Getting to Australia is easier than one would think. There are convenient, direct daily direct flights from the US West Coast on Virgin Australia and other carriers. It’s a long flight, 14+ hours from LAX to Brisbane, but the reliable flights on one of the world’s best airline companies makes the travel simple and painless. Spending a few extra days in Cairns on the way in is also highly recommended. Plan your International Air Travel to arrive in Cairns, Australia (CNS) no later than a day BEFORE your scheduled arrival day.
Day of Entry - Charter Flight to Aurukun:
Guests are requested to arrive in Cairns the day before the charter flight to the Mothership. The charter flight out to the ship is very early in the morning in order to get a full day of fishing on arrival.
The group will meet an hour before the scheduled departure time (approximately 5:30 AM) at the charter flight hangar (not at the main international airport). Everyone will weigh in and check in their luggage.
There is a weight limit of 20 kg (44 pounds) per person on the charter flight. You can leave excess clothes, books from the plane, your flying outfit, anything extra at all, at the hotel that you stay at on the way in and out. Pack carefully and be very aware of this weight limit! If you go over, they will end up leaving food like the lettuce for salads, or the limes for cocktails… or the cocktails! There is daily laundry service onboard the mothership, you only need 2 sets of clothes! Pack Light!
Upon arrival at the landing strip at Aurukun, guests will load their gear in pickups and drive 5 minutes through the village to the boat launch where the guides will be waiting in their tender boats. From there it is only about a 15 minute water transfer to reach the anchorage of the mothership, The Eclipse D. Move into a room fast, get your kit on, put 2 rods together, grab a breakfast burrito in tinfoil, and you will be back on the tenders, headed out to go fishing by 8:30am!
The Eclipse D, your Live-aboard Mothership, is more of a big barge than a seafaring yacht. This allows for it to be very stable and spacious. It does not steam to new locations throughout the week, you will stay on the same anchorage in the estuary, near the mouth, for the entire week. This is dead center at the heart of the entire fishery, giving you endless access to best water up the creeks, out along the beaches, or out in the deep bluewater. You are in the right spot already!
Weipa Sports Fishing boasts the most experienced crew in the region. These guides are super fishy and absolutely relentless. As for the boat, The Eclipse D measures 65ft in length and can accommodate a maximum of 8 anglers a week in 4 double occupancy cabins. A dining salon and lounge hosts guests in air-conditioned comfort for meals if needed, but most dinners are served on the open-air top deck.
Fishing Days:
On arrival the group will spend the next six days fishing and exploring the immense estuary system, stalking the shallow coastal beach flats, and hunting out in the bluewater. The diversity of this fishery can not be overstated.
Each evening you will discuss with your guide which species you would like to target, which will let him decide which direction to point the boat the next morning. Typically, anglers will be up early and after a quick breakfast head out in the twilight of the morning. You generally stay out on the water with a packed lunch, especially if the prime tides coincide with lunch, or if you just motored too far. There is the option to come back to the mothership for lunch if it makes sense, It usually is not, and is a waste of time on the water.
Day of Departure:
On the morning of your departure you will reverse the arrival process and then fly from Aurukun back to Cairns. You will be back in town by 10am. This gives you plenty of flexibility to either jump right on a plane home that day, or relax and spend another night in Cairns, taking a morning flight home the next day. If leaving the same day as the charter fly back from the boat, do not book departing flights before 2:00 PM, to stay on the safe side.
Entry Requirements:
Everyone traveling to Australia must have a passport valid for at least six months beyond the end of travel. A Travel Visa, or an approved Electronic Travel Authority (ETA), is required for foreign nationals to enter the country. We will walk you though the easy process to obtain your visa or ETA in the weeks leading up to your departure. Make sure your passport will be valid for 6 months after your return home, way in advance!!! You do not want to find out at the last minute that your passport is expiring 3 months after the trip. It will hamstring all of your plans!
