Adventure To Remote Northern Australia

You’ll feel just how wild Australia’s Top End is when you arrive into Darwin and take a light plane to Bamurru Plains, a luxury bush camp located on the Mary River floodplains. Spend your three nights exploring the paperback forests and the abundance of birds and wildlife in Kakadu National Park, including agile wallabies, dingos, wild pigs, crocodiles and buffalo. Raised 6 metres above the ground in the tree canopy, the lodge’s Hide is the ultimate eyrie to spot the native birdlife in their natural habitat, which can also be slept in for a romantic evening under the stars. Climb into a 4WD open safari vehicle to get a good sighting of the wild horses, board a river cruise to look out for well-camouflaged reptiles or go fishing to catch a barramundi. Follow your safari with a visit to Injalak Hill to see the outstanding ancient Aboriginal rock art.

From Kakadu, you’ll board a light plane and fly over the rugged northern terrain to Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris, an ideal base for venturing into the Aboriginal reserve of Arnhem Land. A mysterious wilderness of billabongs, wetlands, rainforests and ancient escarpments, the area is the size of the state of Victoria but with only a population of around 17,000 people, who mostly live on outstations and practice a mixture of traditional and Western cultures. Go on a tour with guide and lodge owner, Max Davidson, to the local rock art galleries and burial sites, witnessing a history that stretches back over 50,000 years. Walk through the incredible catacombs, which display ancient mortuary rites, join the fleet of 4WD safari vehicles in search of rare and unique species, including the fabulously coloured Leichhardt’s Grasshopper, and then go on a sunset billabong cruise to admire the scenery.

Bid farewell to the Northern Territory and say hello to Queensland as you fly from Darwin to Cairns and then transfer to the beachside town of Port Douglas. Staying in Thala Beach Nature Reserve, you’ll be minutes away from Four Mile Beach, where you can have your fill of shopping in quaint boutiques, dining in fine restaurants and people watching from the marina. For a bit of sun and sea, join one of the boats leaving the harbour for a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef, snorkelling or scuba diving to your heart’s content. Your lodge is surrounded by World Heritage-listed rainforests, so head to the nearby Daintree and Cape Tribulation to walk along the nature trails flanked by waterfalls, giant fan palms and some of the oldest trees in the world.

Finishing in true style, you’ll take a helicopter to Orpheus Island to spend four nights surrounded by turquoise waters, coral reefs and a pristine national park. Grab the diving gear and swim along the world-class reef habitats to see the myriad of colourful fish or, if you are an avid angler, take a boat to Hinchinbrook Island for a thrilling battle with a black marlin, dogtooth tuna or Spanish mackerel. Get wrapped up in a full body exfoliation in the pampering spa – we recommend the ‘Island Exotics’ treatment, which is a body polish and mud wrap combined with a facial and hair and scalp massage, that uses honey, sugar and coconut oil to nourish the skin. Leave the spa in time to catch the island’s famous sunset, best enjoyed on a pre-dinner cruise along the sheltered bay supplied with delicious canapes and chilled Australian wines.