The port of Karumba

Karumba (including Sweers Island)
The major fishing port on the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Located on the banks of the Norman River 69 km from Normanton and 443 km north of Cloncurry, Karumba is a fishing town. It is nothing more than a port, a few shops, a pub, a lot of inexpensive accommodation for fishermen and a river front which abounds with wharves, refrigerated storage areas, slipways and engineering services.

In the 1870s a telegraph station was built on the site of the present town. It was known simply as Norman Mouth. It served a purpose but was hardly reason for a settlement to develop. Karumba first came to importance in the 1930s when it became a stopover point for flying boats on the run from London to Australia. By the 1950s it had become a popular spot for people eager to go fishing in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

The town went through something of a boom period in the 1960s and 1970s when it became the centre for the Gulf fishing industry. Today the prawn fishing industry and the barramundi industry earn over $130 million each year.

Karumba itself is an unimpressive town. It looks like any hastily thrown together coastal settlement. Lots of fibro and haphazard urgency. Most of the houses look like holiday homes and the town has a temporary feeling about it.

Karumba's existence is connected to the simple fact that it is on the banks of the river and it is set on sand ridges which allow direct access to the river and the sea. As Burke and Wills found out in 1861 large areas of the Gulf's coastline are inpenetrable because of the dense mangrove swamps. In fact the bank of the river opposite the town is still inpenetrable mangroves.

The journey to the town from Normanton passes over an area of very flat Gulf Country. The land is alive with birdlife and it is common to see flocks of cranes and brolgas feeding beside the road.

A sign outside the town seems to sum it up 'Welcome to Karumba - population small'. As the road enters the town the all-pervading fishing industry becomes obvious with signs like - Karumba Marine Service, Karumba Charter, Net Mending and Seafood Supplies. Even the police station has a boat outside it.

In spite of its industry there is something quite beautiful and exotic about the place.

Things to see:  

Karumba Point
Karumba Point, near the entrance to the town, has a magnificent view out over the Gulf with mangroves in the foreground and the Gulf waters disappearing to the horizon. No wonder that fishermen from all over Australia come to the town for their holidays. It is the ideal starting point for anyone who wants to catch barramundi or fish the unspoiled waters of the Gulf.

Tours in the area
In recent times Karumba has grown so that it now offers boat hire (for fishing and sightseeing), cruises on the Norman River and flights across to Sweers and Mornington Islands.

Sweers Island
38 nautical miles north of the coast is Sweers Island, the most south-easterly of the Wellesley Group. 7 km long and 1.5 km wide, it is surrounded by thousands of acres of reef (mostly rock but partially coral) and is thus a popular fishing location. The provision of accommodation by Sweers Island Resort (07 4748 5544) has made this isolated island a popular retreat for anglers eager to catch the Gulf's sweetlip, cod, coral trout, parrotfish and stripeys, with pelagics such as Spanish mackerel and tuna aplenty in winter.

The resort supplies powered 4.6-metre catamarans with rod-holders, handlines, hooks and sinkers, although visitors can, of course, bring their own tackle and fly-lines. There are also lures for sale. A larger 8.4-metre vessel, piloted by a crew of two and carrying ten passengers, is also available for hire. Access to the island is usually by private or charter aircraft (the resort can make recommendations in this regard). The island's airstrip can cope with single and twin-engined aircraft seating up to 10 people.

Accommodation takes the form of cabins. Some have three and some have six single beds. All meals are provided at the bar/dining complex and lunches can be packed for anglers. There is a separate toilet and shower block.

Vegetation on the island is plentiful and there are about 50 bird species, including the rose-crowned fruit dove, bustards, ducks and curlews. The resort is located on an old town site that has reverted to Crown land. The rest of the island is Aboriginal freehold, being traditionally used by the Kaiadilt people on their seafood gathering expeditions. The island was sighted, visited and named in 1802 by Matthew Flinders who came ashore, climbed and named Inspection Hill, which rises to a height of 30 metres in the island's south-east. Flinders named the island after Salomon Sweers, a councillor of Batavia who authorised the journey of Abel Tasman to this area in 1644. It was later visited by the Beagle, which had earlier carried Charles Darwin about on his voyages of biological investigation. The party on board the Beagle were delighted to find the name of Flinders' vessel, the Investigator, carved on a tree (the tree is now owned by the Queensland Museum).

If you are visiting Sweers Island between September and November, keep an eye out for the unusual tubular cloud formations known as Morning Glories which roll out from the Gulf in the early morning.

	Motels
	Karumba Lodge Yappar St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9121 or (07) 4745 9143
	Holiday Homes & Units
	Ash's Holiday Units Palmer St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9132 Facsimile: (07) 4745 9134 Rating: ***
	Gone Fishin' Holiday Units 2 Esplanade Karumba Point Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9502 Facsimile: (07) 4745 9504 Rating: ***
	Matilda's End Holiday Units 62 Yappar St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4747 6500 Facsimile: (07) 4745 9319 Rating: ***
	Matilda's End Holiday Units 62 Yappar St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4747 6500 Facsimile: (07) 4745 9319 Rating: ***
	Cottages & Cabins
	Gee-Dee's Family Cabins 27 Palmer St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9433 Facsimile: (07) 4745 9433 Rating: ***
	Savannah Shores The Esplanade Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9126
	Caravan Parks
	Gulf Country Caravan Park Yappar St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9148 Rating: **
	Karumba Point Tourist Park Karumba Point Rd Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9306 Rating: **
	Sunset Caravan Park Palmer St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9277
	Restaurants
	Karumba Lodge Bistro Yappar St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9121 or (07) 4745 9143
	Karumba Recreation & Golf Club Karumba Rd Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9100
	Karumba Seafood Cnr Massey Dve & Yappar St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9195
	Resorts
	Sweers Island Resort PMB1 Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4748 5544 Facsimile: (07) 4748 5644 Email: sweers@bigpond.com
	Cafés
	Ash's Holiday Cafe Palmer St Karumba QLD 4891 Telephone: (07) 4745 9132 Facsimile: (07) 4745 9134