MY annual trip north with my friend Dave is over, but it was a cracker. We weren’t sure if we’d get to Weipa to begin with because people on the northern forums said it was closed for the rest of the year due to COVID-19. Weipa camping A good friend, who was heading north to camp at the same spot …

WITH August just around the corner, and the snapper and pearl perch spawning closure in place for the first time, I think it’s a great thing and will only help fish stock build up. I have not been fishing for weeks because I lost my mojo with COVID-19 and I’m waiting to head off on my annual fishing trip once …

FOLLOWING on from earlier in the year, I had spent about three weeks camped in northern Australia at Pennefather River on Cape York. My mates started packing up but I was planning on staying another week in beautiful northern Australia. Then I heard my mate Darren say to the other boys they were going to slowly free camp their way …

HI, it’s Craig Tomkinson here. Before we get into my pre-COVID-19 impromptu trip to Fraser Island with the family… how was the late rain season? It turned up like it does most years, when school starts back for first term. We had fantastic soaking rain as well as some very heavy downpours. About 200-400mm has fallen around the area so far. We only …

HI, Craig Tomkinson here. I hope everyone is coping well in these trying times and keeping active while isolating. I thought I’d give our cars, four-wheel-drive, lawn mowers, gear and 60hp Yamaha outboard on my 5m tinnie a good and essential going over. Though only after recovering, because until the last 10 days of school holidays I was working – …

HI, it’s Craig Tomkinson here. I have a few trips planned this year including some trips north (let’s hope they still go ahead). The first one planned is with my mate Dave Kowitz is a boys’ fishing trip for three to five weeks to Janie Creek on Cape York. Needless to say, I am in Cape York mode, which translates …

HI, it’s Craig Tomkinson here. It had been two years since I last towed my boat to the Pennefather River near Weipa and I was so looking forward to going. With all the prep work done, I finished work on Friday, packed my gear and was ready to go Saturday. I was waiting for my mate Dave to show up on …

HI all, after playing around with solar equipment for camping for about seven years, I have a good understanding of what you need for all-weather base camp-style camping. I started out years ago with just two 120W fold-out 12V panels hooked together to make 240W and one PWR controller. For storage I had three 70A four-wheel-drive batteries, as I was …

His Gulflander Xtreme boat loaders and modules suit wagons and troop carriers and most four-wheel-drives. For the longer 4WDs such as the twin-cab LandCruiser 79 Series, Murray offers a modular system for carrying up to a 25hp two-stroke outboard motor and lightweight tinnie trailer. These items are winched up on your 4WD or canopy roof with a powerful electric winch and then …

I will try to do a few trips chasing mackerel, snapper, tasty grass sweetlip, pearl and moses perch and estuary cod. At this time of year there should be plenty of large-mouth nannygai around. These fish love the big trawler squid that I get off my mate Nathan Dum-schat, as well as big green prawns. The bonus is all this …