Discover the wild beauty of Australia’s Top End, combining Seven Spirit Bay and Mount Borradaile for exceptional wildlife, ancient Aboriginal culture and exclusive access to some of Australia’s most remote and untouched landscapes.
Journey beyond the beaten track into two of the Northern Territory’s most remote wilderness regions. From Darwin, fly to Seven Spirit Bay on the Cobourg Peninsula, before continuing to Davidson’s Arnhemland Safari Lodge at Mount Borradaile, set within an exclusively accessed 700-square-kilometre wilderness area.
Both lodges are experiences in themselves, offering intimate and unique accommodation, with meals and guided activities included. Explore by boat, 4WD and on foot, discovering wetlands, floodplains, monsoon forest, savannah woodland, and remote coastline. Wildlife highlights may include saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, agile wallabies, dingoes and flying-foxes, alongside exceptional birdlife, from brolgas and magpie geese to kingfishers, raptors, and colourful parrots.
At Seven Spirit Bay, each day offers a choice of guided adventures exploring the Cobourg Peninsula’s remote coast and wilderness. Head out on marine wildlife-spotting cruises, 4WD safaris, guided nature walks and birdwatching excursions or discover the fascinating ruins of historic Victoria Settlement. Coastal excursions offer opportunities for dolphins and marine turtles, while the surrounding Garig Gunak Barlu National Park is a protected Ramsar site, supporting an impressive variety of waterbirds, waders, raptors, and colourful tropical species.
At Mount Borradaile, wildlife encounters are complemented by remarkable Aboriginal rock-art sites and cultural landscapes, with flexible activities allowing you to discover the region according to local conditions and wildlife activity. Rainbow bee-eaters and rainbow pittas provide flashes of colour, red-tailed black-cockatoos gather overhead, and brown goshawks patrol the skies. Among the woodland and rocky country, look for iconic frill-necked lizards and brilliantly coloured Leichhardt’s grasshoppers, alongside crocodiles and an extraordinary diversity of tropical birdlife.
Read about Product Manager Chris Smith's trip to Australia's Northern Territory.
Suggested Itinerary
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Day 1:
Depart UK
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Day 2:
Arrive Darwin
On arrival at Darwin International Airport, transfer to your accommodation. The rest of the day is free to relax after the long flight.
Accommodation: Mantra on the Esplanade, 2-nights
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Day 3:
Private Full Day Tour to Fogg Dam
Explore the internationally significant wetlands of the Top End in the company of a specialist local birding guide. Travel approximately one hour from Darwin to Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, part of the Adelaide River catchment and one of the region’s most accessible and rewarding wetland environments.
Spend the day exploring its floodplains, monsoon forest and lily-covered wetlands, using a spotting scope to search for prolific birdlife. Look for colourful rainbow pittas and rose-crowned fruit-doves within the forest, while the wetlands attract comb-crested jacanas, magpie geese, brolgas, black-necked storks, kingfishers and a host of other waterbirds.
Your 8-hour excursion includes hotel pick-up and drop-off, the services of a specialist birding guide, use of a spotting scope, morning tea and lunch.
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Day 4:
Fly to Cobourg Peninsula
Enjoy a scenic flight to the remote Cobourg Peninsula. Here, you're met by lodge staff and continue by 4WD for the 20-minute journey to Seven Spirit Bay. Settle into your accommodation before gathering for sunset drinks, followed by dinner.
Accommodation: Seven Spirit Bay, 4-nights
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Days 5-7
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Explore Seven Spirit Bay
Over the next three days, enjoy the freedom to experience Seven Spirit Bay at your own pace. Each day, the lodge team will discuss the activities available, allowing you to choose those that most appeal. Activities may include wildlife cruises through Coral and Trepang Bays, guided 4WD journeys to remote locations including Gunners Quoin, Vashon Head, Rainbow Beach, and the remarkable nipa palms of Trepang Creek. You may also join guided nature walks and birdwatching excursions or discover the fascinating history of the Cobourg Peninsula on a visit to the ruins of Victoria Settlement at Port Essington.
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Day 8:
Fly to Mount Borradaile, Arnhem Land
Transfer to the airport to check in for the 1-hour charter flight to Mount Borradaile. On arrival check in to your accommodation and consult the staff to map out your stay.
Accommodation: Davidson’s Arnhemland Safari Lodge, 4-nights
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Days 9-12
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Explore Arnhem Land
Three full days are dedicated to exploring Arnhem Land, and all activities at the lodge are included. Here there are no rigid itineraries or fixed schedules; everything happens spontaneously – exactly as it's meant to. You can cruise on the billabong to watch the sun set over the floodplain with a glass of wine in your hand, and see Mount Borradaile light up with magnificent colours, or explore the wetlands to see the many estuarine and freshwater crocodiles that inhabit the watercourses. Early morning – as always – is a great time to watch the area’s rich birdlife.
You can take a trip into the sandstone escarpments that were formed many millions of years ago, and see galleries of aboriginal rock art that demonstrate the techniques used, and how styles changed over millennia of occupation and storytelling, with stories from more recent times telling of contact with other cultures.
The rainforest houses a completely different ecosystem with a distinctive array of plants and animals, and a walk across the savannah with a local guide reveals an unexpected variety of bush tucker and medicinal plants. You can take a 4-wheel-drive excursion into the savannah landscapes, woodlands and rainforests, discover some of the region’s rare and unique species – such as the fabulous Leichhardt's grasshopper, or try your hand at fishing for barramundi in pristine Cooper Creek. There’s certainly no shortage of things to do!
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Day 13:
Travel back to Darwin
Today, take a private charter flight back to Darwin for an overnight stay.
Accommodation: Mantra on Esplanade, 1-night
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Day 14:
Depart Darwin
The day's free until you transfer to Darwin airport in time to check in for your international flight back to the UK.
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Day 15:
Arrive UK
