Northern Treasures

One of the best ways to see the wildlife that inhabits the wetlands is on an open-top game drive, more akin to an African safari. With the recession of the waters from much of the floodplain in the dry season, the plains become accessible to 4X4 vehicles and a journey with a guide will provide a unique insight into this fragile yet very important environment.

The open-sided safari vehicles feature shaded canopies, with comfortable and raised seating to provide the best possible vantage point to view agile wallabies, estuarine crocodiles, wild horses, buffalos and some of the 236 bird species on the property. Your guide will describe the Aboriginal uses for some of the local flora and fauna while you enjoy a refreshing drink and bite to eat.

This full-day adventure begins with a scenic flight to Jabiru in the heart of Kakadu where your field guide and a new custom-built vehicle will be waiting to explore the park’s escarpment landscapes and ancient rock art at Ubirr. You'll then join a cruise on the East Alligator River with an Aboriginal guide by your side revealing local mythology, the river’s abundant food chain, traditional uses for many plants and animals and bush survival skills before returning overland, with a stop at the Bowali Visitor Centre, and arrive back at the camp in time for sundowner drinks as the sun sets over Bamurru Plains.

Travel into the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, one of the most diverse and ecologically unique areas on the planet. The endangered cassowary, a large flightless bird, is often seen in this area. Take a walk along Cape Tribulation Beach or on one of the scenic boardwalks and learn about the diversity of the rainforest.

Enjoy a lunch of local produce and later, visit the Daintree Ice Cream Company where tropical fruits are made into delicious ice creams. Jackfruit, back sapote, passion-fruit and wattleseed are just some of the flavours to savour. Continue on a wildlife-spotting cruise on the Daintree River and keep an eye out for the elusive saltwater crocodile, snakes, rainforest frogs, eagles, birdlife and flying fruit bats while learning more about about this amazing part of Australia.

Then it's on to Cooya Beach where you'll meet your Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat guide, either Linc or Brandon Walker. These brothers delight in showing visitors their traditional hunting areas within the mudflats, mangroves and beach habitats. They’ll teach you their hunting and gathering methods, including spearfishing and mud crabbing techniques.

The reef in this area is utterly untouched and demonstrates what coral and fish life used to be like before human interference. You'll float over florescent gardens, or plunge into the cavernous formations created by centuries of uninterrupted growth. You can expect to see green turtles, manta rays and prolific fish life during your stay.

Every day out on the boat, you’ll visit a different destination, and some of the favourite snorkelling locations include:

The Garden – A shallow and brilliantly coloured corner or reef known for its variation in coral types. You can expect to see vivid coloured staghorn, plate, boulder and fan corals.

Ashmore Banks – A beautiful sand cay with an incredibly clear fringing reef and deep drop-off. You can expect to see large Maori wrasse, huge brain coral formations, brilliantly clear water and the possibilities of manta rays, crayfish and even dolphins.

The Outer Barrier Wishbone Reef – On calm days, you might be taken to the incredible outer reef formation located east of the island. Wishbone Reef is a large marine park where the reef curves away from the coast in the shape of a wishbone, creating many points and channels where marine life gathers to escape the current. You can expect to see every imaginable form of marine life in its most impressive condition. During your snorkel, you can also discover a 1840s shipwreck in a shallow reef garden. Its giant anchors, winching blocks and bronze keel bolts are all visible during surface snorkelling.

Snorkelling is possible both off the day boat and straight off the Haggerstone shore.

With extensive knowledge of the area and thirty years of experience, the team at Haggerstone Island can offer their unparalleled fishing experience. Despite relying on freshly caught seafood for meals at the resort, the team still maintains a high catch and release ration for the fish that are not needed.

Some examples of common species caught include red emperor, coral trout, fingermark Spanish mackerel, bluefin tuna, queenfish, dogtooth tuna and giant trevally.