Bag a Barra — 27 June 2025

It's time now to head to the Top End and Bagger Barra, with Glenn Watty Watt, thanks to Barefoot Fishing Safaris and uniden. For the best in UHF communications, explore the extract series at uniden.com.au. Well, of course, Glenn Watty Wot is in the topping. And I've got to say, he sent me a photo of a place, which I could not believe how a video it was, actually, of a place where he is, and he was there. He'd headed off and he's on his way back there. And before we talk to him about that place, we'll just confirm you were run out of town in Broome, weren't you, Watty?

I grew too big for that joint. I've got to say to you, we're at Cable Beach at the moment. I got a bit hoodwinked because we were in room and we were staying. We, obviously, we, you know, we're out filming and we're working, we're doing stuff, but and we don't, we like to camp in different places and, um, so every now and again we've got to get ourselves into a caravan park.

So we came into the caravan park at discovered the discovery park, I think it was, and they're usually very good parks. And it was a beautiful spot on the water, a big pool area. I thought there's a bit of luxury here. And then, um, coming back to Brew. We left Broomcane back, and I thought I'd call another park, who said, yeah, the beaches across the road, and there's a resort, you just walk over, and you watch the sunset, and, and, you know, and get a pizza, and have a beer, and all this.

I thinking, hey, good, this place. So I booked it. Take me 20 minutes to get from whammy side is to the gate. And big joint, but not only that, it ain't across the road, son.

Oh, it was a bit hoodwinked. Anyway... across the road from everyone, really, isn't there? Just got to go maybe a little bit further than straight across the road. Yeah, well, maybe it was across the road from somewhere else.

But anyway, but I was a bit... Yeah, I was a little bit odd-winked and here we are. So when you do your when you're going into some caravan parks, do your research. because sometimes you can be told porkies.

And but anyway, either that or I just misunderstood it, which is probably that as well because I'm not that bright. Now, where is this place? You sent me this. I sent you a photo of our campfire the other night. How good was that?

Do you like that? That was pretty good, mate. You thought you had me there, didn't you? I did. I might have won up to you there.

Yeah, you taught me because where we were, was at a place called Minari Beach, which you would know, being an old broom resident up just north of James Price Point. And have you been up there? Yeah, we used to go up there on the way to the nude beach, I reckon? Yeah, I did hear there was a nude beach up there.

A bit cold here. There's nowhere to hide on a nudist beach on a cool day with the wind blowing. But, um, anyway. But anyway.

But, um, and I sent you this photo. And, and then you taught me with that video. Where is this place? Tell me about it because, mate, have you got that video up anywhere on socials? I don't, mate.

No, it's um, yeah, this is a bit of a little sneaky one. I'm working with a mate of mine, Arian, who's one of the traditional owners of that country. I just sitting out of Nullum boy and Bawaka is the name of the tourism destination that I'm helping him sort of develop some perhaps guided fishing opportunities out there. Yeah, they've got a website which people can um can check out and you can, you can stay there and um do all sorts of cultural activities and stuff at the moment and yeah, I'm working pretty closely with Arian and his family to try and develop some fishing opportunities there.

It's an absolutely unique destination, especially for right now, when it's sort of windy time of the year, as, as you know, um, the, the bay that it's in is entirely secluded, and so sheltered that, um, you know, I was fly fishing around and it was blowing, you know, winds that you would never even consider it if you were on the other side of the sand dune. So, uh, it's, it's going to be a pretty, pretty special destination once we get this fishing stuff sorted out, mate. It's world-class fishery and um, yeah, I'm really, really privileged, I suppose, and glad to be able to help these guys that, that I've developed really good relationships with out here in Newamboy. So, mate, just tell me, so the name of the place and where it is.

Yeah, so the name of it is Bawaka, B-A-W, A-K-A, and you can check that out on the internet, it'll come up with a search. You can book accommodation and cultural tours there, and hopefully within the next 12 months, You know, we might be able to have some really world-class fishing experiences out there as well. So where is it located?

So what, up in what in Arnland or somewhere? Yeah, we're in Arnumland? Northern boys, sort of north, northeast Arnumland. absolutely pristine.

It's quite a big, um, big town, I suppose, go. There's a Bork site, mine there a gove, big export, um port facility as well. But, you know, the, the mine has a limited life, of course, and um people's minds have started to transition into um generating some prosperity for local people through uh tourism, which of course, you know, when you're out these remote places, It's not hard to create um really rewarding and valuable experiences just because of where you are.

So, um, you know, it doesn't take a hell of a lot, and we get these sort of things up and running, and, um, it's quite remote, but Air North and Qantas flies into, into Gover, Nullenboy, um, a few times a week, so, and you can, and you can drive in here right throughout the year, actually. So, um, you know, like as far as, as far as um, being remote goes, still accessible. Mm, unbelievable. I should try and catch you on my way back, you know.

We're actually heading down to Barnhill Station, Beachside Station. Have you heard of that Barnhill? Yeah, South of Broome? South of Broome, about 140 odd kilometres south of Broome, and everybody has been recommending it to me.

So I had a look online and just thought, wow. And, uh, you know, it just, it's, it's another level when it comes to station stays on the beach, live entertainment, activities on, lawn bowls. I might have taken it up. Never really played.

I played that once. I think it was Barefoot bowls, and I think it was like a function. So I'm not sure whether I was hitting the ball in this. for a couple of cold frothings of the old bowl. I did a bit of work down at Eco Beach Resort, Mates, which is probably not too far from there, just south of Broome, actually, about that similar distance away.

That's another spectacular spot as well. Yeah, geez, I'll tell you what, we're watching right off the beach there. Yeah that's right. But what I'm saying to you is that I'm when we do leave, if we go down there, which I'm pretty sure we're going to.

Well, then once we've finished there, we'll head back north and then come across over Fitzroy Crossing Halls Creek that way back into the territory into Catherine. might try and catch up with you, mate. I might duck up the road and say g'day or something. Yeah, yeah.

Well, we're actually planning on being down that way, probably a similar time because we're, as I've mentioned, I think before Flora River National Park. I know some people out there, also doing some work with some traditional owners out there to get some tourism stuff going on out as well. So that's another really special one. You want to put that on your overnight stop list, the Flora River.

We might have to chat about that. We might have a chat about that, and obviously, any help that we can give you here to promote these places. We'll do it because that's what this radio show is all about, encouraging people to go and visit some of these places, and if you're trying to get some fishing going in these areas, well, we're certainly prepared to back it here. I mean, the more options we can give our listeners, the, the better it is for them and better for us.

I've got to say we went, we went fishing the other day. We were camped at a place called Banana World Campground. And in that beagle bar, you been there? I don't know, Banana World. No, I do know Beaagle Bay, yeah.

continue. In that area, in that area there. and um, we were, anyway, you took this little four-wheel drive track. It was Banana Whirls getaway. That's where we were camped.

I've got to say to you, and it's no fault of theirs or anybody else's, but over here at the moment, there has been an absolute mozzie plague. Like you have no, you have no idea there was a bit of unseasonal rain. I reckon that's brought it on and caused it, and when we're at young Owen Douglas' place of it, A, he had them there, but it's been a real problem up in this. Oh, it was funny when we went into, we'd heard about it and we went into Derby, um, a week or so back when we were heading into Broome the 1st time, and there was a bloke walking out of Woodsy's daughter's IGA with as many cans of shoe and bushmen as he could carry as, what do you got?

Yeah, the Brum, are you, mate? But I got to say to you, oh, mate, mate, and when you're trying to do a piece of camera filming, and you're looking at the cameraman who's just got, you know, 5000 mosquitoes all over him and they're, they're on you and you're trying to, you, you try. trying to shoe them away. Oh, mate, it was, but, but anyway, we went to this place and they were really bad on it. bananas, were they?

Well, they were, mate. But that was on dusk it was bad mainly. But basically, then there was a little track that went down to this waterway. They said it was a creek.

When we get down there, it's this massive big opening to the ocean. And they said, the fishing down there is good. Well, as usual, I got my consistent, you know, what I normally catch. Nothing.

But cameraman Gav, you know, Gavin, he's young bloke, 7 years old, caught 2 fish. So it was pretty cool. and caught a flathead, a flathead. Oh, that surprised me with the flathead because the flathead are they are they common up in these parts, they must be. Yeah, they are pretty common.

They don't get as big as the ones you guys would be used to down there, which is a dusky flathead. These ones up here is the bar tail flattered. You wouldn't notice some nice black and yellow stripes on his tail. They don't really grow much bigger than, or you never really get them much bigger than about 45 or 50 centimetres, but just like every other flathead you'll ever come across.

They go pretty well in the frying pan, mate. So yeah, you ever get one of them, he doesn't go back usually for us. We catch them a fair bit on low tide in the harbours and stuff when we're flicking around for barras that they sit in that muddy water and that sort of thing. Yeah, good on him, mate.

Yeah, you know, Gav's, Gav's, I think Gav, maybe you and Gav should switch roles and he could be the presenter and you can do the camera work for a little while, might be better at the fishing segments than you. That wasn't Gavin. It was his seven-year-old son that caught the fish. Yeah, well, that's right.

He's a better trainer too. Yeah, he did well, and I mean, it would have been 30 centimetres. I mean, like anyway, he was he was happy and then he caught this. I'm not sure what it was, but it was his long fish with a mouth full of big teeth.

Long Tom. That would have been... Yeah, he was a long sort of a fish too. So that might have been him.

yeah. But certainly, it was a great hit for him and it was his 1st fish and he had a little ugly stick. Ugly stick, kids rod and Shakespeare reel and I'd put one of those soft plastics on it for him. So I took credit for the fish because I said...

you were the guide. Yeah, yeah, yeah. without me, mate, you wouldn't have caught that, mate. But no, he did well.

But anyway, all right, mate. So what a great place and we'll talk about that place that you're at too, as we get a bit down the track and promote that. And I'll give you a call, mate, and we might have a chat, see if we can hook up on our travels back. I'll keep you posted on our movements and we might, if you're going to be down that part of the world,

Well, who knows, we might be able to have a couple of little cold ones one night or something. I reckon I know a spot, mate. Yeah, yeah. I mean, check out that Bawaka website, and if they want any further info, just give us a call.

Now that I've been out there, I've got a bit of insider information. So, um, yeah, that's a really exciting opportunity for fishing, but also just general cultural tourism and all that other special stuff that wraps around everything that you come, come across out in these beautiful remote areas. Yeah, mate, that looks fantastic, mate, and that will certainly encourage people to do all of that. All right, mate, we'll let you go and well, oh, you've been bumped up the order this week too, mate.

So, 1st off the rank. Yeah, I turned up on time too, didn't I? Clean clothes ready to go. Yeah, done well, mate.

done well. We might have to, you know, drop Vic down a bit. He's not here this week. under the pump.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Oh, mate, yeah, no, be punished. This law. I mean, how dare he just take, you know, run his own business instead of talk to us when he's got things happening.

Exactly. doesn't he know who you are? Oh, exactly. Doesn't he know that Watty's on this show? All right, mate.

He will now. Of course he will. All right. Talk to you next week.

Righto, mate. Good on you. See you, mate. There he is.

Glenn, what do you want? You can check him out. Barefoot Fishing Safaris. And of course, angling adventures and doing some good work up there and trying to set up other people to do, you know, fishing tours and have some guides and work in different places to encourage other people to head up and explore and fish the Top End.

It's good stuff. It's great work, what he does. He's not just about getting your money and taking your fishing. He puts back in big time.

In fact, he puts back in more than he takes out. He's one of those blokes. He's very passionate about it, and that's why he's a good bloke to go fishing with because he knows his stuff. He knows where these places are and he's very, very passionate about the whole area and in regards to fishing these areas.

He's very, very good at what he does. Barefoot Fishing Safaris. Check him out and angling adventures if you want to go to that little next level and you want to head overseas and do those big fishing trips.