The Gulf Country, is about 1310km northwest of Brisbane and is a region of woodland and savanna grassland surrounding the Gulf of Carpentaria in the region of north western Queensland.
The Gulf Country is between Arnhem Land and the Top End of the Northern Territory to the west, and the Cape York Peninsula of Far North Queensland to the east, while to the south and east lie upland plains of Mitchell grasses and the Einasleigh Uplands. The region is also called the Gulf Savannah.
The landscape is generally flat and low-lying tropical savannah with rivers that carry the monsoon rains to the gulf and feed coastal mudflats and patches of rainforest. The Sir Edward Pellew Group of Islands and the Wellesley Islands lie off the gulf coast.
The main settlements in the region include the city of Mount Isa, the major town and economic hub of the Gulf Country, and the towns of Doomadgee, Cloncurry, Camooweal, Kowanyama, Karumba, Normanton and Burketown.
You can get back in touch with nature in the Gulf Region. Watch purple and orange sunsets over the sand dunes of the Simpson Desert. Head north into the Gulf Savannah, drop a line and reel in a wild barramundi. Get the camera out & size up shots over the 25 mountain ranges in the Sandstone Wonders Region. Visit the outback observatory in Charleville and gaze through a telescope at the clearest of starry skies.
For those who like to fossick, fossil & bone hunt, and amateur paleontologists, The Gulf Country is Australia’s dinosaur capital. Discover 20 million year old dinosaur bones while travelling along the Dinosaur trail between Winton, Richmond and Hughenden. Fossick for gems from Quilpie to Cloncurry and surprise yourself by finding some boulder opal, amethyst or gold.
The Gulf Country is a tough, yet beautiful landscape and the people who live in the region are passionate about their lifestyle. Experience the Gulf community by visiting a working cattle or sheep station and try your hand at mustering, shearing or campdrafting. Time your trip with one of the outback events and see the region come to life. Have a go at bronco bucking, yabby racing, bog snorkelling, or watch camels race against the clock.
The climate is hot with a dry season and a monsoon. The dry season lasts from about April until November. The wet season lasts from December to March. The Gulf is also a breeding ground for cyclones during the period between November and April.
The Morning Glory Cloud appears between September and October in the Southern Gulf. The best vantage point to see this phenomenon is in the Burketown area shortly after dawn.
Longitude:
140.156646
