A wilderness experience at Cape Don

Few people will have heard of Cape Don. Fewer still will know where it is, and only a handful will have visited the area.

Not surprising really, when you learn it is in a remote part of northern Australia accessible only by boat or light aircraft.

Cape Don sits on the westernmost tip of the Northern Territory's Cobourg Peninsula, about as far north as one can go in the Territory, and one of the northernmost points in Australia.

It offers a wilderness experience for fishing enthusiasts, beginners and professionals alike, as well as eco tourists looking for something special.

The Cape Don experience begins when we board the chartered four-seater Cessna in Darwin and start the 40-minute flight over the Van Diemen Gulf. For most of the trip we gaze down on Melville Island to our left and the northern and western limits of Kakadu and Arnhem Land to the right.

We eventually land with a thump and a rumble on a red dirt and gravel airstrip. A bush timber shelter proudly bears a tongue-in-cheek sign announcing Cape Don International Airport. Relaxing in the shade it offers are our host, John Kerr, and Aboriginal park ranger Charlie.

A 3km drive through the bush by Land Rover and we arrive at a working lighthouse surrounded by a cluster of buildings. They are our home for the next three nights, and I can't help but think that if there is a nowhere, this is it - and we're right in the middle.

One of the three original lighthouse keepers' homes is now the guesthouse, another is used by staff while a third is home to Charlie, his wife, Joy, and their six children.

The properties have been renovated to ensure they retain their colonial charm, with wide verandas around three sides and heavy wooden shutters to protect against fierce tropical storms and high winds.

We are welcomed by Kerr's wife, Kate, with refreshingly cool hand towels and iced tea which sets the tone for our stay. Rising high above the buildings is the lighthouse. Built in 1916, it still serves as a navigational aid for shipping and aircraft. Its only concession to the 21st century is its solar-powered light.

That evening we follow Kerr up countless steps to the top and marvel at the spectacular 360-deg view of the sea and largely uninhabited bush (about 40 Aborigines live on the peninsula).

We watch for as long as we can before the sun slips below the horizon. Our silence speaks volumes - there's just nothing to say.

Not surprisingly, the table-talk during dinner centres on our expectations for the two days of fishing ahead.And you can't help but have high hopes. Enthusiasts have described the local sportfishing as some of the best in the world and, according to Kerr, visitors are rarely disappointed.

"To be honest, I can't recall anyone staying here and not catching some really good fish," he said.

That's not surprising, as the Cobourg Marine Park is a protected area with a catch-and-release rule - and consequently an abundance of fish. ..

Trevally, queenfish, spanish mackerel, barracuda, barramundi, red emperor and coral trout are just some of the more common species found in the surrounding and nearby bluewater and creek areas.

The "brag board" in the guesthouse games room is plastered with photos of delighted visitors proudly displaying and straining under the weight of large and magnificent fish.

But how big is big?

"Well, only yesterday one of our guests caught a metre-long queenfish," said Kerr. "That's a pretty big fish, but it's fairly commonplace in this part of the world. The biggest has been a 1.8m mackerel. I think it weighed in around 36kg. Now that's a big fish."

Despite its remoteness, Cape Don welcomes visitors from all corners of the globe. A world map in the dining room is dotted with markers showing visitors' countries of origin - New Zealand, Britain, France, Italy, South Africa, Japan and the US.

Whatever your preference - bluewater, creek or fly fishing - the guides take guests to the best locations to fish, in areas still used as traditional hunting grounds by the local Aboriginal custodians.

Our two days of fishing were a great success - a magnificent giant trevally, a number of large queenfish, a few stripey and barramundi, a coral trout - and plenty of exciting moments trying to reel in the ones which made good their escape. But by Cape Don standards we were only moderately successful.

For those who are not into fishing, discovering the land is another reason to visit.

"We introduce visitors to the history of the area and Aboriginal culture and show them turtles, dolphins, giant manta rays, dugongs and crocodiles," says Kerr.

"Tours also include rainforest and coral-reef walks. There's so much to see - the area is so unique, so unspoiled."

Cape Don is a vast, remote wilderness, pleasantly warm to hot but not overly humid. There are clear tropical waters, an abundance of marine and other wildlife, a spectacular reef, offshore rock outcrops, sandy beaches and mangrove-lined creeks where "barra" feed and crocs can be glimpsed in the water or on the creek banks and sandbars.

My ambition now is to return - to have another go at catching one of the many that got away and take another look at the view from the lighthouse.

Getting there:

Flight Centre offers $1369 with Qantas departing Auckland to Darwin during the low season. Taxes and levies extra. Cape Don is on the northwest tip of Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, and is the most western point of Gurig National Park (incorporating the Cobourg Marine Park).

What it costs:

Day rates start from (A$395) $442 a person. Three nights with four people sharing costs (A$1685) $1890 a person.

The price includes return airfare from Darwin, accommodation and all meals, park entry permits, fishing and wildlife guides, 4WD transport and fully equipped boats and fishing gear.

Contact:

John and Kate Kerr on 00 61 8 8978 5191. capedon@gurig.com.au

www.capedon.gurig.com.au