Kimberley, Purnululu, Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land

We meet as a group in Darwin. There is a late afternoon introduction to the tour program and a welcome dinner.

For those who have arrived early we take a visit to the Museum and art gallery of the Northern Territory.

The group departs Darwin promptly to make the journey through to Timber creek, following the Victoria river from Katherine.

We drive through to Kununurra today crossing the border into Western Australia.

The group’s WA trip begins with a two-day adventure with a scenic flight departing Kununurra, taking you on an unforgettable journey over the Ord River, Lake Argyle, Lissadell Station, Texas Downs Station, the Osmand Ranges, and a stunning circuit over the Bungle Bungle Range.

After landing in Purnululu National Park, you will be met by your informative guide, who will lead you on a tour of the famous orange and black banded domes, as well as a walk into Cathedral Gorge. Once you have reached Cathedral Gorge, you can enjoy a fresh picnic lunch in the shade of the towering cliffs surrounding you.

Once returning from this walk, you will arrive at Bungle Bungle Savannah Lodge, where you can relax in the privacy of your ensuite cabin, or else take a dip in the only pool located within the national park. A chef-prepared dinner is served that evening in the Lodge dining area or can be eaten outside under the starry night sky, by the warmth of the outdoor fire pit.

The next morning, you will be driven to the northern end of Purnululu National Park, where you will spend the day exploring Echidna Chasm and nearby trails alongside your guide. Lunch is provided again on this day.

The following leg of our journey takes us to the World Heritage Listed Purnululu National Park (Bungle Bungles). The Bungle Bungle Range is renowned for its striking orange and grey horizontal banded domes. The distinctive beehive-shaped landforms have been produced by uplift and erosion over the last 20 million years.

The Bungle Bungles are, by far, the most outstanding example of cone karst in sandstones anywhere in the world and owe their existence and uniqueness to several interacting geological, biological, erosional and climatic phenomena. The sandstone karst of Purnululu National Park is of great scientific importance in demonstrating so clearly the process of cone karst formation on sandstone – a phenomenon recognized by geomorphologists only recently and still not completely understood. The Bungle Bungle Ranges of the Park also display to an exceptional degree evidence of geomorphic processes of dissolution, weathering and erosion in the evolution of landforms under a savannah climatic regime within an ancient, stable sedimentary landscape.

We return to Kununurra in the late afternoon with aerial views of the Argyle Diamond Mine, Ragged Ranges and Carr Boyd Ranges.

This morning we have a Kununurra tour with the local community. We will also visit the Kununurra art centre to meet senior painters.

The remainder of the day is at your own leisure.

Today we embark on a scenic fixed wing flight over the Mitchell Plateau and the incredible Mitchell Falls. The scenery from the air is remarkable, and it gives us a great perspective before seeing it on the ground for afternoon tea.

We continue on along the coast of the Kimberley at between 500 -4500 ft above sea level. The group see from the Air many of the highlights of this fascinating region of Australia and learns about the deep history and colonial activity of the region. We pass over the Pearl farms and laborotories as well as remote lodges along the coast looking below for the wildlife of the ocean in the shallow seas below before turning at the Gulf of Cambridge to follow at a low level the mighty Ord River from the historic township of Wyndham back to Kunnunarra.

We return to Kununurra in the late afternoon around sunset.

Today we start early to drive along the Savannah way to Katherine where we stay the night.

There is a group meal in Katherine.

Today we travel through to Jaibru. The well laid out Territory Wildlife Park displays only Top End wildlife in its natural habitat & this affords us a chance to familiarise ourselves with the highly specialised animals of the Kakadu/Arnhem region before we get there. There is much to see and learn and this will take us the best part of a day.

We then drive out along the Arnhem Highway to Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve. Here as the sun sets, many kinds of water birds can be seen in close proximity to the road. A little over an hour will get us to the Aurora Kakadu South Alligator for evening meal.

Today we get up early for a river bird-watching walk, with the possibility of seeing crocodiles, then on to Jabiru via Mangarre Forest Walk, Mamukala Bird Observation Hide and Bowali Visitor Centre.

The township of Jabiru was built in 1980 to accommodate staff and families of the Ranger Uranium Mine, but is now the centre of tourism in Kakadu. The Kakadu Park HQ and Bowali Visitor Centre on the Kakadu Highway are a five minute drive from the town. There is quite a bit of wildlife to be seen around the town as a result of a prohibition on cats. The rare Partridge Pigeon can often be seen feeding along the roadsides while the Black-footed Tree-rat and Sugar Glider are also frequently seen.

This will be our introduction to the unique sandstone ecosystems that have made Kakadu famous. Many of the endemic wildlife, such as Chestnut-quilled Rock Pigeons, Banded Fruit-doves, Black Wallaroos and Oenpelli Pythons call this escarpment country home. In addition to this, we are visiting one of the most amazing human history sites in northern Australia. We learn how the art galleries & occupation sites here bear witness to one of the world’s oldest continuous cultures.

We will be driving to a valley in central Kakadu and walking 3kms to a rainforest clad stream where we will see for the first time the amazing Gondwanan Manbinik Trees Allosyncarpia ternata. These giants are seen nowhere else in the world, but have relatives in Malaysia, New Caledonia and South America. They are of great significance to the Bininj people, but have mystified biogeographers with their very limited distribution.

The walk takes us along an almost level, rocky track, fording creeks as we go. At the end of the walk there will be time to relax and have a swim in a series of flowing escarpment pools.

On our return, we may have time to walk (approx 1.6kms) into another famous rock art gallery at Nangaluwurr.

Today we drive from Jabiru to Darwin via Pine Creek and Adelaide River, with a visit to Tolmer Falls and a swim at Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park.

On the first section of the drive we will take a short stop at Pine Creek where we can look out for the rare Hooded Parrot, which are often seen feeding beside the road in pairs and small flocks.

The town of Pine Creek began with a gold rush in 1867 and at its peak had a population of over 3000 people. Today, gold is still being mined in the area which is situated on the rim of a giant geological structure called the Pine Creek Geosyncline, which takes in much of Kakadu. This town had a great impact on the people of Kakadu at the time of the gold rush. We will learn the details of how it caused a serious decline in their numbers, from which they are still recovering today.

Litchfield National Park is a small but impressive park close to Darwin focused on another sandstone formation, which produces volumes of fresh water from aquifers in the horizontal geology. As a result, there are many waterfalls and streams, which provide safe swimming for visitors.

Today we will transfer to Darwin Airport for a flight to East Arnhem Land. Please note: Luggage is restricted to 10kg per person. Large luggage will be safely stored at Darwin Hotel.

Covering 85,000 square kms, the unspoiled beauty and habitat of Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve support one of Australia’s last wilderness areas. Our flight takes us across the rugged escarpment and down the course of the East Alligator River (boundary of Kakadu and Arnhem Land) over the vast floodplain systems of Magela Creek & the East Alligator. The Safari Camp is situated in woodlands north of the main Escarpment beside an impressive sandstone feature called Mt Borradaile. Nearby is another striking feature, a column of stone towering nearly 200m high called Wurragak (Tor Rock). The Cooper Creek wetlands – the focus of our visit – are in close proximity to the camp.

We spend the next 3 days looking at spectacular rock art, wetland bird safaris and exploring the woodlands. (During the wet season of Mt Borradaile, all the art sites, billabongs and creek systems are fully accessible by either boat or 4WD vehicle.)

The group meets local aboriginal communities living in this remote part of the Arnhem land.

This area in Northeast Arnhem Land has been home to the Yolngu Aboriginal people for at least 40,000 years.

History from both country and colonial is rich in this part of Australia. Matthew Flinders, in his circumnavigation of Australia in 1803, met the Macassan trading fleet near present-day Nhulunbuy, an encounter that led to the establishment of settlements on Melville Island and the Cobourg Peninsula. A beach close to the township is named Macassan Beach in honour of this encounter.

Today we start early seeking out the birds of the wetland and other wildlife with a local tour guide from Country. We continue the day exploring the region visiting rock art sites of note. The group has a break during the heat of the day before continuing to explore East Arnhem land with its local guide until sunset.

Nhulunbuy is only 20 km from the Indigenous community of Yirrkala, famous for its Aboriginal art.

TBC

Today marks the end of our stay in this very remote part of Australia. We fly back to Darwin.

The afternoon is at your leisure.

Tonight we eat at the Darwin Trailer boat club.

Today we take a ferry from Darwin to Bathurst Island, with the Aboriginal community of Wurrumiyanga, a 2.5 hour journey. You will get a chance to learn about the community’s complex rituals and unique traditions and witness an Aboriginal community that holds on tightly to its traditions. Located off the coast of Darwin, the Tiwi Islands experience is led by an indigenous guide who shares local history and traditions. You will be able to partake in a smoking ceremony and watch and discuss with the Tiwi ladies about their work on their arts and crafts. Your day also includes learning about the church and the Catholic mission as well visiting the Tiwi Island Museum.

You can also have time to visit and learn about Tiwi paintings, fabric, carving, pottery and clothing.

Today we take in 3 museums and galleries in Darwin accompanied with a local guide to share the stories of Darwin. We start at the Museum and art gallery of the Northern Territory. Then we propose to visit the Roadmasters house associated with NT railway and The Burnett house; This is the only surviving example of B.C.G. Burnett’s Type ‘K’ and was unusual in being of two-storey configuration.

A unique feature is the coloured compass inlay in the ground floor concrete slab. Burnett’s original plans and early photographs indicate a rainwater tank at the rear, near the laundry.

The house was damaged by Cyclone Tracy in December 1974. From about 1983 the house remained vacant and was boarded up to prevent access from itinerants until it was restored in 1988 for the National Trust.

We return to the hotel, mid afternoon.

Today we travel out to Litchfield National Park to visit the Stapleton station.

The Sargent family developed Stapleton Station and its outstation Blyth over 40 years. The family contributed substantially to the development of the Top End. Today their descendants have dispersed, although many remain as important members of our Top End community.

In 1964, Stapleton Station was sold to the Townsend family. In 1984 Bob and Roy Townsend initiated talks with the NT Government with a view to protecting some of the property as a National Park. Blyth Homestead was included in the land parcel which became Litchfield National Park in 1986, and in 1997 it was declared a heritage site to be protected for future generations. It is one of the best remaining examples of Top End bushcraft architecture. Allow time to take in the early 1900’s Aussie battler atmosphere of the Homestead and enjoy its stories whilst in the park.

We return to Darwin in the afternoon.

Tonight, we enjoy a farewell meal with the locals at the Darwin Boat trailer boat club.

The tour concludes after breakfast.