6 Days:

   Lords Safaris,Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris

& Bamurru Plain Safaris:

Day One:

This morning your driver will collect you from your (8.00) accommodation before we begin making our way south for a short time on the Stuart Highway until we turn left on to the Arnhem Highway which leads to the World Heritage Listed Kakadu National Park. Our first stop en route is Fogg Dam Reserve, Fogg Dam has year round water coverage which assures its position as an important feeding and roosting site for a wide variety of both water birds and other animals. Next we travel onto the Adelaide River where we have the opportunity to witness the fabulous jumping crocodiles and other wildlife.  These Saltwater Crocodiles are a magnificent sight - these animals are surprisingly powerful as they can project their bodies almost totally out of the water - you will gain a good understanding of why they have survived for more than two hundred million years! This serves as a great introduction to how wild the Top End still is today.

A short detour off the highway is the beautiful Leaning Tree Lagoon; this Billabong is often covered in water lilies making it a popular quick stop for photographers.

Lunch is at the Bark Hut Inn; this Aussie Roadhouse was built during the buffalo era and is a reminder of earlier, wilder times. Here we will leave the main road to enter into Kakadu via the Old Darwin Road. We find a pristine water fall, Maguk (Barramundi Gorge), with a one kilometre walk through sub-monsoon rainforest leads to the base of a beautiful plunge pool; Maguk is a scenic and tranquil place to enjoy a refreshing swim.The water is crystal clear and safe to swim in.

Overnight:  Accommodated: (L)

Day Two:

We visit Aboriginal Lands (Arnhem Land), access to this area is restricted to a select group of tour operators.

Visitors to Arnhem Land are able to experience a fascinating mixture of traditional and living culture. Arnhem Land is perhaps the one area in Australia where indigenous culture is still dominant, despite a long history of interaction with other cultures, for example the Macassens who visited the shores of Arnhem Land for more then five hundred years to harvest sea slug. They came by sailing boats from Indonesian Island of Sulawesi and left their legacy with the Aboriginal people.

Then the Europeans, their impact on Aboriginal people was more far reaching and profound. Arnhem Land today has weathered all the storms and it has managed to stay as a last frontier and homeland of around 20000 people.

While we are in Arnhem Land a traditional Aboriginal guide will show you excellent examples of rock art on Injalak Hill (Long Tom Dreaming), this area has some of the best rock art examples in Western Arnhem Land and some say Australia. The view from the top of the hillis simply breathtaking, looking out across the floodplains and around the escarpment. When we farewell our Aboriginal guide back at the Injalak Art & Craft Centre there is an opportunity to browse or purchase goods from this non-profit Aboriginal organisation. At the award winning Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre there is time to watch the traditional Aboriginal people painting and perhaps to see the women weaving pandanus baskets.

After leaving the Injalak Art & Craft Centre we then head onto Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris.

Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris is situated in the North West corner of Arnhemland, adjacent to Kakadu National Park and Coburg Peninsular.   It lies in a vast sub-tropical savannah that has been described as a national treasure trove depicting ancient human occupation, and a pristine wilderness area hosting a myriad of ecosystems and wildlife inhabitants. 

The camp is fully licensed and has a wide selection of wines, spirits and beers.

The lodge is situated in a natural bush setting, the centre of the infrastructure of the lodge is a new and tastefully furnished communal area encompassing a dining, lounge, bar, library, internet area and a large outdoor area for alfresco dining, all over looking the sandstone paved pool.

Overnight:Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris (B, L, D)

Day Three:

Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris at Mt Borradaile is a registered aboriginal sacred site in aremote 700 sq-km, exclusively leased area nestled against the Arnhemlandescarpment.

Thisis a landscape of rugged ranges fringed by idyllic billabongs, flood plains,paper bark swamps and monsoonal rainforests, an amazingly beautiful wilderness.

Valleys,overhangs and caves have been occupied for over 50,000 years and offer magnificent galleries of rock art as well as occupation and burial sites.

Whileat Davidsons we shall enjoy a range of activities and attractions, from fishing, Aboriginal Art or a billabong cruise highlighting the unique landscape.

Overnight: Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris (B, L, D)

Day Four:

After lunch we shall depart Arnhemland to Bamurru Plains which is an exclusive 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 camp boasts comfortable free-standing rooms that are spacious and expose guests to the sounds of thefloodplains, a dining area with commanding views across the vast wetlands, a 10metre wet edge pool and a library. The focus of your stay at Bamurru is in the environment around you and the wildlife and birdlife for whom it is home. Each individual safari suite is designed to blend with the surrounding bush and as such exposes guests to 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.  We will experience a sunset over the floodplains while enjoying a glass ofwine.

Overnight: Bamurru Plains (B, L, D).

Day Five:

The morning chorus of tens of thousands of Magpie Geese, after whom the camp is named, is an experience in itself. TheMary River catchments are home to some 236 species of bird, 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 birdlife.

While we are at the camp we shall enjoy a variety of activities, from airboat rides to a four wheel drive safaris.

Overnight: Bamurru Plains (B, L, D).

Day Six:

A morning trip out on the plains in an airboat is utterly exhilaratingand the best way to truly experience this environment.

The floodplains abound with waterfowl, wild buffalo, pigs and wallabies. 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 morning we will take an airboat ride across the floodplains of the Mary River catchments. The key natural feature of this area has some of the most important in the country,home to thousands of Magpie Geese, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Egrets, Ibis and a host of other birds. We have the opportunity to explore one of the few remaining working stations close to Kakadu National Park.

Return to Darwin. (B, L)

Inclusions:

-     Luxury Toyota Air Conditioned GXL for Six days withexperienced local guide

-     Jumping Crocodile Cruise

-     Lunch at Bark Hut Inn

-     1 Night accommodated: (Kakadu)

-     2 Nights Davidson's Arnhemland Safaris
- Maguk

-       2 Night Bamurru Plains

-     Aboriginal Guide
- Gunbalanya
- Injalak Hill (Long Tom Dreaming)

-     Arnhem Land (Aboriginal Lands) entry permits

-     -Where Meals Marked (B, L, D)

-     All fees

-     All camping equipment

-      Water Bottle

-     Towels

-      Alcoholic Beverages

Not included:

-     Personal requirement