Arnhem Land Wetlands & Wildlife

Please check your required arrival time with the office
before booking your flights.
After meeting your group at Cairns Airport and travelling to
Gove Airport with Airnorth, you will be greeted by our
friendly and professional tour director. This afternoon we’ll
explore this frontier village, created in the 1960’s after the
discovery of Bauxite on the Gove Peninsula. Visit the Roy
(Malpi) Marika Lookout for incredible views towards the
coast, Gayngaru Wetlands and Gove Harbour before
settling in for a two night stay at the Walkabout Lodge.
Meals (D)
Note: Passengers flying into Darwin will be met at the
baggage reclaim area of the airport and transferred to the
Walkabout Lodge.

The Gove Peninsula has been home to Yolngu people for
over 60,000 years and is one of the most culturally
significant regions in Australia. You’ll get a true sense of
this with a special ‘Welcome to Country’ ceremony at
Wirrwawuy Beach, where we’ll learn about Yolngu culture
and kinship first hand. We’ll also visit the Buku-Larrnggay
Mulka art centre, which boasts many renowned Aboriginal
artists whose work (particularly those painted on bark) can
be found in galleries all over the world. Yirrkala is also
where the Aboriginal Land Rights movement started, when
the ‘bark petition’ was sent to Federal Parliament in 1963.
From the art centre it’s a short stroll to Shady Beach,
where we enjoy lunch followed by a special Bush Medicine and Women’s Healing demonstration. Experience traditional healing ways and hear stories of how Yolngu live and heal on their land.
We return to Nhulunbuy late this afternoon for our second
night at the Walkabout Lodge. Meals (B,L,D)

Today our journey into the heart of Arnhem Land begins.
Departing Nhulunbuy we follow the Central Arnhem road
south west to the Goyder River, the main tributary flowing
into the massive Arafura Swamp. Enjoy a picnic lunch
before taking a track to the north, which follows an
escarpment before descending on to the Arafura
floodplains. This area, known as ‘Murwangi’, is the site of
our exclusive safari camp where we’ll be staying for the
next two nights. Check in to your deluxe safari suite before
dinner in the lodge dining room. Meals (B,L,D)

The Arafura Swamp is one of the largest wooded swamps
in Australia and covers approximately 1,300 square
kilometres. This incredibly diverse wetland can support up
to 300,000 waterbirds at any one time, including Magpie
Geese, Egrets, Black-necked Stork and Brolgas. The swamp is of great cultural significance to the Yolngu People and was also the location for the 2006 film ‘Ten Canoes’.
Today enjoy a tranquil cruise on the main lagoon, followed
by a 4WD adventure around the edge of the swamp. For
both activities we’ll be accompanied by Indigenous guides
who’ll explain why this spectacular area is so significant to
them.
Later this afternoon we return to camp for a little free time
before dinner. Meals (B,L,D)
Note: Today the tour splits into two groups for activities.
Group 1 will follow the itinerary shown above, while Group
2 will do the activities in reverse.

This morning we head into Ramingining for a visit to
Bula’bula Art Centre. Chat to local artists and watch them
paint right in front of you. You can also purchase artwork if
so desired.
After morning tea at the centre we head further west
towards Maningrida. To get there we’ll cross the Blyth and
Cadell Rivers, arriving at the Barramundi Lodge early this
afternoon. Acquired by Outback Spirit in 2015, the lodge is
one of the most recognised fishing destinations in
Australia. With special permission from traditional owners,
the lodge enjoys exclusive fishing licenses for numerous
remote waterways, including the Tomkinson and Liverpool
Rivers. The lodge was fully redeveloped in early 2016 and
now features 12 beautiful safari suites and a restaurant
overlooking the floodplains below.
After lunch on the front deck, we’ll enjoy a familiarisation
talk from the lodge’s managers. You’re then free to settle
in to your safari suite, with the remainder of the afternoon
yours to relax, catch up on some washing or simply soak up the stunning view of the floodplains. We spend the next two nights here to explore the local area. Meals (B,L,D)

This morning we enjoy an exclusive fishing adventure on
the Liverpool and Tomkinson Rivers – pristine waterways
teeming with Barramundi. Our expert fishing guides will
take you to where the fish are biting aboard our sturdy
Ocean Master vessels, the pinnacle for remote marine
adventures featuring an onboard restroom and shade
canopy.
Today’s fishing adventure is also a wilderness tour, so even if fishing isn’t your thing you’ll still enjoy the amazing
scenery and informative commentary.
This afternoon we visit the Maningrida Arts and Cultural
Centre and the Djomi Museum for an immersion in the
culture and spiritual richness of the area.
Later this afternoon we’ll enjoy a sunset drink on the deck
before dinner and tell everyone about the one that got
away! Meals (B,L,D)

Departing Maningrida after breakfast, our travels take us
through the stone country of west Arnhem Land. Cross the
Goomadeer and Liverpool Rivers before arriving at the
turnoff to Davidson’s Arnhem Land Safaris, Mount
Borradaile. From here we travel along a 40km bush track
into the safari lodge, arriving in time for lunch. We’ll then
check-in to our cabins, our home for the next two nights.
This afternoon the highly trained staff at Mount Borradaile
will take you through 40,000 years of Aboriginal culture in a truly awe-inspiring landscape. The area contains some of the most stunning rock art galleries in the world, and in
terms of artistic quality, quantity, colourfulness and state
of preservation, it is virtually unrivalled. The walls of the
many rock shelters are decorated with innumerable
pictures documenting traditional Aboriginal life over many
thousands of years. Subjects range from now extinct
animals to twentieth century sailing ships and the iconic
Rainbow Serpent.
This afternoon we return to the lodge for dinner. Meals
(B,L,D)

Today we jump into the open-back Toyotas and continue
exploring the wonderland that is Mount Borradaile. Learn
about the variety of techniques used in rock paintings as
the styles changed over thousands of years of occupation
and storytelling. We’ll also wander through various
occupation sites and view a range of artefacts from when
these sites were still in use.
After lunch, it’s time to explore the incredible wetlands of
the Cooper Creek. Admire the prolific birdlife and massive
crocodiles sunning themselves on the banks as you
discover lagoons that seem more from a story book than
from real life. As the sun seeks the horizon and sets over
the floodplain, enjoy a drink and nibbles before returning
to the lodge for our final night with Davidson’s Arnhem
Land Safaris. Meals (B,L,D)

Departing Mount Borradaile early, we head north and
venture into the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park on the
Cobourg Peninsula. Travel up the eastern side of Port
Essington to Black Point where we’ll meet the marine crew
from Seven Spirit Bay and board the lodge’s custom-made
adventure craft for the short transfer across Port Essington.
Upon arriving at the lodge, you’ll be allocated your room
for the next three nights, a unique and luxurious ‘habitat’
villa. We meet again later this evening for dinner in the
lodge restaurant. Meals (B,L,D)

Today we enjoy a marine adventure down Port Essington
aboard the lodge’s specially designed vessel ‘MV Arafura’.
Designed by NAIAD in New Zealand and built in Australia,
these amazing vessels are the ultimate marine sightseeing
craft. Departing Seven Spirit Bay, we retrace the course of
the early mariner’s square riggers, passing landmarks like
Gunners Quoin, Low Point, Turtle Rock, Observation Cliff
and Record Point on our way to the historic Victoria
Settlement. Surveyed in 1838, Victoria Settlement was the
third attempt by the British at a northern settlement, after
Fort Dundas on Melville Island and Fort Wellington at
Raffles Bay. Conceived to facilitate trade with Asia, the
settlement consisted of 24 houses and a hospital. Disease
was rampant and living conditions poor, leading to its
abandonment in 1849.
Upon our arrival at Victoria Settlement, we’ll take an
informative and fascinating tour of the old buildings and
ruins and learn about life in the early British occupation. An optional extension walk will also lead to lonely gravestones in the forest, almost forgotten by history.
After a picnic lunch on the beach we’ll get back on the
water again and enjoy a leisurely cruise back to Seven Spirit Bay. The waters of the Cobourg Marine Park are alive, so keep your eyes out for dolphins, dugong, manta rays and crocodiles.
We return to Seven Spirit Bay where the remainder of the
afternoon can be spent at your leisure. Perhaps take a dip
in the palm fringed swimming pool, or just relax in your
luxurious habitat before enjoying sunset drinks on the
veranda before dinner in the restaurant. Meals (B,L,D)

The Cobourg Marine Park is teeming with fish. After
breakfast, we board the lodge’s state-of-the-art fishing
vessels for an exclusive half-day fishing adventure in Port
Essington. Featuring an onboard restroom, shade canopy
and comfortable seating, each boat takes only six people so
everyone will have the chance to reel something in!
Seven Spirit Bay’s fishing guides are true professionals with
intimate knowledge of the marine park. They’ll take you to
the best fishing spots and share their marine sanctuary
expertise while enjoying some of the most spectacular
coastline to be found in northern Australia. Our expert
guides fish these waters regularly and will have up-to-date
knowledge of the many potential sites that are producing
fish and that will give you the best chance of success.
A mix of small meandering creeks, mangrove-lined bays,
rocky outcrops and deeper water “bommies” mean that
there will nearly always be something to be found
somewhere. Once we’ve tested our luck, we’ll make our
way to a sheltered beach landing at Low Point where we
disembark and rendezvous with the lodge’s chef for a
delicious BBQ bush lunch under a shady tree.
After lunch we enjoy a 4WD safari to appreciate the
wonders of Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. First up is a
visit to the stunning Nypa Palm gallery (Nypa Fruticans),
one of only three locations in Australia where they can be
found (the others are Melville Island and the Wenlock
River). A short drive further brings us to the upper reaches
of Trepang Creek, one of many creek systems that are a
mix of spring-fed and tidally influenced systems that help
provide nourishment to the rich marine life of the park.
Next, we’ll explore the savannah woodlands of the park,
potentially spotting Banteng and Buffalo and gaining some
insight into the interesting and varied coastal habitats,
before a visit to Gunners Quoin lookout. We return to the
lodge late afternoon for our third and final evening at
Seven Spirit Bay. Meals: (B,L,D)

Note: The timings for the Port Essington fishing adventure
are dependent upon tidal movements. As such, lunch
arrangements are subject to change to suit the itinerary set by the Seven Spirit Bay marine managers.
Note: Today the tour splits into two groups for activities.
Group 1 will follow the itinerary shown above, while Group
2 will do the activities in reverse

This morning we’ll depart for the airstrip and board our
Cessna Grand Caravan for the 45-minute scenic flight
across Van Diemen Gulf. Upon arriving in Darwin this
afternoon, we head to the city to check in to the Hilton
Garden Inn on The Esplanade.
Enjoy the rest of the afternoon at your leisure before
boarding the Charles Darwin for a delicious Territory-style
sunset dinner cruise and celebrate a truly amazing trip!
Meals (B,L,D)

Enjoy a relaxing morning before your transfer to the
airport, or to your accommodation if staying on in Darwin.
Time to say goodbye, until we meet again for your next
outback adventure. Meals: B