Bamurra Plains
Top End
Reopening - 1st March 2021
Why we love it
BAMURRU PLAINS IS A WILD BUSH LUXURY EXPERIENCE
Inspired by the luxury camps of Africa, this 10 room exclusive lodge offers a prolific wildlife experience with exclusive access to a spectacular 300km2 property. Located on the coastal floodplains of the Mary River close to Kakadu National Park, Bamurru’s emphasis is on exposing you to one of the most significant ecosystems in Australia. The very design of the ten safari bungalows allows you to watch the parade of wildlife emerge to feed on the floodplain from the comfort of your bed! The alarm clock in the morning is the call of Magpie Geese and Whistling Kites and the orange light of dawn spreading across the floodplain. The décor reflects the region's earlier indigenous, hunting and pastoral history, with buffalo horns, explorer's maps, Aboriginal art work and fish traps providing guests with a sense of the human heritage of the area.
Food
Early starts in the mornings to observe the wildlife, the team offer a light breakfast to start the day. A selection of cereals, fruit, juices and freshly baked bread.
The first major meal is lunch served at approx. 12:30pm. Snacks and drinks are provided when out on activities.
A three course dinner (first course is often canapés on the front deck) is served at approximately 7:30 every evening and dinner is hosted by the camp manager or one of the guides. Meals are shared with other guests around the dining room table. Food is based on contemporary Australian cuisine with a hint of native produce. A select open bar (wines, beers and soft drinks) is included in the tariff and this is generally accessed on a self-service basis. There will be a range of premium wines and spirits available for purchase.
Destination
Bamurru Plains is located on Swim Creek Station, a 303 sq km coastal buffalo pastoral property near Point Stuart in the Mary River Region.
The property encompasses a variety of habitat including vast river frontage, coastal floodplains, savannah woodland, and paperbark swamps. The station is 10 km from Kakadu National Park’s western boundary (100kms from Jabiru in Kakadu) and just over 100 km east of Darwin.
Experiences
Bamurru has over 300 square kilometres of private concession to be explored by just a few lucky guests. So large is the property that there are four distinct habitats – floodplains and wetlands full of magpie geese and big crocs; stunning melaleuca forests, savannah woodlands where you might bump into brumbies, buffalo, dingos and wallabies; and finally a riverine environment where the silver flashes of fish or sunbathing crocs will catch your eye as you cruise slowly by.
The expert field guides are the key to unlocking Bamurru’s wild secrets when you explore the property via airboat, open top safari drive, walks, quad bikes and more. Many of the activities below are inclusive in the Ultimate Wilderness Experience Package.
Accommodation
The style of accommodation more akin to some of the safari camps in Africa. As with the African camps Bamurra Plains believe that a stylish wilderness experience does not need to be 5 star in the traditional sense; however there are key elements that are crucial to an exclusive stay in the bush: a supremely comfortable bed and quality linen (100% cotton, a choice of 3 pillows), great bathrooms, good food & wine and excellent guiding. Bamurru does not purport to be a 5 star room in the bush but the style of experience is utterly exclusive, rustically chic and totally in tune with the surrounding country.
The camp has ten safari bungalows built amongst the pandanus vegetation on the edge of the wetlands. Each of them has been built with privacy uppermost in mind and to take advantage of the spectacular views across the wetlands. Each bedroom has views towards the floodplains. Rooms are available in twin and king double configurations and extra bedding is available in the form of a deluxe swag suitable for children only.
Getting there
By air - Charter flights to Bamurru Plains leave from the General Aviation area of Darwin Airport. This is approx. 600m from the domestic and international terminals. Included in your charter flight is a road transfer from Darwin Domestic Airport.
By road - Bamurru Plains is a 3 hour drive from Darwin (the first hour and three quarters is on sealed tarmac road, the last hour and a quarter are on unsealed public and station roads). The drive from Jabiru in Kakadu National Park will take 21⁄2 hours, again part unsealed roads. Please note that if you are self-driving to the property you are required to wait for one of the staff at the main entrance to the property.
A staff member will escort your vehicle on to the property where it will remain parked at a suitable location and you will then transfer into a Bamurru Plains 4WD for the remainder of the journey into camp. There is no public vehicle access through to the lodge of Bamurru Plains. Self driving guest should arrive to the main gate for 2pm.
