“…Unique and amazingly beautiful places like Karumba, Queensland on Australia’s  Gulf of Carpentaria and other places like the Gulf of Thailand, the Persian Gulf, the South China Sea and even the Gulf of Mexico, are some of the very best places on Earth for catching fish..”

One-tide-a-day thing happens in Karumba, Queensland, Australia as well as other places, for exactly the same reason - places like the Gulf of Thailand, the Persian Gulf, the South China Sea and even the Gulf of Mexico. It just so happens that all these places are some of the very best places on Earth for catching fish. I wonder if the once-a-day tides makes the fish all confused, and easier to catch?

 

When you travel around the coastline of Northern Australia, you soon notice something odd about the tides. Over on the West coast of Western Australia near Derby, you get your standard two high tides and two low tides a day (and the difference between high and low tide can be up to 12 metres). But travel East across to Karumba (down in the bottom right hand corner of the Gulf of Carpentaria, or the bottom left-hand corner of Cape York), and the tides are very different. Even though Karumba is roughly as far from the equator as Derby, you'll find that the tide in Karumba is back to the average height of a few metres or so, but that there is only one high tide and one low tide each day. What's going on?

While I was up in the Gulf, I asked everbody why Karumba had just one tide each day. Everybody had answers that were very convincing, and very different.

But eventually I got the right answer (I think it's the right answer) from Bill Mitchell, a research associate at the National Tides Facility at Flinders University. In fact, he'd written a scientific paper on the tides in the Gulf. His answer reads "A Kelvin wave with a clockwise rotating amphidrome just west of the centre of the Gulf is the dominant feature of the diurnal components of the tide. The semidiurnal components exhibit a line of minimum amplitude with associated amphidromes located centrally in the Gulf. This feature prevents a large amount of the potential energy at the latter periods penetrating the southern half of the region." So here's my attempt to explain Bill's answer in words, not equations.

It turns out that the tides involve more than just the Earth, Sun and Moon. Once you add in complicating factors (like the ocean has different depths at different places, and the continents have odd shapes, and the Earth is actually tilted some 23o off the vertical, and the Earth spins, and half a dozen other factors) and then you do the complicated equations, you'll find that there are about 120 different possible tides. So there are possible tides that happen once a day, twice a day, three times a day, four times a day, and so on.

World-wide, there's a certain amount of energy available for the tides, but as we can see at the beach, most of the energy appears in the tide that happens twice a day. Most of the remaining tidal energy appears in the once-a-day tide, and the small amount of energy left over is shared between the other 118 possible tides.

Now most of the tidal energy in the Gulf, and in fact most of the water in the Gulf, comes from the Indian Ocean. Hardly any gets through that little 200 km gap between the tip of Cape York and New Guinea. So the Gulf of Carpenteria is virtually a closed body of water, almost like a bath tub with the plug in.

If you fill your bathtub with water, and gently pat a bread board onto the water at one end, you'll see that the wave takes 2 seconds to get to the other end of the bathtub, and another 2 seconds to get back - a total of 4 seconds. So, if you pat the water with the bread board every 4 seconds, you'll soon get a big wave of water sloshing over the end of your bathtub. The timing is critical, like the pushing of a swing.

Now this is the hard bit, so you might have to concentrate. It takes 2 seconds for a wave to slosh along your average bathtub, but the mouth of the Gulf of Carpenteria is much bigger, and it takes 12 hours for a wave to slosh across from east to west (and vice versa). By an enormous coincidence, this 12-hour-period is the same as the time between two high tides (or two low tides).

As the twice-a-day tide comes across the top of Australia from the Indian Ocean into the Gulf of Carpentaria, it has to pass through the mouth of the Gulf. The twice-a-day tide heading into the Gulf gets trapped by this potential 12-hour-wave that exists across the mouth of the Gulf. Very little twice-a-day energy is left over to go into the Gulf. Now the next most energetic tide is the once-a-day tide. This tide gets through because its timing is different. And that's why you have only one tide a day at Karumba. (The other tides get through as well, but you don't notice them because they are so small.)

 

Now this special one-tide-a-day thing happens in other places, for exactly the same reason - places like the Gulf of Thailand, the Persian Gulf, the South China Sea and even the Gulf of Mexico. It just so happens that all these places are some of the very best places on Earth for catching fish. I wonder if the once-a-day tides makes the fish all confused, and easier to catch?

• Barramundi Discovery Centre: Come and explore the fascinating insight into these spectacular fish. Hear how the Barra spawn in captivity and how their larvae are reared to fingerling size for release into the wild. See them in close proximity and even feed them.
• Fishing: If you are an amateur fisherman or first timer, you will enjoy the pristine conditions of the gulf waters. The fun filled atmosphere of a full or half day charter with experienced crew may be more to your liking, which ever you prefer come and enjoy, you will not be disappointed.
• River Cruises: Experience the Gulf's spectacular sunsets, bird watching and if you keep your eyes open, you may even spot a croc.
• Gulf Sunsets: The most spectacular sunsets in all of Australia. Take a relaxing stroll on the beach and enjoy the magnificent view.

Public Facilities

• Commonwealth Bank Agency (situated at Post Office)
• Karumba Clinic and Ambulance
• Library
• Police
• Westpac Branch (situated in Post Office)
• Taxi

Contact Matilda's End Holiday Units for more information about booking your getaway adventure of lifetime to the Gulf of Carpentaria. 

Matilda's End Holiday Units
Yappar St
Karumba 4891
Ph: (07) 4745 9408
Fax: (07) 4745 9319
Email:matildas@matildasend.com.au

Some of the services that The Karumba Motel also known as  Matilda's End Holiday Units provide

Facsimile

Fish Cleaning area

Guest Freezer

All Units have ensuite bedrooms

Booking Agents for Fishing Charters and Cruises

               Savannah Way, Queensland

                              SAVANNAH WAY LIMITED MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS 

The Savannah Way is Australia’s ultimate adventure drive, linking Cairns, Katherine and Broome

Savannah Way Limited was created in 2007 to promote businesses and communities on the route. It is not profit, independent of government, and the official Local Tourism Organisation for Queensland’s Gulf Savannah. 

Our 2014 Board includes

Rick Murray – Middle Star Tourism Consultants

Ian Crawshaw – Tourism NT

Fay Miller – Mayor, Katherine Shire Council

Chris Mitchell – RDA Kimberley

Jim Bitomsky – Kleinhardt Consultants

Robyne Webster – Daly Waters Pub

Pauline Royes – Etheridge Shire Councillor

Gail Gower – Gail Gower Consulting

Ben Humphries – Savannah Guides

Marcus Falconer (Observer) – Tourism WA

Savannah Way Limited’s Membership includes Local Councils, tourism operators and service providers, and government agencies. We receive no base funding, supporting activity through h membership and and grant projects.

Join Savannah Way Limited to support tourism and community development across northern Australia.

SAVANNAH WAY LIMITED MEMBERSHIP CATEGORY BENEFITS

Membership year 1 July - 30 June 

SAVANNAH WAY ONLINE PLATFORMS FOR MEMBER PROMOTION, LINKAGE AND BENEFIT

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/SavannahWay

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/company/savannah-way-ltd

You Tube: www.youtube.com/user/SavannahWayDrive

Blog: http://savannahwaydrive.wordpress.com/

TripAdvisor: www.tripadvisor.ca/Attraction_Review-g255055-d582903-Reviews-

The_Savannah_Way-Australia.html

The Savannah Way is recognised among Australia’s top drive routes:

The London Times listed The Savannah Way as one of the “Ten Best Adventures of a Lifetime”  (2010)

Australian Traveller Magazine rated The Savannah Way  #31 in the “100 Things To Do Before You Die” (2011)

Tourism Australia features the Savannah Way journey on www.australia.com

Regular coverage in Magazines and on Television

JOIN NOW TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR STRONG BRAND IN YOUR TOURISM MARKETING!

PO Box 2312 Cairns Qld 4870 Tel: 0408 772 513

Email: info@savannahway.com.au

Web: www.savannahway.com.au

ABN: 37 128 822 337

http://www.savannahway.com.au/join.pdf

http://www.australia.com/explore/itineraries/qld-savannah-way.aspx

Cairns – Ravenshoe – Georgetown – Normanton – Katherine
6 days driving

Drive from Cairns, through Queensland’s lush Tropical Tablelands and historic goldfields, and across the Northern Territory border to Katherine.  Walk through World Heritage-listed rainforest in Kuranda and explore the produce-rich countryside around Mareeba. Visit a century-old Chinese temple in Atherton and spend the night in Ravenshoe, Queensland’s highest town. Marvel at Millstream Falls, Australia’s widest waterfalls and lose yourself in the caves of Undara Volcanic National Park, the world’s longest lava system. Fossick for gold in historic Croydon and Georgetown and spot crocodiles in the wetlands around Normantown. Discover hidden gorges and Aboriginal rock art in Boodjamulla National Park before crossing the Central Gulf into the Northern Territory. From here, the Savannah Way continues across the outback all the way to Western Australia’s pearling town of Broome.

Drive out of tropical Cairns, on the doorstep of north Queensland’s islands, rainforest and reef.   Bushwalk, visit Barron Falls and browse the markets in the butterfly-fringed rainforest village of Kuranda. Then continue on to Mareeba, set amidst orchards, coffee plantations and sugar cane fields. Bushwalk and spot rare native birds in the Mareeba Wetlands and explore the volcanic rock formations of Granite Gorge. See Aboriginal rock art galleries in Davies Creek National Park or picnic next to the peaceful pools of Emerald Creek Falls. For an off-the-track adventure, drive 140 km west to the famous Chillagoe-Mungana Caves. Or continue past the wildlife-rich Tolga Scrub into Atherton, in the heart of the scenic Tropical Tablelands. Walk through rainforest and past miniature waterfalls for a top-of-the-tablelands view from Halloran’s Hill. Take a steam train to the old tin mining town of Herberton. Picnic in Platypus Park, visit the century-old Chinese temple and discover a sweet cacophony of birds in Hasties Swamp. 

Discover more picturesque attractions around Atherton. Hike through rainforest, pine and eucalypt plantations in Danbulla State Forest or fish for barramundi from Barron River. Drive to dairy-rich Malanda to see ancient Bromfield Swamp and walk to Malanda Falls. Or detour south to Hypipamee National Park to see a deep crater filled with water.  From Ravenshoe, Queensland’s highest town, it’s just a short bushwalk to Tully Falls, an awe-inspiring torrent after wet season rains. Camp, water ski and fish at Kombooloomba Dam, a little further down. Drive the Waterfall Circuit past picture-perfect waterfalls to quaint Millaa Millaa. Head to Millstream Falls, Australia’s widest waterfalls, and relax in the therapeutic mineral waters of Innot Hot Springs. Make your way through vine thickets and giant fig trees in Wurruma Swamp. From here, its west to the world’s longest lava system in Undara Volcanic National Park. Fossick for gems in Mt Surprise before heading into the old gold centre of Georgetown.

Get fossicking in Georgetown, once nicknamed the 'poor man's goldfield', for the nuggets that could be grabbed straight from surface.  Today, with the help of a permit and some modern gadgets, you can still haul a respectable loot of gold and semi-precious gems. See thunder eggs and agates in Forsyth, then head to the Agate Creek Mineral Reserve to find your own agate, with its own spectacular swirls and colours. Pass the Cumberland Chimney, all that is left of a giant crushing plant built by Cornish masons during the Savannah gold rush. Stop in the Croydon, where National Trust buildings stand testament to the town’s history as a grand gold-mining hub. Visit Croydon Cemetry and see the elegant Chinese inscriptions carved into Chinese graves. Stop to swim and spot birds in Lake Belmore, the largest body of fresh water in the Savannah. Visit historic Golden Gate Mine, before heading to Normanton on the edge of the Gulf of Carpenteria.

Cast your line for barramundi and spot native birds in Normanton, which sits on a high, sandy ridge, overlooking grasslands to the west and wetlands to the north. Get a photo with Krys the Savannah King. At almost 9 metres, it’s a life size replica of the largest crocodile ever captured. Visit the historic penitentiary and wind through the countryside on the Gulflander train back to Croydon.  Explore the wetlands between Normantown and Karumba, home to saltwater crocodiles and a third of Australia's migratory wading birds. Stop in Karumba for prawns and fish caught fresh from the Norman River. From here, you’ll be driving mostly dirt roads next to thundering road trains. Stop at Burke and Wills Cairn - the most northerly point of the ill-fated explorers 1861 expedition - or for a picnic beneath Leichhardt Falls. Your day’s destination is Burketown, the Gulf’s oldest town on the banks of the Albert River.

Test out the town’s reputation as Australia’s barramundi capital by casting your line on the Albert River. Then head south to the bird-watching paradise of Bluebush Swamp, and Gregory Downs on the tranquil Gregory River. Canoe and bushwalk here or in Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park – an oasis of sandstone cliffs, tropical vegetation, emerald creeks and Waanyi rock art. Follow the Wild Dog Dreaming path, take in panoramic views over the Constance Range and see freshwater crocodiles basking in the sun. Head west through the Aboriginal community of Doomadgee, where you can stay overnight with prior approval.  Otherwise, stock up on food and fuel at the general store and continue on your way.  Stop at Hells Gate, the gateway to the Northern Territory’s Macassan Coast, for great views over flood plains and the Barkly Tableland escarpments. Catch a fish at Kingfisher Camp waterhole, then drive across the Northern Territory border to the remote fishing community of Borroloola.

You can linger an extra day and hire a house boat from King Ash Bay.  Or detour south to explore the Caranbirini conservation reserve, home to towering sandstone spires, Aboriginal art sites, a waterhole and many endangered species. Further south you’ll pass Cape Crawford and the sandstone skyscrapers of The Lost City, one of three in the Northern Territory. To reach Katherine in a day, head north from Borroloola. Catch an early-morning barramundi in the McArthur River, then drive to Roper Bar on the Roper River. Stop here to fish, refuel or break up your journey by camping overnight. Then continue on to Mataranka, where you can relax and revive in the palm-fringed thermal pools of  Elsey National Park. From here, the sealed Stuart Highway takes you north to bustling Katherine, near Nitmiluk National Park, with its dramatic waterfalls and lush gorges. From Katherine, you can drive the Savannah Way all the way to Broome in Western Australia.