King Ash Bay Fishing Club Camping & Caravan Park - NT

Right in the heart of Borroloola fishing country, on the banks of the McArthur River, this can be a very special place to visit. Run by the King Ash Bay Fishing Club (KABFC), the camping ground and caravan park has a number of fully appointed holiday units available for rent, a Caravan Park with powered sites, ablutions and a laundry and a very large unpowered bush camping area along the banks of the McArthur River. Toilets and hot showers are available in both camp areas.

KAB has a very small permanent population (numbering in the ten’s), but this grows into the hundreds when the regular campers arrive for the peak periods during the dry season.
From Borroloola, head north on the sealed hwy towards Bing Bong Station until you reach the King Ash Bay turn-off to the right. There is about 25 km of dirt road accessible to conventional vehicles and caravans for most of the dry season.

A dump point is available for emptying caravan toilets. Coin operated washing machines are available in the powered camping area. Small campfires are permitted in the camping areas.

Campers are free to choose their own camp area from those available when they arrive. Both our powered and unpowered areas are large enough to ensure there is always room. Being situated on high ground, the powered area is open all year. The very popular unpowered area (known locally as Genny Flats), is on the river bank and is closed during the wet season due to the potential for flooding. ‘Quiet’ generators are permitted on Genny Flats between 7.00 am and 10.00 pm.

On site, there is a Service Station, a small Supermarket and the Fishing Club Bar / Bistro. The water supply is from a bore and available in both camping areas. It is generally possible to connect your van or camper trailer to a tap although it is a good idea to bring a tap ‘splitter’, so that a tap always remains available to others when you have connected. Although a very reliable supply, many visitors take the precaution of boiling before using for drinking.

Some things you should be aware of if considering a visit to King Ash Bay:-
- The campsite is about 35KM from the mouth of the McArthur River and Carrington Channels and there is a very complex set of channels with a few navigational hazards. Caution is required until you know the area, but with the right attitude some of the ‘old hands’ to the area will gladly pass on some tips. Waterway maps are available from the office and are recommended, as is the use of a GPS.
- A sound reliable tinnie and motor is essential. This is a remote area and out on the water it is even more remote.
- Be prepared for mosquitoes and midges – oh and some very large Saltwater Crocodiles; swimming is not on the itinerary. The riverside camp area is on top of a high bank, so crocs are not a problem in the camp.
- Fishing regulations are strictly enforced by the NT Police, who are regular visitors during the dry season. Size and possession limits for barramundi and mud crabs are a main focus and there are heavy penalties for breaches.
Prepare yourself well and a couple of weeks at King Ash Bay should reward you with some great times, good camping and memorable fishing.

A boat ramp gives people access to a large network of rivers and channels, which are famous for their barramundi. An hour upstream in a tinnie will take you out into the Gulf of Carpentaria and into the Sir Edward Pellew group of islands to fish for mackerel, tuna and a variety of reef fish in the blue tropical waters.

King Ash Bay is so popular, fishers from Tennant Creek and Alice Springs have set up their own fishing clubs.

Boat ramp.