Destination 1:
Nitmiluk National Park
Begin your journey at the very top of Australia by flying into Darwin—a multicultural hub, tropical haven and capital harbour city on the northern edge of Australia.
Relax with a brief stopover in this gateway city before traveling south on outback roads past watering holes and small townships until you arrive in Nitmiluk National Park—the place of cicada dreaming. You’ll be welcomed into remarkable landscapes with the deep gorges of sandstone country and lush gullies on the traditional lands of the Jawoyn people, the Traditional Custodians of the land who live and share their culture with visitors to country.
Your stay at Cicada Lodge is the finest way to be welcomed to Jawoyn country. Owned and operated by locals who also serve as your experienced guides, this luxury lodge is interwoven with its surrounding landscape. The design, location, and cuisine of this lodge are all influenced by the ancient landscapes and the region’s ongoing cultural tapestry, while also promoting and supporting local artists.
During your stay, discover the cultural and natural landscapes of Nitmiluk National Park with your local, eco-certified guides. You’ll be welcomed into authentic terrain as your guides lead you to ancient rock art sites, invite you to learn traditional crafts and skills carried through generation after generation, accompany you on a cruise down Nitmiluk Gorge, and beckon you to waterholes only accessible via helicopter.
This destination offers a plush rest in rugged and magnificent National Park before you embark on the trip to Bullo River Station, where the expanses of the Top End and the East Kimberley of Western Australia meet.
Destination 1: Nitmiluk National Park has accommodation for one night at Cicada Lodge.
Destination 2:
Top End
Getting to Bullo River Station is an adventure in itself. Either taking the rugged journey overland or flying via light aircraft, there is over 500,00 acres of privately-owned station country to explore within the station’s wide-reaching expanses. Encircled by the coffee-coloured waters of the Victoria River and cragged gorges, your stay at the Bullo River homestead offers a distinct take on outback luxury.
Upon arrival to the operational cattle station, you’ll be welcomed by the team, harkening back to earlier days of outback hospitality. Offering authentic country life with exquisite touches throughout, Bullo invites you to experience cattle-station life, with plenty of luxury to be found amongst the day-to-day work.
There’s plenty to do across half-a-million acres, including discovering ancient Aboriginal rock art, traversing the terrain via 4WD, horseback, or foot, and much more. The station is alive with activity, and you’re welcome to try as much or as little as you please. Amongst the dust, sweat, and exhilaration of station life, you might find yourself feeding poddy calves and assisting with other station activities, basking by billabongs while enjoying leisurely lunches, exploring the outdoors to spot myriad wildlife, or discovering plenty of other activities to enjoy alongside the crew who manage the 4,000 strong Brahman-cross herd.
Four adventurous days donning your Akubra will leave you satisfied, with leisurely evenings enjoying a drink in hand to round off each action-packed day. Now, trade dust and the sweat of hard work for a new landscape—the sunny embrace of Tropical North Queensland.
Destination 2: Top End has accommodation for four nights at Bullo River Station.
Destination 3:
Tropical North Queensland
The contrast between outback and the tropics is striking—previous palates of warm ochre and coffee-brown will be replaced by the rich emerald greens of lush Gondwanan rainforests and turquoise blue seas. Tropical North Queensland offers several Australian icons to witness, and you’ll discover exactly why these icons are so revered. Touch down into Cairns to begin your adventures both on the mainland and offshore along the Great Barrier Reef and in the Daintree Rainforest.
The mysteries of Tropical North Queensland are best unveiled through a locals’ knowledge, who can effortlessly decipher and interpret the life that clusters along the shoreline and on rainforest floors. Your time here will be spent with lifelong locals and esteemed tourism operators who offer knowledge and character in equal measures, whether they’re showing you through the rainforest, or hosting you on their own private island off the most northern coast of the Reef.
Immerse yourself into your hosts’ backyards and playgrounds. Tread the ancestral lands of the Kuku Yalanji people as you traverse the Bloomsfield Track, and taste local treats that celebrate the land’s natural bounty. Toss a line or wade into the ocean to hunt for dinner, whether mud-crabbing amongst the tidal flats, or blue water fishing for Red Emperor and Bluefin Tuna off the white sands of your private island.
Your next destination is a long way south from here, so be sure to soak in the syrupy tropical ambience. Soon, you’ll make your way to the opposite end of the country and trade one spectacular coastline for another when you head south to Victoria.
Destination 3: Tropical North Queensland has accommodation for four nights at North West Safari’s private camp and Haggerstone Island.
Destination 4:
Victoria
The next stop of your journey brings you to Melbourne, Australia’s beloved cultural hub of art, history, culture, and spectacular coffee. After an overnight stop in the chic capital, you’ll head west to discover the state’s distinct regional offerings.
Tucked along the south coast of the country, the Great Ocean Road is one of the world’s great coastal drives. With several interesting campsites and accommodation choices along the way, this drive combines the best of regional exploration within a sensible distance from Melbourne city with plenty of attractions off-road in the lesser-known areas. Especially when explored in intimate groups, this coastal drive is one to be savoured.
Teaming up with passionate local riders, saddle up for a Harley Davidson experience to remember. With leisurely riding to soak up all the details and the exhilarating thrill of the open road, this is an unforgettable way to experience the Great Ocean Road. With the wind in your hair, you’ll travel both on and off-road to discover the beautiful coastal scenery, charming townships, wildlife hiding in eucalypt hinterland, the semi-temperate rainforest of the Great Otway National Park, the dramatic limestone monoliths of the Twelve Apostles puncturing the sky, and more. Be sure to bring it all together with a helicopter flight to see all of these icons and more from above.
Your journey continues even after you dismount from your bikes. Settle back into the open road and travel through National Park and wilderness areas by 4WD as you take the winding overland path north and cross the border into South Australia. Travel until you find where the state borders graze against one another in your next destination, the Riverland.
Destination 4: Great Ocean Road has accommodation for two nights at campsites along the Great Ocean Road.
Destination 5:
The Riverland
The scenic Riverland region of South Australia combines the lush greenery of the Southern Coast with rugged outback views of cragged gorges and red ochre. Not far from where state borders meet with New South Wales and Victoria, you’ll find your next destination tucked within a nook of the mighty Murray River: the luxury romantic retreat, The Frames.
Each of The Frames’ three intimate luxury retreats are fully hosted by local proprietors, Cathy and Rick. Husband and wife duo and lifelong Riverland locals, they’re the perfect people to welcome you into South Australia to discover its local charm.
The orchard-lined regional town of Paringa offers a unique landscape to get immersed within, with the Riverland acknowledged as a premier natural and agricultural spot in a state known for food and wine. Slow down and embrace the pace of life along the river with gondola rides along the mighty Murray, nature walks through surrounding National Park, and discovering the hospitality of the local producers and artisans cultivating premium wines, spirits, preserves, and fruits. Food is an integral part of the local culture, and you won’t be left hungry—your stay at The Frames includes a private on-site chef to deliver gourmet meals made from local produce each evening.
Two decadent nights along the water will envelop you into the countryside’s languid pace. Upon departure, settle in for a long drive north as Riverland landscapes transition into mallee scrub and sprawl, then elevate, growing ancient and vast in equal measures as you approach the Flinders Ranges.
Destination 5: The Riverland has accommodation for two nights at The Frames.
Destination 6:
Ikara-Flinders Ranges
The landscapes of outback South Australia will elevate as you head further north until you arrive at the precipice of the Southern Flinders Ranges. Marvel at this enormous, ancient wonder as it grows into the sky in spectacular ranges until you arrive at Arkaba, nestled within the middle of private-owned conservation park and surrounded by the vast expanses of ancient history.
Your home for the next few nights offers a blend of conservation and luxury tourism in Arkaba’s station homestead built in 1851. Offering just five ensuite bedrooms for its guests, each room at Arkaba offers unique touches and character that reflect the age of the homestead and the surrounding landscape.
When you’re out adventuring, you’ll team up with a long-standing and highly acclaimed guide familiar with all of Arkaba and the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park to show you through the homestead and the heart of the outback. Immense and splendid, there’s a rich and textured landscape to discover, either via 4WD or by foot for a more intimate experience. Cover immense and varied terrain by exploring nature reserves, scenic tracks, and the Arkaba homestead, developing an intimate discovery of the history and lifestyle of the region. Visit the major natural attractions, including Brachina Gorge and Nilpena Station, and hike across Wilpena Pound or through bush trails while keeping your eyes peeled for the dynamic and varied animal and birdlife.
There’s much to explore in South Australia’s wild and rugged backyard. After three nights in one of the country’s oldest landscapes, soar over to the vast west coast to the Eyre Peninsula.
Destination 6: Ikara-Flinders Ranges has accommodation for three nights at Arkaba Homestead.
Destination 7:
Eyre Peninsula
Your final destination on this adventurous journey is very fittingly in Australia’s Adventure Capital—Port Lincoln. Perched upon the coast of the Great Australian Bight, your stay begins by greeting your local hosts from Australian Coastal Safaris, who’ll lead you head-first into your Eyre Peninsula expedition with warm and inviting enthusiasm.
You’ll be hosted by local character, action aficionado and lifelong Eyre Peninsula resident David ‘Lunch’ Doudle and his entourage of passionate Australian Coastal Safaris team members, all who offer their own character, charm, and skillset to deliver an authentically Port Lincoln experience. Emphasising guest/guide collaboration and community involvement, you’ll enjoy the Eyre Peninsula’s immerse diversity with a mixture of outdoor activities, teamed with modern and comfortable accommodation to rest in each evening along the marina.
Known as Australia’s seafood frontier, the Eyre Peninsula is best known for its quality seafood and aquatic adventures along the south, and sprawling outback landscapes to the north. Join a private fishing charter to try your luck catching exciting big game fish of Australian salmon, Southern bluefin tuna, giant trevally and more, and be sure to enjoy the bounty with tasting platters and visits to the region’s esteemed oyster farms to sample world-class oysters fresh from the water.
Nature-lovers can get up close and personal to iconic wildlife while venturing through National Parks via mountain bike or 4WD. Get eye-level with koalas, kangaroos, and emus at Mikkira Station, swim with Australian sea lions and cage-dive with intimidating and remarkable Great White Sharks, or even get involved with conservation efforts by helping track goannas, echidnas, koalas, and tagging rare birds. There will be something to satisfy your adventurer’s spirit along the coast.
To finish off your rugged safari, enjoy an evening in with seafood masterclass hosted by a local chef, sourced from local anglers with produce so fresh that the delicate kiss of brine still lingers. When the morning sun comes over the Great Australian Bight in the morning, your journey comes to a close—inviting you to continue onto your next adventure.
Destination 7: Eyre Peninsula has accommodation for three nights with Australian Coastal Safaris.
