- Mary River
- Darwin
- Mossman
- Haggerstone Island
Leave the beaten path behind for Australia’s epic wilderness
Personalised journeys from start to finish
Every trip helps support Conservation
Every detail taken care of
Itinerary highlights
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Venture into the Bamurru Plains in a 4X4 game vehicle
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Soar over the landscape of Kakadu National Park and the East Alligator River
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Explore the tropical Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation
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Zipline through the rainforest canopy and learn traditional hunting methods
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Experience snorkelling, diving and fishing around the Great Barrier Reef
What's included
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Luxury accommodation throughout
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Privately guided tours and experiences
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Private transfers
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Full support from your travel designer and concierge before, during and after your trip
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Our help with restaurant recommendations and reservations
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Expert guides in each destination
At a glance
From the wilderness of Bamurru Plains and Daintree Rainforest to the idyllic waters of the Great Barrier Reef, this trip highlights Northern Australia’s most magnificent natural splendours.
Ideally experienced in Australia’s winter months of April to October, this tour sets off from the city of Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. The first stop, Bamurru Plains in the Mary River region, will be reached by a chartered plane – allowing you to take in the vast wetlands scenes before you even arrive.
Your time here will be spent seeking out the wildlife of the floodplains in open-topped vehicles, keeping an eye out for crocodiles lurking in the waters and wild horses galloping across the landscape. Kakadu National Park, which is in close distance to your camp, will also be explored, and here, you’ll see the reserve from above in a plane, before being led by an Aboriginal guide into the bush.
A return flight back to Darwin means that you have a night to explore this coastal metropolis, with its delightful beaches and varied collection of museum and galleries. Leaving this city behind, the trip then heads to Cairns, regarded as the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and home to Daintree Rainforest. This stretch of ecological park is part of the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent.
You’ll get the chance to delve deep into the heart of this rainforest, meandering along boardwalks and passing by beaches, and a colourful assortment of bird species, on the way to Cape Tribulation, a remote headland and coastal area. To better experience the beauty of the rainforest, you’ll experience a fully-guided zip-lining tour and a wildlife cruise.
The final highlight of the tour is Haggerstone Island, positioned in the Great Barrier Reef Park, off Northern Queensland. The complete remoteness of this island, paired with the spectacular surrounding reefs and incredible opportunities for snorkelling and diving, as well as deep-sea fishing, ensures that you’re in for a memorable time. After soaking up the sun, dabbling in the array of water sports and feasting on the freshest seafood, you’ll return to Cairns.
Example trip itinerary
Mary River
Transfer
Charter flight from Darwin airport to Bamurru Plains
Transfer
Private transfer to Bamurru Plains Camp
Accommodation in Mary River
- Ten safari-style bungalows
- Infinity pool
- Restaurant
A luxury bush camp on the vast floodplains of the Northern Territory, Bamurra Plains is a wonderful way to experience this unique and beautiful landscape. Set within 300km2 of private land to the west of Kakudu National Park, guests will enjoy access to miles of undisturbed coastal floodplains, savannah woodland and paperbark swamps.
Reconnecting with nature needn’t mean going back to basics, and ten safari-style bungalows ensure a comfortable and relaxing stay. Each bungalow overlooks the floodplains and features mesh walls so you can hear, see and almost touch the wildlife and wilderness that surrounds you.
Décor reflects the region’s indigenous, hunting and pastoral history with buffalo horns, explorer maps, Aboriginal art and old photographs adorning the walls. Each bungalow comes with a species list so you can identify the animals that wander past.
The largest Kingfisher suite features a generous living space and enough room for extra beds, making it a great option for adventurous families. With no internet access, TV or mobile signal, switching off has never been easier and you’ll soon find yourself tuning in to the sounds of the bush as you drift off to sleep.
Dining at Bamurru Plains is a real treat, with locally sourced produce used to create a menu that is authentic yet contemporary. Meals are served in the wildlife observation deck and there is a self-service bar which guests are welcome to use.
In this sanctuary of flora and fauna lives a vast, thriving eco system which includes many species of bird hiding in the swamps and savannah woodlands. Enjoy the heights amongst the tree tops when you settle down to an evening in The Hide while those who love to fish are encouraged to embark on a river fishing or airboat fishing excursion.

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.
Darwin
Transfer
Charter flight from Bamurru Plains to Darwin airport
Transfer
Private transfer to your hotel in Darwin
Accommodation in Darwin
- Swimming pool
- Spa
- Gym
Overlooking Darwin harbour and in the heart of the city, Mantra on Esplanade is in a prime location with panoramic views across the waterfront.
The hotel has a variety of rooms and apartments to choose from as well as the Penthouse Suite, all with modern decor and bright furnishings that draw on the tropical Darwin surroundings. The apartments each feature a private balcony and a fully-equipped kitchen.
The hotel has welcoming communal spaces including a lagoon-style swimming pool and an onsite beauty salon with pampering treatments. In the evenings enjoy fine dining at the hotels Finz Restaurant and Bar or head down the road to Mitchell Street – the city’s restaurant precinct.
A short drive from the hotel will see you at some of the biggest attractions and sites of the area including the Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park and Katherine Gorge.
Mossman
Transfer
Private transfer to Darwin airport
Transfer
Flight from Darwin to Cairns airport
Transfer
Private transfer to your hotel in Cairns
Accommodation in Mossman
- Outdoor swimming pool
- Award-winning restaurant
- Spa
- Tennis courts
Silky Oaks is one of Australia’s most stunning riverside lodges, nestled in tropical North Queensland rainforest with a collection of treehouse suites immersing guests in the lush surroundings.
The eco-retreat invites you to escape from everyday life and get back in touch with nature amongst the Daintree rainforest setting. The treehouses and suites blend organic wooden furnishings with contemporary design. Each room has a wide verandah with hammocks, breakfast with a view and deep baths to sink into at the end of the day.
Dining at Silky Oaks is a memorable experience, with gourmet Australian cuisine served in the award-winning open-sided Treehouse Restaurant which is perched high above the rainforest and Mossman River. Guests can soak up the tranquil environment from the comfort of the spacious open lounge areas, bar, reading rooms or enter a state of dreamy bliss at the Healing Waters Spa.
Guests can explore this diverse and dense rainforest by its many hiking trails, cruise down the river in a canoe, take out a bicycle to venture further afield, go goanna spotting, get zen with morning yoga or cool off in the scenic river. Alternatively, you can simply soak up the tranquil environment from the comfort of the spacious open lounge areas, bar, reading rooms or enter a state of dreamy bliss at the Healing Waters Spa.

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.
Haggerstone Island
Transfer
Private transfer to Cairns airport
Transfer
Charter flight from Cairns airport to Haggerstone Island Resort
Accommodation in Haggerstone Island
- Five beachfront villas
- Dining area
- Bar
- Library
- Observation deck
- Wine cellar
- Orchard garden
- Jetty
Flee from the mainland to an utterly isolated and private island resort, fringed by coral reefs and shrouded by jungle, and an undeniable air of magic. The journey to this remote part of the world sets the tone for your stay and entails a private charter from either Cairns or Weipa.
Five carefully handcrafted huts are fronted by the beach, with kitchenettes, thatched roofs, driftwood furnishings, and airy open-plan designs. Arched doorways, bare stone or teak floors and gaping windows create a soothing sense of coolness, while earthy tones and textured fabrics add warming pops of colour. Private decks jut out over tropical foliage, while boardwalks lead to open showers, with huddles of palm trees serving as a backdrop.
After the sun has dipped behind the ocean, a heavenly feast of freshly caught seafood and produce from the resort’s orchard is served in the main dining room, under the light of flickering candles. Breakfast is a spread of fruit and homemade muesli, with eggs from the free-roaming chickens on the island, and lunch might even feature your own catch from the surrounding waters.
Adventure is a promise at this dreamy destination, with jet-skiing, beachcombing, snorkelling, spearfishing and boat excursions, being some popular picks on the menu of experiences. With a whole island at your doorstep, you’re encouraged to take your time to explore the beaches, venture into the jungle, or set off in a helicopter to hover over hidden waterfalls, before concluding with champagne atop a sand dune.

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.
Transfer
Charter flight from Haggerstone Island to Cairns airport
We design private journeys for people who wish to go beyond the typical and experiencing something truly special. Our amazing team of travel designers, concierges and local guides work together to create unique journeys that get deep under the skin of where you’re visiting.
Other trips you may be interested in
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Northern Treasures
How we work
From the wilderness of Bamurru Plains and Daintree Rainforest to the idyllic waters of the Great Barrier Reef, this trip highlights Northern Australia’s most magnificent natural splendours. Ideally experienced in Australia’s winter months of April to October, this tour sets off from the city of Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. The first stop, Bamurru Plains in the Mary River region, will be reached by a chartered plane – allowing you to take in the vast wetlands scenes before you even arrive. Your time here will be spent seeking out the wildlife of the floodplains in open-topped vehicles, keeping an eye out for crocodiles lurking in the waters and wild horses galloping across the landscape. Kakadu National Park, which is in close distance to your camp, will also be explored, and here, you’ll see the reserve from above in a plane, before being led by an Aboriginal guide into the bush. A return flight back to Darwin means that you have a night to explore this coastal metropolis, with its delightful beaches and varied collection of museum and galleries. Leaving this city behind, the trip then heads to Cairns, regarded as the gateway to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef and home to Daintree Rainforest. This stretch of ecological park is part of the largest continuous area of tropical rainforest on the Australian continent. You’ll get the chance to delve deep into the heart of this rainforest, meandering along boardwalks and passing by beaches, and a colourful assortment of bird species, on the way to Cape Tribulation, a remote headland and coastal area. To better experience the beauty of the rainforest, you’ll experience a fully-guided zip-lining tour and a wildlife cruise. The final highlight of the tour is Haggerstone Island, positioned in the Great Barrier Reef Park, off Northern Queensland. The complete remoteness of this island, paired with the spectacular surrounding reefs and incredible opportunities for snorkelling and diving, as well as deep-sea fishing, ensures that you’re in for a memorable time. After soaking up the sun, dabbling in the array of water sports and feasting on the freshest seafood, you’ll return to Cairns. | Whats included?
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Days 1-3 |
Mary River |
Flights & transfers
Charter flight from Darwin airport to Bamurru Plains |
|
Private transfer to Bamurru Plains Camp | |
Accommodation in Mary River
•
Bamurru Plains - $$$$$
A luxury bush camp on the vast floodplains of the Northern Territory, Bamurra Plains is a...
|
|
Mary River 4X4 safari One of the best ways to see the wildlife that inhabits the wetlands is on an open-top game drive, more akin to an African safari. With the recession of the waters from much of the floodplain in the dry season, the plains become accessible to 4X4 vehicles and a journey with a guide will provide a unique insight into this fragile yet very important environment. The open-sided safari vehicles feature shaded canopies, with comfortable and raised seating to provide the best possible vantage point to view agile wallabies, estuarine crocodiles, wild horses, buffalos and some of the 236 bird species on the property. Your guide will describe the Aboriginal uses for some of the local flora and fauna while you enjoy a refreshing drink and bite to eat. |
|
Ultimate Kakadu experience from Bamurru Plains This full-day adventure begins with a scenic flight to Jabiru in the heart of Kakadu where your field guide and a new custom-built vehicle will be waiting to explore the park’s escarpment landscapes and ancient rock art at Ubirr. You'll then join a cruise on the East Alligator River with an Aboriginal guide by your side revealing local mythology, the river’s abundant food chain, traditional uses for many plants and animals and bush survival skills before returning overland, with a stop at the Bowali Visitor Centre, and arrive back at the camp in time for sundowner drinks as the sun sets over Bamurru Plains. |
|
Day 4 |
Darwin |
Flights & transfers
Charter flight from Bamurru Plains to Darwin airport |
|
Private transfer to your hotel in Darwin | |
Accommodation in Darwin
•
Mantra on the Esplanade - $$$$$
Overlooking Darwin harbour and in the heart of the city, Mantra on Esplanade is in a prime...
|
|
Days 5-7 |
Mossman |
Flights & transfers
Private transfer to Darwin airport |
|
Flight from Darwin to Cairns airport | |
Private transfer to your hotel in Cairns | |
Accommodation in Mossman
•
Silky Oaks - $$$$$
Silky Oaks is one of Australia’s most stunning riverside lodges, nestled in tropical North...
|
|
Daintree and cultural adventure day Travel into the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, one of the most diverse and ecologically unique areas on the planet. The endangered cassowary, a large flightless bird, is often seen in this area. Take a walk along Cape Tribulation Beach or on one of the scenic boardwalks and learn about the diversity of the rainforest. Enjoy a lunch of local produce and later, visit the Daintree Ice Cream Company where tropical fruits are made into delicious ice creams. Jackfruit, back sapote, passion-fruit and wattleseed are just some of the flavours to savour. Continue on a wildlife-spotting cruise on the Daintree River and keep an eye out for the elusive saltwater crocodile, snakes, rainforest frogs, eagles, birdlife and flying fruit bats while learning more about about this amazing part of Australia. Then it's on to Cooya Beach where you'll meet your Kuku Yalanji Cultural Habitat guide, either Linc or Brandon Walker. These brothers delight in showing visitors their traditional hunting areas within the mudflats, mangroves and beach habitats. They’ll teach you their hunting and gathering methods, including spearfishing and mud crabbing techniques. |
|
Days 8-12 |
Haggerstone Island |
Flights & transfers
Private transfer to Cairns airport |
|
Charter flight from Cairns airport to Haggerstone Island Resort | |
Accommodation in Haggerstone Island
•
Haggerstone Island - $$$$$
Flee from the mainland to an utterly isolated and private island resort, fringed by coral...
|
|
Snorkelling and spearfishing off Haggerstone Island 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. |
|
Deep sea fishing off Haggerstone Island 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. |
|
Flights & transfers
Charter flight from Haggerstone Island to Cairns airport |