I have a big road trip in the pipeline with some friends for late 2006, as late in the wet season as will be sensible.

What I can't decide on, is which direction to take. Stating in Darwin, then to head west through the Kimberly and down to the WA coast for some fishing and Diving OR go east into the Gulf country, either heading up the Cape York Peninsula as far as Weipa or going though to the east coast for the fishing.

We would like to get onto some scrub bulls, hope to find somewhere to hunt buff and take pigs, donkeys, goats, whatever comes on the places we can shoot on really.

I know WA has some strange firearms regulations and finding properties to shoot over will be tough, QLD I think will have more in the way of access to private land, there are also some agencies that provide it at a small fee.

I've travelled though NT from north to south, but never ventured into the Kimberly, on the other side I have travelled Perth to Broome on about 3 different trips so I know and like that part of the country.

The Gulf is another place have never explored. I rekon there must be a lot of good pigs in that area, possibly scrub bulls?

I have a friend in Humpty Doo who said he would be able to take us out for a buff, but I haven't spoken to him about it in a few years.

Anyone want to offer any advice? The Diving I think will be limited in the Gulf country, since the roads don’t pass close to the water and I assume that there will be a lot of mangrove and mudflats too.

Thanks.

I would say that diving around the coast of the Cape would be "interesting" with the amount of large estuarine crocs that inhabit that area.
I have been to Cape York each year since 1989 and flown a fair bit of it by chopper.
Fishing is seasonal with drought years being tough and most river mouths having resident professionals thus almost quarantining the rivers to barra unless there is a heavy flood.
My general comment is that the pigs are possibly on the decline in many areas due to government culling; dingoes and private shooters. Crocs are on the increase due to their protected status and lack fear of man now.
Access to private land shrinks with Land Right Claims and growing National Parks combining with the areas of existing Aboriginal Lands. Have a look at a map and see that nearly all the East coast of the Cape from Cape Trib to the tip is either Aboriginal or National Park and a bloody lot of the west coast as well.
I go every year because I see the decline of access and eventually the whole Cape will be locked out to recreational shooters.
Some may see this note as excessively bleak but it is the truth.
APB

Joe/Express

I may have a property which you might be able to hunt on. Between the Kymberlies and the Top End in the NT. It isn't free but the price isn't unreasonable.

Buffalo and pigs.

Hoping to hunt there myself in August, maybe. Looking at several well priced opportunities currently, maybe even Banteng.

John, if you don't mind, pass those details on to me via e-mail.

The trip is still a long way off and we still haven't decided which route we will take.

The western route offers more accessable shore diving, but like I said, I fear that finding anywhere shoot will be heard. The east seems to offer afew more places to hunt on, though I would think it would be limited to pigs. The diving on that side is difficult for us, because it requires a boat but the great barrier reef just can't be beaten.

A place to hunt in the Kimberly might be the deciding factor.

Cheers.