. By the time we got there we were tired and ready for food and a couple of beers. we stretched out our beds and set in for sleep with alarms for 5am.  sunrise over Ranku from the Ranku School up bright and early to a gorgeous sunrise and a feeling of a big day ahead. We launched the boat a little 4.2 meter side console with a 50hp Evinrude ETEC on the back.  We got out and found some juicy snags straight away. we co...

Night time fishing adventures Fishing in Crocodile territory during day light hours can be a hair raising experience at the best of times. They stalk the boat. Sometimes you don’t even know they are in the water with you. One minute its calm water, next, there are set of beady little eyes looking back at you. Size of Crocodiles vary on the two islands. I am not sure if I have mentioned the famous “Elvis” a roughly 5 metre croc that saunters of the coast of Parnappi where campers can see him from the front door of their tents. Crocs out there are always very quick to make themselves visible when there are dogs on the beach. There are a couple small crocs that travel up and down the main beach area (nothing more than a pebble strewn shoreline) where barges land and offload their cargo and where we as fisherman launch our boats. These are around 2 – 2.5 metres long and not overly aggressive. They have been hooked on during fishing trips, often being mistaken for massive ...