Closures at Kakadu 2015
Merl Campground, the Bardedjilidji walk and the Manngarre rainforest walk are now closed.
Yellow Waters access road and boat ramp are now closed. Home Billabong boat ramp is still accessible. Yellow Waters Cruises are still operating.
Muirella Campground, Four Mile Hole Billabong and Two Mile Hole Billabong are now closed.
Malabanjbanjdju caravan campground and Burdulba campground are now closed.
Updated 2nd January 2015
On 19 February 1942,
Japanese headed towards
At least 292 people were killed with hundreds more injured. These unexpected raids shocked the nation, although the magnitude of the damage was censored. The loss of life on this first day of air raids was dramatically understated in the media, with press releases listing some of the property damage and saying that a few lives had been lost. Any claims made by the Japanese were censored from publication.
By late 1942, there were 60,000 troops based in the Northern Territory. Darwin sustained at least 62 more air raids to 12th November 1943, but none so severe as on the first day.
Read about our visit to Darwin and more about the bombing with the role Darwin played during the War on our Darwin Travelogue and on Facebook.
19 February 2015
Western Australia – Fires and Floods.
While there are road cautions due to flooding apply to many roads in the Pilbara and Kimberley, through the South West and Great Southern, there are cautions and closed roads due to numerous bushfires. Lightning strike last week caused many of these fires, with a major fire around Northcliffe in the South West and at Lower Hotham in the Boddington, Collie and Williams Shires. Drive with extra caution where there is smoke and if possible avoid areas where emergency services personnel are working.
· Caution for water on the Goldfields Highway at Jubilee Mine Site turnoff forty to fifty kilometres north of Kambalda due to recent rain.
· The South West Highway has been re-openend between Bridgetown and Manjimup following a bushfire north east of Palgarup in the Wilgarup area which is now under control. Drive with caution as there may be smoke and follow speed restriction signage.
· The South West Highway which was closed between Manjimup and Walpole due to a recent bushfire has been re-opened with speed restrictions and smoke cautions. Many roads between the highway and the coast are still closed in this area. The road to Windy Harbour is now open, but some roads and tracks from this road are still closed.
Always be aware of the needs of emergency services working in areas where fires occur and do not enter a closed road under any circumstances. Avoid these areas if possible.
There are also closures on the Bibbulmun walking track and on the Munda Biddi bicycle trail in a number of locations. A historic bridge along the Bibbulmun track was lost in the Hotham fire and at least on in the Northcliffe fire. A number of campsites were burnt in both fires.
See reports on News Page for road closures and restrictions in the north of the state.
Updated 27th February 2015
New conservation measures were announced 27th February 2015 to commence in April 2015. In summary, limits for individual recreational
fishers include
The reduction of the general personal possession limit from 30 to 15 fish
Personal possession limit of barramundi
now 5. The minimum size for barramundi is 55 centimeters. Use of a spear gun to take fish no longer prohibited.
Special
conditions apply for barramundi and king threadfin taken in the Daly and Mary River fish management zones, with a maximum size limit
of 90 centimetres. (For vessels there is a limit of 3 per person and vessel limit of 1 fish over 90 centimetres will apply to allow
the retention of a fish that is unfit for release.)
New species per person bag limits
Barramundi – as above
Golden
snapper 3
Mangrove jack 3
Cod and groper 5
King threadfin 3
Marlin and sailfish 1
Red snappers – saddletail, crimson, Indonesian
see special controls; any combination to a limit of 10 total
Bream (Acanthopagrus
sp) 15
All other fish species not subject to specific individual
limits 5
Unchanged limits
Black jewfish 2
Spanish mackerel 2
Sharks (excluding protected species) any combination to a limit of 3.
Sawfish, northern river and speartooth sharks are protected and must not be taken
Vessel
limits
Vessels with 4 or less people on board, each person can take their personal possession limit. Vessels with more people
have further limits.
A new network of fit for purpose temporary protection areas will be implemented in the Northern Territory
to aid in the protection and recovery of "at risk" reef fish species. There will be no recreational fishing of any form allowed within
these areas, however fishers may traverse through a protected area provided no lines or rods are rigged for the purpose of fishing.
Check full details of the licence requirements, bag and size limits from links for each state.
28 February 2015
New fishing limits for the Northern Territory - see details here