Australia

Specials / Suggested packages / Nature Tours / 18-35 year old tours
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Arnhemland Safaris

Discover the holiday adventure of a lifetime in a pristine wilderness environment where the Aboriginal presence encompasses more than 50,000 years. Ancient rock paintings in spectacular galleries depict indigenous history and aspects of the Dreamtime, the spiritual foundation of the Aboriginal culture. Visitors of all ages and from all walks of life have the opportunity to gain access to this protected, highly restricted region via the honorary custodian status conferred by the traditional landowners of the Mount Borradaile area.

Activities for all the family include bird watching, billabong cruises, barramundi fishing, visiting rock art galleries, swimming in crocodile free rockholes, bushwalking, 4 wheel drive adventure, bush tucker appreciation, photography, exploring catacombs, investigating paperbark swamps and rainforest, wildlife spotting and viewing the exotic flora in this fascinating ecosystem. Or you can just lay back and relax in the tranquility of a remote, pristine wilderness environment that is unmatched in its beauty and diversity. There is no set itinerary, you decide your own activities and our guides accommodate your choices. Arnhemland Safaris tours are fully guided at all times due to the sacred nature of the area, and our staff are fully committed to making your visit a safe and truly memorable experience.

The adventure begins with a 7.00 am pickup from your accommodation and transfer to
Darwin’s Light Aircraft Facility. The trip to Mount Borradaile in your charter aircraft is a
spectacular scenic tour in its own right, spanning the World Heritage Wetlands of Kakadu
National Park, one of the wildest coastlines in Australia. An optional charter from Jabiru in
Kakadu National Park can be arranged.

Arriving at the private airstrip you make the short journey to the main base camp in an open 4WD vehicle. Comfortable, airy twin-share tents with 240 volt power and external lighting surround the main complex, a social hub fully screened and incorporating a kitchen, dining area, library and briefing room. Permanent toilet and shower blocks with hot and cold water are situated at the outer fringe of the camp, as is a laundry facility. Delicious home-style meals are served in the dining room and nourishing picnic lunches and refreshments supplied for all-day excursions. Alcoholic beverages and wines are not included in tour prices but a limited range can be purchased on site to accompany your evening meal. Use of the camp telephone is available to guests on a pay via timed STD or International basis.

During the next 3-5 days, a host of activities combine in a flexible itinerary. Typically, your adventure goes like this:

Day One: After your breath-taking flight settle into airy, twin-share tents with freshly made-up beds. Bathroom facilities including hot showers are nearby. Light refreshments are served in the
large, screened dining room before your first open-air 4WD trip to a nearby Aboriginal rock-art
site, where a six metre long rainbow serpent, the local totemic protector, dominates an
awesome rock shelter. Your guide walks you through chambers of galleries festooned with
art. If time and seasonal conditions allow, a swim in rock pools atop the escarpment sharpens
your appetite for lunch. After a lunch of fresh salads and/or cold meats, spend the early
afternoon in cool rock overhangs near the camp. Take time to absorb the spirit of at least
50,000 years of human creativity. In the late afternoon we take you to a billabong for a sunset cruise where you can, with a glass of wine and nibbles in hand, admire the amazing bird-life and crocodiles. The sunset’s blaze of colour reflecting golden orange on Mount Borradaile floodplain heralds the return to camp for a shower, dinner and the friendly buzz of conversation.

Day Two: Following breakfast, travel further afield to explore an area described by those privileged to have visited it as a ‘living museum’. Traditional beliefs say that much of the rich tapestry of art dates from the time of creation, when ‘Mimi’ spirits recorded the culture, lore, plants and animals. More recent generations recorded the coming of Macassan traders from Indonesia and the early European explorers to the shores of northern Australia. Back to camp for lunch, followed by a lazy afternoon swim (seasonal conditions allowing), a bush walk to discover bush foods and art, or a bout with the famous Barramundi game fish in the nearby billabong

Day Three: The local area is a rich, diverse ecosystem that harbours unique flora and fauna. Walk through adjacent monsoonal rainforest thickets, armed with binoculars and camera to record some of the 275 bird species which inhabit the region. Bushwalking is a great way to discover the botanical wonders of the area, some of the plant species here are found nowhere else in the world, along with insect species such as the beautifully coloured Leichhardt's Grasshopper. Don't be surprised if a dingo, rock wallaby or goanna crosses your path. After a hearty lunch back at the camp, return to the art sites and visit Catacombs which show signs of recent occupation and of ancient mortuary rites, while rock surfaces exhibit evidence of the antiquity of the local ‘Bining’ (Aboriginal) presence. If time permits, enjoy a refreshing swim before the evening meal.

Day Four: Maybe try your luck again with the king of game fish, the barramundi, down at the local billabong. Following lunch at the camp, enjoy an exhilarating bushwalk to experience more of the local birds, animal wildlife, bush foods, medicines and art, and perhaps a swim before returning to camp for the night.

Day Five: Depending on fitness and interest, there are many more galleries of Aboriginal art, mysteries such as stone arrangements to explore. Untouched rainforests to explore or maybe viewing the wildlife on the billabong during the day. Return to the main camp for your scenic air charter flight to Darwin or Jabiru. Departure time is 4.00 pm, arriving at Darwin terminal at 5.00 pm or Jabiru at 4.15pm.

What To Bring:
Light, casual clothes; A light cardigan for cool evenings during May-September; Camera with plenty of film, flash unit and spare batteries; Walking shoes and personal toiletries.

Tour Price Includes:
Return or one-way charter flights, hotel/airport transfers, all meals at base camp, refreshments, tour guides. *Alcoholic beverages not included in price.

Price per person in AU$:

A Savannah Guide site since 1999, this property represents the ultimate in exclusive wilderness expeditions, with experienced guides escorting visitors through a series of educative adventures.

Savannah Guides is a network of professional tour guides with a collective in-depth knowledge of the natural and cultural assets of the tropical savannahs of northern Australia. All Savannah Guides must incorporate natural or cultural interpretive activities as a prominent part of their business and demonstrate a commitment to conservation values. Knowledge and professionalism is fundamental to Savannah Guides' operating philosophy. Enterprise and individual members must meet strict standards of operation and abide by professional Codes of Conduct.

Savannah Guides pursues its mission of being an economically sound, community based, professional body which maintains high standards of Interpretation and public education , Training and guiding leadership , Natural and cultural resource management and, through the promotion of ecologically sustainable tourism principles, enhances regional lifestyles and encourages the protection and conservation of the natural and cultural resources of the Tropical Savannahs of Northern Australia.

Amongst its many awards, Savannah Guides received worldwide recognition in 1997 when they won the Queensland Tourism Award for Industry Training in the Private Sector and were highly commended at the British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards in London. They went on to win Best Tourism Organisation (World) and were an Australian Divisional Winner in the 2000 British Airways Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.