Holiday houses in Dundee Beach

A remote town southwest of Darwin in the Northern Territory, Dundee Beach sits on a wide bay facing the Timor Sea. Much of the town is framed by a long beach, with around half the settlement running south from a public boat ramp to a wide sandy inlet. Beyond that inlet, the other half of town stretches further south to a rocky headland.

Most people come to Dundee Beach to fish: You can cast a line from the rocks along the headland, or take a charter boat into Fog Bay or further out in the Timor Sea. Snag barramundi and blue salmon closer to shore, while in deeper waters look to catch Spanish mackerel, red emperor, snapper, and coral trout, among many other species. After a day on the water, enjoy your catch back on land while taking in one of Dundee Beach’s glorious sunsets over the sea.

The tropical Top End of the Northern Territory has two seasons: hot and dry, and really hot and wet. The dry season, from May to October, is relatively cooler than the summer months; while average maximum temperatures at Dundee Beach don’t dip below 30 degrees Celsius, humidity is much lower and there’s next to no chance of rain.

From November to April, the wet season brings high humidity and maximum temperatures of around 33 degrees Celsius. With tropical cyclones and storms brewing in the wet season, roads into remote areas may be closed due to flooding, so check ahead after heavy rains. If you’re coming here for the fishing, the dry season is best for blue-water species such as Spanish mackerel, while barramundi are abundant between March and May and again between October and December.

The fishing

Local operators offer fishing expeditions from Dundee Beach ranging from full-day tours to charters of several days. You can fish the reefs off the beach; run up the nearby Finniss River, an estuary full of barramundi; or head out to the Perron Islands, south of Fog Bay, for giant trevally, tuna, and sailfish.

Magnetic termite mounds

Ask a local for the best spot to check out fields of magnetic termite mounds in the Dundee Beach area. These shards of termite nests jut out of the ground and resemble giant headstones, their thin edges aligned north to south and wide sides aligned east to west to regulate heat from the sun.

Litchfield National Park

Roughly 80 minutes from Dundee Beach, Litchfield National Park is one of the major parks in the Territory. Here you can visit striking waterfalls emptying into deep pools and, if you have a four-wheel drive, the maze of sandstone pillars at the Lost City. You can also hike a series of short walks across the park or tackle the three-to-five-day Tabletop Track.