While to most areas of Australia the era of Covid lockdowns is just a distant memory, the remote WA settlement of Kalumburu is just opening to tourists for the first time in three years.
The ABC reports that the Indigenous community, which is home to about 400 people, had long been a popular place for travellers to stop when they visit the Mitchell Plateau and Honeymoon Beach.
Having closed itself off at the beginning of the pandemic in 2020, the community though decided to remain shut to visitors in 2021 and 2022.
However, the ABC reports that, after holding talks in recent weeks, community leaders have now decided they were ready to return to pre-pandemic arrangements.
Tourists are finally welcome again. PIC: Ketut Subiyanto / Pexels
Kalumburu Aboriginal Corporation director, Matthew Waina, told the ABC the extended closure had been hard for the community which relies heavily on economic revenue on tourists.
“It was pretty tough,” he said. “We didn’t get enough money.”
He said the return of visitors would generate income through a community-owned store and accommodation.
“We’re all happy, we’re excited about tourists coming back in again,” he said. “It’s good to have them again for the store.”
The return of tourists is also great news for local Indigenous artists who will be able to show their works to travellers once more.
And Joy Davey, the manager of the Honeymoon Bay camping ground about 30 kilometres north of Kalumburu, told the ABC it was ‘huge’ for the family-run tourism destination.
“We’re on the other side of remote – even when we could get people here, we couldn’t get people here because they had to pass through closed communities,” she said. “Having everything open, it’s that phrase ‘everything’s back to normal’ … we can just freely get things done and start making an income and building the community back up.”
Mrs Davey told the ABC there was already strong interest from travellers planning to visit.
“Word will get out pretty quick,” she said. “Based on the phone calls, which have just been non-stop, we’re going to be pretty busy.”
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I would assume that the community are fully vaccinated, otherwise the closure would have been in vain as soon as the first contagious visitor arrives.
Great news for travellers and the local economy. We will be there in July following travels on the Oombulgarri/Carsons River Track.
We have been to Kalumbaru working at the Catholic mission for 6 months in 2017. The mission closed unfortunately but I hope people continue to go there and support the locals. You will need a tough vehicle as many a day was spent welding broken parts of cars and campers up! Wild roads up there!
Covid days aren’t over, they are well & truly with us right now. Nothing has changed.
On average 150 people die Australia wide every week, predominantly older folk.
Look at the website with the official figures.
People are becoming complacent because the media have lost interest in the pandemic.
Just visited McGowan Island north of Kalumburu. Beautiful. Camp hosts doing a great job. Road from drysdale to Kalumburu was good. Gibb to drysdale terrible