“I caught my first Northern Territory barramundi here, and Red Lily is still in my dreams. It’s a love affair that’s been going for 35 years. My son Clay and I have been a few times; he caught his first-ever barramundi there as a little boy as well, and we recently went up for a beautiful bonding time during the wet season, which was an amazing time for both of us. We played a gig together at the Gunbalanya Sports and Social Club!”

“Big family connections here. This river has always provided me with a feed thanks to the old people looking after me. This river is a big part of my family’s dreaming, and my time fishing here has been a lifelong adventure. I caught my biggest flathead here—91 cm—which was released safely, and the biggest whiting I’ve caught with my Uncle Gerry—will never forget that. My grandfather and his wife lived at the old camp at Red Rock—all part of our beautiful Gumbaynggirr family.”

“Caught my first goodoo here with my Uncle Pete White—it tasted beautiful. I never kept another one after that—just catfish and yellowbelly.”

“Had a few years fishing here, all on lures, and always a great gig at the Arnhem Club. It was always a privilege—the club was one of the wildest places to play back in the day; people up here loved the music we played! I first went here in 1990 and ended up taking a boat out. I have the lure I caught my first Spanish mackerel on, and it has a few teeth still embedded on its wooden body—it fed the whole band and the motel staff! That day was unforgettable.”

“More family ties here: [2018 single] ‘Shadows on the Hill’ was born here, and many fish and turtles caught over thousands of generations—very special country. We have a special men’s camp at this place each year that has inspired many songs and stories that I’ve gone on to record. Our family have camped and fished here for my whole life, and this place holds some of my earliest memories—we are the continual line that have fished these banks for thousands of generations.”

“Laurel and I watched our kids grow up on this beach: Kubbi Kubbi country that’s been a big part of our lives. Laurel and I first went to this beautiful place well before kids, and she used to holiday here as a child with her parents too. I have loved flathead fishing here for years, targeting them in Happy Valley and Bulcock Beach. Flathead, tailor, dart, trevally, bream and sweetlips caught this year alone!”

“Beautiful fishing (flathead and bream) with distant Yuin family ties for me through the Browns. Love visiting this place! After doing Who Do You Think You Are?, I found myself being drawn to this place even more to fish. My last trip down here, I fished this beautiful spot near the boat ramp and caught and released four big bream before heading to the airport to fly home. I’m a descendant of the Brown family down here—it’s my family’s matrilineal line.”

“I love the Mission River—always be crocodile-wise as there are heaps of them up at Weipa! Gets the heart pumping! Weipa has huge history for me. Up until the late ’90s, I had always been a bait fisherman until a good mate of mine talked me into using a lure for the first time. I headed up early one morning with a local man with a small box of lures—gold bomber included—and caught my first little barramundi, mangrove jack and estuary cod on lures, and I was sold. I’ve never looked back!”

“What an amazing place this is to fish! Caught a beautiful barra out of the Pentecost River and had him for lunch up there. Such a welcoming feeling going through the gates at Home Valley—can’t wait to get back here this year for our Station Series show, where a very small group of people come up to sit by a fire, hear music and take in some local culture as part of a very rare experience. The escarpments around the Home Valley Station are breathtaking.”

“Near Old Mapoon, this is such a pretty place to fish cast twice. One morning got a jack and barra and headed back to the fire to cook them for breakfast: heaven.”