1. Port Overview

  1. Melville Island, NT, Australia

  3. Melville Island lies in the eastern Timor Sea, off the coast of the Northern Territory of Australia. It is west of the Cobourg Peninsula in Arnhem Land and north of Darwin. Together, Melville Island and Bathurst Island are known as the Tiwi Islands. The largest community/town on the island is Milikapiti and the second village is Pirlangimpi (Pularumpi, formerly Garden Point, 27 km west of Milipakpiti, on the west coast of Melville Island. About 30 more people live in five family outstations.

    Melville Island is home to the Tiwi Aboriginals. The Tiwi are known for their batik, silk-screened clothing, woven bangles, painted conch shells, carvings, pottery and decorated pukumani burial poles. There is little infrastructure on the island, and is not open to the public for tourism, except on an organised tour.

    Things to see and do

    * Walking
    * Snorkelling & diving
    * Bird watching
    * Wildlife observation

    Cruise Season – Jan - Dec
    Currency – Australian Dollar (AUD)
    Language – English
    Population –1.030 approx
    Land Area – 5,786 km²
    Time – GMT plus ten hours
    Electricity - 2 angled pins and 1 flat pin centered below Australian style
    International Country Telephone Code – 61

    Travel Links – Once your permits are sorted out, there are two ways to reach the Tiwis from Darwin: 20-minute flights on Fly Tiwi or a two-hour catamaran journey on the Arafura Pearl.