(1000 or 1500 wds with photos)

Extract:

Gove Peninsula on Australia’s Top End is one of those few "last frontiers" as Heather Ellis discovers.

IT IS easy to understand why wealthy American families and German hippies are both motivated to cross the world and spend some time in Gove. Mention this isolated part of Australia's north to any "die-hard" fisherman and his eyes will undoubtedly glaze over. Until recently Gove was mostly the topic of embellished yarns penned by crusty fishing journalists.
However, to a growing stream of foreign tourists, the real attractions lie beyond the isolated stretches of beach. Here is a uniquely diverse bushland that is home to a rich Aboriginal culture stretching back 60,000 years.
I was in Nhulunbuy (pronounced Nool-an-boy), the main town on the Peninsula, for a one-week stay with family on what is colloquially called the "annual relly run’’.
For heat-sensitive relatives from southern states, the ideal visit is from June to August "the dry season", when winter temperatures are a comfortable 17 to 30 degrees.

All content is copyright. Heather Ellis 2003