Getting here is no easy feat. You fly into Darwin, then either jump in a chartered 5-seat Cessna to a remote airfield followed by a bumpy 20-minute Land Cruiser transfer through the bush; or you do it yourself and drive the 3 hours from Darwin along roads of dwindling quality - first sealed, then dirt, then into the middle of nowhere. But the remoteness of this eco-retreat - it sits on a 300 sq.km. farm called Swim Creek Station at the edge of Kakadu - is very much part of its appeal. It's a place to switch off, big time.
Once at Bamurru, you'll be mighty glad you came. You’re greeted with fragrant face towels and a cooling drink, then go bouncing through the bush in the back of a 4WD on a wildlife-spotting safari. Come sunset, your guide slows down on a track that turns out to be the wall of the floodplain - during the wet season, this dry land transforms into a lake on which airboats dock. Here you can watch the wallabies and water buffalo graze in the golden afternoon light, and help yourself to icy beers. An hour later, as the sun goes down, you’re sipping smooth Australian wines and savouring delicate canapés on the deck of the lodge.
Throughout your stay, these luxurious touches abound. It’s like the best of African safari lodges transported into the outback - with crocs instead of zebras and water buffalo replacing hippos. The attention to detail in the quirky bush-style bungalows and suites - very eco-minimalist and open-sided (just nets separate you from the wildlife) - brings a luxury of its own. Provided you come prepared for this, you won’t miss the minibar or spa bath one bit. Who needs a flatscreen TV or WiFi when you get a 180-degree view from your bed, with binos and guidebooks supplied?
Highs
- Abundant birdlife and wildlife includes plenty of water buffalos, wallabies, huge crocs, wild boar, brumbies and dingoes
- Plenty to do besides classic safari drives: bird-watching, bushwalks, exhilarating air-boat rides, scenic helicopter flights - all with capable and fun guides
- Stunning landscapes - lush floodplains, monsoonal forests, savannah woodland, billabongs blanketed with waterlillies, and spooky freshwater mangroves
- Enormous, imaginative bush shower rooms with corrugated iron walls and tree trunks for soap holders - and fragrant natural soaps too!
- Imaginative "bush tucker" cuisine using local ingredients, with an open bar boasting delicious Australian wines, including some rarities
Lows
- Couples seeking romance might not like the communal dining
- The Safari Bungalows are made for sleeping, with little else other than the bed: no comfy sofas or hammocks for chilling out, although there are sofas in the main lodge
- While the infinity pool is welcome after a sticky day of wildlife spotting, it could be larger
- The Cessna flight from Darwin is not cheap
- Humidity here can be fierce and only 3 of the Safari Bungalows have air-conditioning (at an extra cost)
Best time to go
The Top End’s tropical monsoonal climate is generally divided into two main seasons, the Wet and the Dry, although indigenous Australians more accurately use six seasons.
At Bamurru Plains, the early part of the Dry, from February to July, is warm and dry, generally with cloudless skies.
From August to September, the latter part of the Dry, temperatures rise and birds congregate at the billabongs in extraordinary numbers.
October to December marks the ‘build-up’ to the Wet with high heat and humidity, spectacular thunder and lightning storms, and the beginning of the greening of the country from early rain.
The arrival of the Wet and continual monsoon rains from January to March brings high tides and floodwaters as river banks break – for many this is when the region is at its most beautiful and Barramundi fishing is best, although access to the area can be restricted to helicopter and light planes with some road closures.
Bamurru Plains currently closes from November through January due to access issues and humidity.
At Bamurru Plains, the early part of the Dry, from February to July, is warm and dry, generally with cloudless skies.
From August to September, the latter part of the Dry, temperatures rise and birds congregate at the billabongs in extraordinary numbers.
October to December marks the ‘build-up’ to the Wet with high heat and humidity, spectacular thunder and lightning storms, and the beginning of the greening of the country from early rain.
The arrival of the Wet and continual monsoon rains from January to March brings high tides and floodwaters as river banks break – for many this is when the region is at its most beautiful and Barramundi fishing is best, although access to the area can be restricted to helicopter and light planes with some road closures.
Bamurru Plains currently closes from November through January due to access issues and humidity.
Our top tips
If you book the Ultimate Wilderness Experience Package, you'll have the option to incorporate an overnight stay in The Hide, an eyrie raised 6m above ground in tree canopy overlooking the Mary River floodplain. It's screened platform is wonderful for budding ornithologists and photographers alike.
Location
Bamurru Plains is on the edge of the Mary River floodplains, a short distance from the coast and the western boundary of Kakadu National Park. It's 3 hours' drive from Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory and the nearest garage is 1.5 hours' drive away.
By Air:
Fly in to Darwin International Airport (280km). From here guests often fly on to Bamurru Plains on a scheduled single engine Cessna aircraft. The 30-minute flight lands at Swim Creek Station Airstrip, where you are met for the 20-minute drive to the camp. It’s also possible to fly to Swim Creek from Jabiru Airport at Kakadu National Park (also 20 minutes). Alternatively, the most spectacular way to arrive at Bamurru Plains is by helicopter - the trip takes approximately 30 minutes from Darwin, landing in front of the camp. Enquire for details.
By Car:
If you need to hire a car in Darwin, please see our car rental recommendations. If self-driving, inform staff when you book and make arrangements to meet them. For those driving (the best option if you’re planning on spending a few days exploring Kakadu National Park), Bamurru Plains is a 3-hour drive from Darwin; the first hour and three quarters is on sealed tarmac road, the last hour and a quarter are on unsealed public and private roads. You are then required to leave your vehicle at the entrance to the property, where you will be met by a staff member for the 20-minute drive back to camp - this is because it is a working buffalo station and private property and there is no vehicle access for members of the public; it also ensures exclusivity at the camp.
Detailed directions will be sent when you book through i-escape.com.
More on getting to Australia and getting around
Airports:
- Darwin International Airport 280.0 km DRW
Other:
- Beach 25.0 km
- Shops 280.0 km
- Restaurant 280.0 km