North West Island

[Brettrick]

Anyone been to North West Island, off Gladstone?

If so, what's it like for fishing. CAn you camp there? Open fires okay, or portable stoves only?

How far offshore is it and how lumpy is the water? Can you get therre in a tinny, or do you need to go over with a barge?

Any info apreciated.

BRETTRICK

[Chrisso]

G'day Brettrick,

You were able to go over there once on a barge and yes the fishing is excelent according to my dad and some photos. :o I think you will have to ask someone like Bugman to see if it is not included in a protection zone (but I htink it is or will be). I don't think you can get their in a tinny and if you do you probably can't get back. :( ;) ;D

Probably best to pm Bugman.

Chris

[Brettrick]

Thanks Chris,

Cheers,

BRETTRICK

[Derek Bullock]

Hi Bettrick

North West Island is part of the Capricorn Cays National Park. Dont have a lot of info on it but below is the link to the EPA Site that covers it.

http://www.epa.qld.gov.au/projects/park/index.cgi?parkid=48

Cheers.


Derek

[xxxxhornet]

One of my workmates is actually heading over there in October and has invited me along - not sure if I'm going yet. But what I have found out is this - Its about 80kms offshore and you load your tinny onto the barge at this end with the forklift (driver supplied!), and a heap of your mates lift it off when you get to the island.
A barge leaves around midnight (which I think you have to charter or wait for another group who is heading over) and gets there around dawn I believe. Apparently the fishing is excellent - there is a bit of a lagoon and reef all around. It takes about 45 mins to walk around the island to give you an idea of the size.
No generators allowed. No campfires allowed - reason being heaps of turtles lay their eggs there and the accumulation of ash from campfires apparently heats the sand up as it gets darker over the years and this causes only male turtles to hatch.
You've pretty much got to take everything yourself, but it sounds like a good week away. Go into the Google search on the net and type in the name of the island and theres a fair bit of info from previous campers including one lot who posted all the food they needed and the recipes they used and costs etc split between a dozen people.
Hope this is of some help,

[Bros]

xxxxhornet If you get the opportunity to go don't knock it back as it is a magic place to go. If you are into diving you can use compressors to fill tanks. We were there about 12 yrs ago and we had everything generators, freezers diving gear and compressors. The generators were stopped because of some of the noisy generators and to stop people taking great amounts of fish home. We ended up not using the tanks and had a ball just diving with snorkelling gear off the reef edge and with the kids in the large coral pools. We were there in December and it was hot but there was a lot of activity, birds nesting, turtles nesting great for kids to see. if you are snorkelling in October take a short wet suit for warmth and sandshoes and gloves as the coral can scratch.
Betterick it is too far for a tinnie to go as you would be loaded up with fuel alone and the trip could be very rough.

[craigie]

What a fabulous place !!!!
Spent 2 weeks there back in 1998.

I went with a group of 22 and we had 7 boats of various sizes.
Genny's were not allowed back then but we had a gas Freezer ;D

Unfortunately our trip was plagued by bad weather (so forget trying to head out there in a tinnie !!) and we only got out to fish 4 days in the two weeks but it just didn't matter, lazing on the beach with cold beer was just paradise !!!
From memory we caught, Red Emperor, Red Throat Sweeties, small cod, Hussar,Parrot,Cobia,Mackerel,Coral Trout !!
Also some large Trevally and Monster Chinaman !!

If you get the chance to go, just do it ! I believe there are changes in the wind and a lot of the reef around North West Island will soon be closed to Fishing which would make such a trip less appealing.
The trip I did cost us about $1000 each (all inclusive, including as much beer as you could drink).

I know of a group of guy's going over in May ?? I can post a report on there adventure.

Cheers
Craigie.

[CHRIS_aka_GWH]

yep great place - havn't been there since "the seed of my loin" began populating the planet 5 years back - but used to go yearly - so I am unsure how the fishing zone changes have effected things.

Used to be NO FIRES & NO GENERATORS above the high tide mark. Fires leave ash, the ash changes the structure & temperature properties of the sand & has an adverse effect on the eggs of the turtles & sea birds that need the island to breed. The vibration of the generators & fuel contamination of soils likewise.

Fishing - fish the tail of the reef (see an aerial map) & use hardiheads that you cast net inside the reef on the high tide & you'll brain 'em.


Look after the joint - it's really very special.
chris