Day 2

Departing the northern region of Kakadu National Park, we cross the infamous Cahill’s Crossing on the East Alligator River and enter Arnhem Land.

A 15-kilometre scenic drive to the Gunbalanya Indigenous Community provides some of the best driving views in the Top End, taking in floodplains, billabongs and the Arnhem Land escarpment. Gunbalanya is the Aboriginal name for the Oenpelli settlement (which was originally a mission). The area includes the floodplains of the East Alligator River that are covered by water from December to April and a rocky sandstone plateau rising up to 200 metres above the plains.

Upon arrival at Gunbalanya you will visit the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre. Visitors to Injalak will experience the traditional culture of the Kunwinjku people. Here you have the opportunity to experience traditional art in an intimate setting where you can get to know the artist and see firsthand how artworks are created.

Opened in 1989, Injalak Arts is a nonprofit Aboriginal-owned social enterprise whose members are the artists and community. Injalak artists produce traditional art inspired by ancient Dreamtime stories, the nearby rock art galleries and an unbroken link between the present generation of Kunwinjku people and their ancestors.

At the Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre there is an opportunity to browse and purchase a range of affordable art in different mediums and styles reflective of the ingenuity of the Kunwinjku people. Injalak caters to both the affordable and fine art markets. Artworks available include paintings on paper and bark, carvings, artefacts such as clap sticks, didgeridoos mimi poles and lorrkons, fibre works such as baskets and grass pandanus floor mats, and special edition prints.

While we are here an Aboriginal guide will show you excellent examples of rock art on Injalak Hill (Long Tom Dreaming or Kurrkabal). This area is documented as having some of the best rock art examples in Western Arnhem Land – some say in all of Australia. The main rock gallery is the visitor’s first contact with rock art, and is the most intense. It is an extensive shelter featuring layered paintings created over thousands of years.

The rock art on Injalak Hill reveals facets of Pre-Estuarine, Estuarine and Contact periods identifying them as between 100 and 8,000 years old. In 1912, the Aboriginal Protectorate Baldwin Spencer noted people heading up the hill every evening with smouldering fire sticks. This helps to explain why Injalak Hill boasts such extensive rock art galleries. The view from the top of the hill is simply breathtaking, looking out across the floodplains and around the Arnhemland escarpment – an amazing spot to have lunch in the shade of one the many overhanging ledges.

After leaving Injalak we head on to Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris. Davidson’s is situated in the northwest corner of Arnhem Land and adjacent to Kakadu National Park and the Cobourg Peninsula in Australia’s Northern Territory. This landscape is a vast subtropical savannah that has been described as a national treasure trove of artifacts of ancient human occupation, and a pristine wilderness area hosting myriad ecosystems and wildlife.

Access to the Davidson’s safari lodge is by 4WD vehicle or flight. The camp is fully licensed and has a wide selection of wines, spirits and beer. The facilities are situated in a natural bush setting. The heart of the lodge is a new and tastefully furnished communal space including a dining area, lounge, bar, library, internet area and a large outdoor deck for alfresco dining, all overlooking the sandstone-paved pool.

Day3

Today is spent exploring and enjoying the incredible unique environment around Davidson’s Arnhemland Safaris.

This location at Mt Borradaile is a registered aboriginal sacred site in an exclusively-leased 700-square-kilometre area nestled against the Arnhem Land escarpment. Its rugged ranges, fringed by idyllic billabongs, floodplains, paper bark swamps and monsoonal rain forests, form an amazingly beautiful wilderness.

Mt Borradaile is still owned and managed by its traditional custodians, the Amurdak people, whose inhabitation of the area dates back for 50,000 years. The story of their ancestry is evident in the many tools, ceremonial grounds and rock art paintings visible – and still being uncovered – today. Valleys, overhangs and caves offer magnificent galleries of rock art as well as occupation and burial sites.

While at Davidson’s we enjoy a range of activities and attractions, such as fishing, viewing Aboriginal art, and a billabong cruise.

Day4

After leaving Davidson’s we head on to Bamurru Plains, an exclusive lodge and wildlife experience on the magnificent Mary River floodplains. Located on Swim Creek Station, this safari-style camp is surrounded by savannah woodland teeming with an amazing assortment of wildlife, reptiles and birds. The accommodation is comfortable freestanding bungalows that are spacious and screened to let in the sounds of the floodplains. The camp also boasts a large dining area with commanding views across the vast wetlands, a 10-metre infinity pool and a library.

The focus of your stay at Bamurru is the environment around you and the wildlife and bird life for which it is home. Each individual safari bungalow is designed to blend with the surroundings and immerse guests in the sights and sounds of the bush around you, whether it is the haunting call of a Whistling kite, the raucous cacophony from the Blue-winged kookaburras as dawn breaks or the sound of a full grown buffalo splashing its way through the floodplains just a short distance from your bed. The morning chorus of tens of thousands of Magpie geese, after which the camp is named, is an experience in itself.

The Mary River catchments are home to some 236 species of birds, many of which are found at Bamurru Plains. The significance of this particular property comes in the variety of habitat: Black soil floodplains, paper bark swamps, savannah woodland, river mangroves and coastal beaches support an extraordinary diversity of bird life.

Day 5

A morning airboat adventure on the floodplains is an exhilarating and perfect start to the day, and the only way to truly experience the amazing environment around Bamurru Plains.

While at the camp we enjoy a variety of activities. The floodplains of the Mary River region form one of the most significant ecosystems in Australia. Dominated by the climatic extremes of the tropical monsoon, the wetlands and savannah woodlands that fringe the coastal regions between Darwin and Kakadu National Park harbour an extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna. This place is home to thousands of Magpie geese, Plumed whistling ducks, egrets, ibis and a host of other birds, not to mention wild buffalo and wallabies.

Day 6

We continue to enjoy the sights and experiences of Bamurru Plains this morning, and then after lunch make our return journey to Darwin.

We end the day with a dramatic sunset over the floodplains while enjoying a glass of wine.

Day 2

A morning airboat adventure on the floodplains is an exhilarating and perfect start to the day, and the only way to truly experience the amazing environment around Bamurru Plains.

While at the camp we enjoy a variety of activities. The floodplains of the Mary River region form one of the most significant ecosystems in Australia. Dominated by the climatic extremes of the tropical monsoon, the wetlands and savannah woodlands that fringe the coastal regions between Darwin and Kakadu National Park harbor an extraordinary diversity of flora and fauna. This place is home to thousands of Magpie geese, Plumed whistling ducks, egrets, ibis and a host of other birds, not to mention wild buffalo and wallabies.

Day 3

We depart Bamurru Plains after lunch. En route to Cicada Lodge in Katherine, we visit the beautiful Edith Falls, a series of cascading waterfalls and pools on the Edith River. The dramatic waterfalls range in height between 8.7–12 metres.

Next stop is Cicada Lodge, your private sanctuary from which to embrace the ancient landscapes and indigenous culture within the iconic Nitmiluk National Park.

Cicada Lodge is designed for the sophisticated traveller looking for an authentic Indigenous and natural Australian experience of a lifetime, in the heart of the Top End. The lodge is a sanctuary of elegant comfort in the Katherine Gorge, just 29 kilometres from the historic township of Katherine. Integral to the Cicada Lodge experience is the opportunity to explore the ancient landscapes of Nitmiluk National Park, home to Nitmiluk Gorge.

Nitmiluk Gorge is the centrepiece of Nitmiluk National Park, and comprises a system of 13 immense gorges carved over millennia by the Katherine River through the ancient stone of the region. More than a location of beautiful landscapes, the gorges hold great cultural value for the Jawoyn people. For these traditional owners, Nitmiluk refers to a cicada dreaming place – the place where the spirits of creation abide.

Cicada Lodge is very important to the future of the Jawoyn people. Training programs and employment of the local people across all aspects of the operation are integral to that future. Eco-accredited Indigenous guides run the Gorge cruises and tours, providing commentary on the region and sharing their knowledge of the local flora and fauna as well as ancient stories of creation and Jawoyn life. They welcome visitors to embrace a journey of learning and discovery in this spiritual and spectacular part of the Northern Territory’s Top End.

Day 4

Nitmiluk Scenic Helicopter Flights depart from the helipad located just 3 minutes’ drive from the visitor centre in Nitmiluk National Park. There are a variety of flights to choose from, and all offer magnificent views from the air, with photo or video opportunities of Nitmiluk Gorge, the Arnhem Land escarpment and wildlife.

Nitmiluk Scenic Helicopter Flights are also the only company permitted to land inside the national park and offer a unique selection of breathtaking landing sites that are only accessible by helicopter. A scenic flight will give you a great perspective of the Nitmiluk Gorge system with spectacular views from 4-seater helicopters, so everyone gets a window seat.

Our flight today is “The Jawoyn Rock Art Tour.” Turn back the clock as you depart the Nitmiluk helipad. Destination: 40,000 years ago. Fly deep into the heart of the Dreamtime to an amazing Jawoyn art site. Your guide will assist you in interpreting the artwork and the secrets of this ancient land.

The Nitmiluk Gorge is made up of 13 separate gorges, a maze of waterways sculpted from the sandstone over countless millennia by the Katherine River. Enjoy a refreshing swim before flying back over the rugged stone country and all 13 gorges on your return to the modern world.

Tonight enjoy a very special dinner cruise. Sit back and relax as the tranquil surroundings transport you into a spiritual world of Jawoyn culture and history. Discover the stories and traditions of the Jawoyn people against the magnificent backdrop of Nitmiluk Gorge, changing colour with the setting sun. This tour includes a three-course candlelit dinner, featuring fresh, local Australian produce cooked on board, and a complimentary glass of sparkling wine.

Day 5

This morning we enjoy the area around Katherine before making our way back toward Darwin.

We stop at Pine Creek, a historic gold mining town, where we enjoy a picnic lunch. Then on to the township of Adelaide River, which came to prominence with the completion of the Overland Telegraph Line, followed by construction of a hotel, a police outpost and a railway station.

Adelaide River also boasts the Adelaide River Inn, a pub that is home to Charlie the Water Buffalo, the Top End’s biggest celebrity made famous by the Crocodile Dundee film series.