Call an Australian luxury travel designer at The Tailor on: +61 (0)8 8354 4405
Remove, vast, and beautiful – the Australian Outback occupies a profound space in the heart of the Australian identity and has captured the imagination of travellers from across the globe. Home to adventure, insight, and truly one-of-a-kind experiences alongside a distinct range of immersive accommodation, the Outback is something that any guest should experience if they truly want to discover Australia.
These outstanding Outback lodges are not only selected for their exceptional accommodation and dining offerings for just a few select guests, but are favourites of The Tailor team due to their focus on environmental conservation, and commitment to expert hosting and guiding to deliver a true five-star experience. The Australian Outback is stunningly diverse, and these lodges are no different – each offers profound differences in climate, landscape, and insight into their own unique pocket of this vast country.
Experience the Outback through the eyes of those who know it best and develop a deeper understanding of the country with our selection of the Top 5 Outback Lodges in Australia.
At a Glance: Former sheep station turned private wildlife conservancy in South Australia’s ancient Flinders Ranges.
Nestled within the ancient Flinders Ranges, Arkaba Conservancy is a former sheep station turned private wildlife conservancy with a commitment to providing classic Australian outback hospitality. Spread across 60,000 acres of landscape housing mobs of kangaroos, emus, and birdlife, the heart of this conservancy is the original 1850s farmhouse, housing generous communal areas and five unique guestrooms. The homestead is also the basecamp to one of Australia’s best-known guided bushwalks, the Arkaba Walk.
This rugged destination offers a five-star experience led by specialist guides. Forgoing distractions of modern hotels such as WiFi and televisions, a stay at Arkaba invites you to experience communal hosted dinners, share stories of the bush with expert field guides and just a few fellow guests, and get immersed into the splendour of one of Australia’s most ancient living landscapes and home to some of the world’s oldest signs of life. Specialised touring options invite you to learn about rich Adnyamathanha culture, observe birdlife and wildlife in custom-built hides, embark on a 4WD safari into the mountain ranges and Callitris pine forests, and more.
At a Glance: Iconic working cattle station spread across over 400,000 acres of the Northern Territory’s Top End.
Perched at the intersection of the Victoria and Bullo Rivers in the Northern Territory, Bullo River Station is a remote working cattle station in the rugged Top End, found near the Western Australian border. Spread across an expansive 400,000 acres and located some 800 kilometres from Darwin, this high-end outback experience invites you to discover quintessential Aussie bushcraft and classic country hospitality on an all-inclusive adventure experience. Your stay at the Bullo homestead invites you into a laidback and communal lifestyle, with shared dining and treats to enjoy at leisure before retiring to just one of twelve private, ensuited guest rooms after days of adventuring.
Guests will quickly get mustered into vibrant working station life with the adventurous outdoor activities on offer. Venture into Bullo’s sprawling landscapes via foot and 4WD, or helicopter at extra cost, and discover the secrets of the diverse environments housing buffalo, barramundi and saltwater crocodiles, tidal river systems, towering waterfalls and escarpment, and an amphitheatre of ancient Aboriginal rock art. On-site, join the staff as they manage the thousands of Brahman-cross cattle and participate in cattle station activities including bore checks, licks runs, cattle yard work, farm tours and more to develop a hands-on understanding of life on the land.
At a Glance: Family-friendly luxury lodge set within sweeping outback Queensland, 150 kilometres north-west of Cairns.
Found within the vast expanses of the Queensland Outback and nestled in the shadow of its namesake is Mount Mulligan, an outstanding luxury lodge of Australia. Set upon an 69,000-acre working cattle station amongst picturesque Australian landscapes alongside a eucalyptus-fringed weir, Mount Mulligan offers guests of all ages to explore the bush with a broad range of outdoor adventures and eco-luxury amenities. This luxury lodge effortlessly compliments the Outback surrounds it’s found within, with each spacious guest retreat made of sturdy gum timber, and the main pavilion providing the perfect place to unwind with its generous infinity pool, sunset bar, and a dining area serving rustic yet refined meals.
Mount Mulligan provides a broad selection of gear to explore the great outdoors that surrounds the lodge, including paddleboards, kayaks, sky-gazing telescopes, fishing gear and ATVs. Hosted adventures further afield invite you to discover a rich legacy of both local Kuku Djungan history spreading over 37,000 years, as well as the historic colonial gold and coal rush in the 1800s detailing the stories and tragedies of the old Mount Mulligan township, cemetery, and nearby Tyrconnell Gold Mine.
At a Glance: Experiential outdoor lodge and working cattle station built upon the floodplains of the Top End, easily accessible from Darwin.
The latest lodge offering in Australia, Finniss River Lodge opened in April 2022 and has quickly established itself as a fabulous and immersive lodge experience alongside dramatic coastal floodplain surrounds, only 90 minutes’ drive from Darwin. Catering to twelve guests across six luxury suites, guests of Finniss will discover the Top End’s most unique ecosystems through a range of personalised activities, alongside discovering authentic day-to-day life on a working cattle station owned by third-generation pastoralists. Flexible room configurations make this destination perfect for families and whole-site bookings, with the on-site restaurant and bar serving up delicious locally inspired meals, and the expansive deck with a plunge pool offering spectacular views of breathtaking sunsets.
Finniss combines an authentic cattle-station and a five-star lodge experience by offering interpretative expeditions into the dynamic, contrasting and spectacular landscapes of the Top End. Each activity is led and hosted throughout by specialist-trained, highly knowledgeable guides who breathe passion for the region. Fishing charters, exhilarating airboat touring, sundowner drinks, cattle station activities, and personalised charter options are all on offer, as well as excursions slightly further afield to the ancient and stunning Litchfield National Park.
At a Glance: Castaway eco-retreat built upon the remote shore of the northern Kimberley in Western Australia.
There are few places more castaway than Kimberley Coastal Camp – a remote eco-lodge so remote that it’s only accessible via helicopter or light aircraft. Located on the remote shores of the Admiralty Gulf in far-north Kimberley of Western Australia, this luxe outdoor retreat guarantees a secluded and intimate experience for you, your specialised hosts, and a maximum of sixteen guests at any given time. Stay in unique and relaxed beach front accommodation with private ensuites within landscapes of red sandstone, native grasses and sweeping ocean, relax in the communal ‘Shed’, and explore the surrounds by foot and boat, or by helicopter at additional cost.
Within this beautiful and fragile environment, the seas ripples with marine life perfect for barramundi fishing, mud crabbing and oyster gathering, while the bushland teems with native animals to keep your eyes peeled for, including endangered quolls, olive pythons, wild dingoes and sea eagles. Interpretative guiding by your hosts can lead you to ancient and marvellous Wandjina rock art, some of the oldest Aboriginal rock art in the world, or at additional cost you can helicopter over the famous Mitchell Plateau and vast landscapes lined with creeks and gorges. On-site, you might simply relax on the beach with a glass of wine after enjoying unpretentious and delicious chef-prepared meals – when you’re castaway at Kimberley Coastal Camp, there’s no worries.
Explore our hand-picked range of luxury and experiential Outback experiences that capture the heart of Australia, and contact our Travel Designers to organise a memorable trip today.
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Call an Australian luxury travel designer at The Tailor on: +61 (0)8 8354 4405
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