Located at the end of the Matilda Highway, the town of Karumba provides the only sealed access to the Gulf. Karumba is located 72 km from Normanton at the mouth of the Norman River. The town acts as the centre for the lucrative Gulf prawn and barramundi industries. The nearby wetlands are home to a vast array of bird life, including brolgas, black swans and pelicans. The port of Karumba handles the export of gulf prawns, beef and barramundi to Asian markets, as well as the containing the Pasminco Century mine terminal.

Karumba experiences distinct Monsoon and dry seasons. The Monsoon starts in November or December and brings spectacular storms and cyclones. The temperatures during this time hover in the high thirties and low forties, only being tempered by cool sea breezes. The dry season is from April to November and brings magnificent sunny days, with temperatures in the mid to high twenties.

At about 1872 Karumba was called Norman Mouth, but in 1876, for unknown reasons it was officially called Kimberley. The aborigines call the place Karumba and this was eventually adopted as its official name. It is thought that there would have been a small community here from as early as 1876 when gold was discovered in Croydon. In the early 1950's goats provided milk and meat for the residents and when the school was established in 1968 the goats also provided the compulsory milk for the students. In the early 1970's the herd was reduced to about 100, when the Karumba Airstrip had to be fenced to keep the goats away from air traffic.

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