PACIFIC ISLANDS TAHITI – NIUE - SAMOA - NORFOLK ISLAND AUSTRALIA NORTHERN TERRITORY – QUEENSLAND ISLANDS – GOLD COAST U.S.A. SAN FRANCISCO ASIA INDONESIA NEW ZEALAND WANAKA – BAY OF PLENTY 9 771176 461001 CRUISING|LIFESTYLE|CORPORATE|LEISURE LEISURE | CORPORATE | LIFESTYLE | CRUISING 2022SPRING-73ISSUE NZ$15 / AU$15 ISSUE 73 - SPRING 2022WWW.LETSTRAVELMAG.COM
As the air cools, Wurrkeng embraces the now dry landscape as wisps of Majestic Uluru
For travellers to the Top End, the conventional wisdom is to visit during ‘The Dry’ when conditions are relatively comfortable and outdoor pursuits are uninterrupted by the all-toopredictable downpours of ‘The Wet’ and the stifling humidity that occurs in the early months of the year. Yet for the indigenous Bininj/Mungguy inhabitants, infinitely attuned to the delicate variations of the weather, six seasons are recognised, taking into account experience gained not by advanced meteorological forecasts, but by thousands of years of living in this capricious realm.
In Australia’s Top End, the great Rainbow Serpent holds the power of creation and re-creation over the land and the animals using water to form and mould the land, creating vivid rock formations and providing the basis for life and nourishment. British colonists arrived at Palmerston in what is now known as the Northern Territory in 1869, carving out a small settlement in the harsh landscape and quickly coming under the age-old authority of the merciless weather. With little understanding of the subtlety of the seasons, they simply declared the two dominant patterns ‘wet’ and ‘dry’.
The Kakadu Air twin-engined Cessna swoops low over the ancient precipices of Kakadu and Nourlangie Rock giving us a spectacular view of the primordial plains and wetlands below. These rocks are almost as old as time itself and hold immense cultural significance for the Gun-djeihmi people who have lived here for millennia.
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By Roderick Eime
The Northern Territory is unique in Australia’s travel landscape with the Top End offering everything from ancient landscapes to adrenaline thrills.
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Kudjewk is the monsoon season of unrelenting rains that gives way to stormy Bangkerreng around April, when skies begin to clear and plants start to fruit. When the lingering humidity disperses, Yekke arrives, drying the plains and grasses into June.
When you climb the prehistoric sandstone of Kakadu to the lookout at Ubirr and survey the expanse of primordial swamp stretching out to the horizon, you quickly understand the significance of water in this dynamic environment. It is the precious liquid
Crocodile At Yellow Waters Self-Driving Through Kakadu National Park Giant
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Yellow Water Boat Cruise Turtle Rock Art At Ubirr Bamurru Plains
A visitor needs to be adaptable, to be guided by the changing conditions and by knowledgeable locals. While the rewards for exploring this flowing, growing land at the height of the mid-year, southern summer are great. The Dry sees the Top End wearing her good manners, but the Wet has the Territory in the full force of passion. Within Kakadu, and an easy couple of minutes by road from our accommodation at Cooinda Lodge, the famous Yellow Waters dawn or dusk cruise is truly a trip back to the dawn of time and is the Territory’s real-life equivalent of Jurassic Park.
Have your camera ready as massive crocodiles cruise past eyeing you ominously, raptors wheel overhead, long-legged storks and brolgas wade in the swampy marshes while gregarious magpie geese honk loudly at the slightest disturbance. All this is a pattern of behaviour repeated over millions of years and portrayed in the many Aboriginal rock art sites throughout the park at locations like Ubirr and Nourlangie. From the complexity of Kakadu, we travel west to the simplicity of Litchfield National Park, a popular and accessible location for both locals and visitors. Less than two hours by road, Litchfield is nature’s waterpark with effortless and safe swimming, fishing and boating. The freshwater pools at Florence or Wangi Falls are a delight and perfect for a refreshing cool-down after a brisk hike along Walker Creek. Visitors will marvel at the ancient escarpments, carved from the rock over millennia by water pouring off the plateau. The waters of the Top End don’t just fall from the heavens, the many lush billabongs, vast tidal rivers and mangrove-lined estuaries sustain an enormous variety of life, especially fish. This perfect eco-system brings enthusiastic anglers from all corners of the globe, most with the sole objective of landing the Northern Territory’s famous trophy species, the giant barramundi (or Asian seabass). But don’t be disappointed if the big ‘barra’ eludes you because there are many other satisfying sport and reef fish like giant trevally, queenfish, Spanish mackerel, cobia, black jewfish, golden snapper, red emperor, coral trout and sailfish to console you. These can all be found at prime fishing spots from Darwin, the Tiwi Islands, Arnhem Land, Katherine, Litchfield to the Daly and Adelaide Rivers. Expert guides and charter operators are all ready to help you bring in that prize fish.
70 www.letstravelmag.com Australia, Northern Territory Australia, Northern Territory www.letstravelmag.com 71 smoke from hunters’ small brush fires can be seen. As August comes to an end, Kurrung brings dry heat and the last of the hunting is done before Kunumeleng ushers in the new rains and the cycle repeats…as it has since the dawn of time. The vast plains and sheer escarpments of the UNESCO World Heritagelisted Kakadu National Park, 200 kilometres by road from Darwin, is where the Bininj/Mungguy people have thrived for tens of thousands of years. It is perhaps the most identifiable environment of the Top End but Kakadu is not for everybody.
72 www.letstravelmag.com Australia, Northern Territory Australia, Northern Territory www.letstravelmag.com 73 that spawned life on our planet, giving rise to every living creature and the Top End is one place where a link to that very beginning is abundantly clear. Back in Darwin, we are jolted back to the present day and have time to explore the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, the home of Darwin's cultural melting pot of cuisines and the largest market running along the foreshore of Mindil Beach. Right next door to the sprawling casino complex of the same name, it’s well known for delicious food and the stunning sunset over the Timor Sea. We cap off our Top End adventure with more excitement and a blast around Darwin Harbour on JetSkis from 00Seven Adventures. We aren’t mollycoddled either, tour leader Alex sets a blistering pace and we’re tearing across the waves in no time. ‘Go hard or gone home’ seems to be the motto. And go home we must, but we take with us indelible impressions of both the ancient and the modern Territory, a place for reflection, relaxation and exhilaration. www.northernterritory.com
“All things in the landscape were left by the creation ancestors. They taught Aboriginal people how to live with the land. From then on Aboriginal people became keepers of their country.”
Facts: Getting there: Qantas flies to Darwin, Alice Springs & Uluru: www.qantas.com
Indicative flying hours: From Sydney: Darwin 4 hours 30 mins, Alice Springs 3 hours 10 mins, Uluru 3 hours 30 mins From Melbourne: Darwin 4 hours 20 mins, Alice Springs 2 hours 50 mins, Uluru 3 hours From Brisbane: Darwin 4 hours, Alice Springs 3 hours, Uluru (no direct flights) From Perth: Darwin 3 hours 30 mins, Alice Springs 2 hours 45 mins, Uluru (no direct flights)
Indicative driving times: Kakadu National Park is about three hours from Darwin. Uluru is about three-and-a-half hours from Alice Springs. Nourlangie Rock
Helicopter Sunrise Twin Falls, Kakadu National Park Rock Art At Ubirr
By Roderick Eime T
“How are ya buddy?” he calls out, and as if on cue, the menacing form of a giant saltwater crocodile breaks cover and swims stealthily toward us. Instinctively, I move away from the approaching threat while Rowdy crouches at the edge of the hull, alarmingly close to the waterline.
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I’ve ridden in and driven some pretty wild machines in my time, but this is my first experience in a high-powered airboat. Rowan ‘Rowdy’ Sutton, our skipper, is the picture of concentration, laser-focused attention on our white-knuckle passage along the Finniss River…but the excitement has only just begun.
he remote floodplains of the Northern Territory’s Top End are full of surprises!
“Have ya missed me, pal?” Rowdy says soothingly while playfully rubbing the carnivore’s snout. The reptile (aptly named ‘Bonecruncher’) appears to enjoy the attention, while our jaws droop in a mix of wonder and alarm.
Rowdy dips the throttles to idle as we creep, albeit noisily, along a wide and wooded creek just off the river's main stream. Rowdy is now peering earnestly into the dense undergrowth that lines the muddy banks. Then, the quarry spotted, he jumps down from his perch and stands at the edge of the hull gently waving his craggy, weatherbeaten Akubra.
Six litres of Chevrolet V8 muscle roars into life, propelling us along the narrow waterway, between protruding limbs of paperbark and Melaleuca trees. We skim across patches of reeds and shallow puddles as if riding a 600-horsepower magic carpet. My fellow passengers could be yelping in delight and excitement for all I know, but the industrial earmuffs muffle everything to a monotone crescendo.
“Oh, you’re not …,” I mutter under my breath and with that, the beast thrusts his ample snout over the gunnel, opening his cavernous jaw to reveal sharp, well-worn teeth and an old war wound that has a large chunk of his mandible missing.
“Instead of conceiving dishes first and sourcing ingredients second, I approach the creative and cooking process very differently, starting with what our farms and nature have at any given time. The constraints, if any, result in creativity and an honest and spirited style of cooking,” said Travis, refelecting on his time in high-end kitchens here and overseas, “Through my food I am able to tell the story of the region to create an exceptional customer experience.” www.finnissriverlodge.com.au “We’ve gotten to know each other over the years and he’s quite comfortable with us,” says Rowdy reassuringly, “Salties are a lot smarter and more cunning than we give them credit for. They recognise both individuals and behaviour, which is also why they can be Bonecruncherdangerous.”has become something of an Internet sensation, garnering massive ‘likes’, clicks and more than a little controversy thanks to wide media coverage back in 2020. Rowdy reinforces the point with a stern “do not try this at home children”, reminding us that this is a unique relationship and not one to be attempted with just any old croc. Our return journey to the plush Finniss River Lodge is almost mundane by comparison. We spot numerous waterbirds and raptors, reinforcing the fact that these significant wetlands are great for wildlife and animal spotters. Rowdy’s airboat adventure is just one of several optional activities available to fortunate guests staying at the remote upmarket lodge. Add fishing, helicopter flightseeing, indigenous interpretation and Litchfield National Park excursions and you have the full gamut of leisure and enrichment options. A stone’s throw from Darwin and steeped in the Top End’s vast coastal floodplain, the recently opened Finniss River Lodge is an exclusive escape offering just six suites and an inviting infinity pool - perfect for cooling off after a day’s energetic exploring. Finniss River Lodge was bought in 1987 by Italian-born Leo Venturin and has been running Brahman cattle for more than 30 years, exporting to Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. Wetlands, coastline, dry savannah, paperbarks and remnant rainforest make up this family-owned, 200-square-kilometre working cattle station. Diverse surroundings support flocks of magpie geese and brolgas in their thousands, native and introduced species and of course the iconic saltwater crocodile. You can even join the livestock for a beer and canape. Sure, that might sound a little unusual,
76 www.letstravelmag.com Australia, Northern Territory Australia, Northern Territory www.letstravelmag.com 77 but the cattle are super friendly and love nothing more than a scratch and a cuddle. Seriously! Okay, not sure if I was supposed to, but they don’t mind a beer either. Now back at the lodge, chef Travis Crane is cooking up a storm using locallysourced produce, foraged wild plants, meat butchered in-house and with everything prepared on an open fire.
