Luxury Northern Australia Safari

It's a Ringer's life in the Outback so be immersed in cattle station activities.

There’s never a boring moment on a Station, and there’s plenty of opportunities to get involved and dusty with the team as they care for the cattle.

Get out in the paddocks in four-wheel drives, all-terrain vehicles. Activities include bore checks, lick runs and cattle yard work. There’s poddy calves to be fed and muster training to do. Or take a farm tour to learn about everything that happens on site.

There are usually two major musters during the dry months of April to September, and guests are welcome to watch if lucky enough to time their visit with a muster.

Let the world drift past on the namesake Bullo River.

The Bullo River Gorge is a stunning location that can only be taken in from a boat. The river banks are lined with mangroves, fig trees and pandanus, while the red cliffs tower over the water.

There is at least one resident crocodile but regularly seek smaller freshies sunning themselves on the riverbank.

The six-seater electric motor boat takes you on a relaxed pace to the gorge, and fishing rods are on board to try catch a barramundi on the way.

The landscape takes on a new perspective when viewed from the back of a horse.

Pack a pair of boots to experience Bullo River Station from the back of Australia’s legendary stock horse. Or experience the serenity of the outback and wildlife with a horse ride along bush tracks, billabongs and rivers.

There are stock horses available for guests to ride subject to riding ability with expert assistance and guidance of one of the team members.

The talent of the Miriuwung-Gajerrong ancestors is captured with art sites across the Station’s vast landscape.

Numerous Aboriginal rock art sites have been found hidden in the Station’s rugged red cliffs and ridge lines. The Miriuwung-Gajerrong people lived on and managed the land before white people came, and there is still much to learn about the cultural significance of these vivid depictions.

The galleries are only accessible by guided tour in an all-terrain vehicle or helicopter.

Witness Bullo River Station’s half a million acres of breathtaking pristine landscape by helicopter.

See the convergence of the Victoria and Bullo rivers, fly along winding gorges and land near private waterfalls to enjoy a gourmet picnic. Explore swimming holes high up on the escarpment, far away from crocodiles and visit Aboriginal rock art sites that very few people have.

See vast grass plains speckled with herds of cattle and wild buffalo. Land near remote waterholes and watch the cattle, buffalo and wildlife congregate.

Bullo’s helicopter expeditions are tailor-made to guest's interests. Specialised heli-fishing tours are also available.

Bound by the Victoria and Bullo rivers, with abundant waterholes, billabongs and seasonal creeks, Bullo River Station is teeming with wildlife.

Birds, wallabies, crocodiles, goannas and other reptiles are native to the Station. The cool mornings and evenings are the best time to see the wildlife as they congregate on the water’s edge.

The Station is a bird watchers paradise with around 180 resident and migratory bird species spotted on the property. Emus, magpie geese, whistling ducks, wedge-tailed eagles, red wing parrots, brolgas and the elegantly long-legged jabiru to name a few.

One of the world’s two known populations of the pygmy crocodile is found on the Bullo River. This elusive reptile is a rare but delightful sight.

Bamurru’s signature experience is a thrilling ride across the floodplains by airboat. This wildlife-packed journey takes you from wide open grasslands to a lagoon surrounded by peeling paper bark trees. Feel the rush as you skim the surface at speed then float in silence listening to the sound of nothing but the bush.

The floodplain wetlands of the Mary River catchment are the key natural feature of this area and some of the most important in the country, home to thousands of Magpie Geese, Plumed Whistling-Duck, Egrets, Ibis and a host of other birds. These beautiful birds will take flight as you zip across the floodplains on your airboat, flocks sometimes thousands of birds strong!

Our guides will provide you with a hands on demonstration of the many uses of the flora from the wetlands whilst floating amongst a forest of melaleuca trees or looking out for crocodiles slowly swimming amongst the grasses of the floodplain. A morning trip out on the floodplains in an airboat is utterly exhilarating and the only way to truly experience this environment.

The Mary River catchment is home to some 236 species of bird, many of which are found at Bamurru Plains. The significance of this particular property comes in the variety of habitat: black soil floodplains, paperbark swamps, savannah woodland, river mangroves and coastal beaches support an extraordinary diversity of birdlife. Even in the dry season the floodplains on the property still retain large areas of water where the birdlife congregate in extroadinary numbers rarely seen elsewhere in Australia.

The birding spectacle on the Swim Creek floodplain and surrounding Mary River region is second to none in the Top End due to both the extraordinary volume and variety of birdlife and Bamurru’s 300km2 allows birding groups a private and exclusive experience. At particular times of the year, the floodplain will host hundreds of thousands of Magpie Geese and species that are associated with the life cycle of the geese, particularly raptors.

The richness of the floodplain also supports dense populations of other waterbirds, with thousands of egrets, whistling ducks, jacanas, crakes and strong populations of jabiru, brolgas and raptors. The surrounding paperbark swamps and savannah woodland provide a huge diversity of species for keen birders.

The Sampan Creek, which is part of the Mary River System, forms the western boundary of the station. During the dry season (May-October) the crocodiles will regulate their body temperatures by basking on the banks in the sunlight. During these months, the numbers of crocs sunning themselves will give you an idea of the size of the population.

It’s not just the crocodiles, many bird species call this mangrove lined environment home. Relax in the shade provided on our canopy covered cruise as you meander along this creek system, learning about these animals from our skilled guides and enjoying sunset canape’s as the light begins to fade.

One of the best ways to see the variety of wildlife that teems here is on an open-top game drive, more akin to an African safari across the savannah.

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 out with one of our guides will provide a unique insight to this fragile yet very important environment.

Our 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, buffalo’s and some of the 236 bird species on the property.

Our guides will describe the Aboriginal uses for some of the local flora and fauna while you enjoy a cool drink and bite to eat.

A guided walking safari at Bamurru is the perfect antidote to a busy life. You’re compelled to slow down and absorb the sights and sounds of the bush, understanding how every element has its place. At this pace, nature has a way of showing you what’s important.

Look for ant trails that criss cross the ground at your feet, or the birds calling up in the tree tops before settling in for morning tea amongst the beauty which is Bamurru.

Head out with our guides away from the main lodge on a short drive before continuing on foot learning the Indigenous uses for the various plants and animals on Bamurru or learning how to track different wildlife through the forest.

Walking safaris are individually tailored to your interests and tend to be run in the latter part of the dry season.

Raised 6 metres above the ground in the tree canopy, the 24m2 screened platform allows a unique perspective on this fragile environment. The Hide is the ultimate eyrie from which birdlife and other wildlife can be observed undisturbed in their natural habitat.You will have a 360º view overlooking the Mary River floodplain, canopy and background woodland.

Perfect for photographic or ornithological groups as well as individuals, adjustable flaps allows cameras and binoculars to be focussed on the surrounding wildlife, birdlife and floodplains and there’s a Nikon Prostaff fieldscope has been fitted for maximum visibility.

Criss-crossing between floodplain savannah, monsoonal forests and dry, open areas dotted with termite mounds alongside buffalo and brumbies, explore Bamurru from the wheel of your own quad bike.

This leisurely safari will take you to areas inaccessible by our regular 4WD vehicles, while our knowledgeable field guides lead you to some of our favourite secret spots.

While technically not a real activity, some of our guests prefer to do absolutely nothing. The best bit is that the wildlife will come to you. Watch hundreds of birds take flight from around the infinity-edge pool, see buffalo roam and Agile wallabies hop past your bungalow as you wake to sounds of thousands of Magpie Geese. If all you want to do is switch off, chill out and get away from the hustle and bustle of life then Bamurru is one of the best places in the world to do it.

Just a short hop by light aircraft across the river systems that separate Bamurru Plains from Kakadu brings you to the heart of this country. Rock art galleries reveal stories of Aboriginal people and their ancient culture. Textures of colours, vistas across savannah woodlands and floodplains provide a sense of the spirituality of this ancient landscape.

From rock overhangs and caves at Ubirr Rock (think classic scenes from Crocodile Dundee) to the meandering waters of the East Alligator River that drains from the stone country of Arnhem Land and marks the boundary between Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land, this day will expose the senses to country that is rich in Aboriginal culture, flora and fauna.

Travelling with Wild Bush Luxury’s field guides in our custom built vehicle, your day will include a scenic flight into Kakadu, a bush picnic lunch and the chance to spend time with an Aboriginal guide on the waters of the East Alligator River before returning overland, with a stop at the Bowali Visitor Centre, returning in time for sundowner drinks, canapes and the comfort of the safari lodge as the sun sets over Bamurru Plains.

Included on a shared basis on the Ultimate Kakadu Experience package, also available to be booked at $750 per person subject to availability on Tuesdays and Fridays.