Go north

The borders are opening, so here are our top places for a luxurious sojourn in the Northern Territory.

13 October 2020

The Northern Territory is on everyone’s bucket list. And there’s never been a better time to act on those long-held dreams. Expansive skies, a wildness like no other and an undeniable spiritual connection to the land that surprises even the most cynical among us await.

Longitude 131, Uluru

Longitude 131 is the only address when visiting Uluru. Choose from one of 16 tented pavilions each with direct views across the desert to Kata Tjuta and Uluru. Discover vibrant Aboriginal artworks alongside relics from the region’s explorers, a bar and restaurant offering contemporary Australian dining and friendly staff ready to share a yarn.

Not to be missed is the Field of Light, which has been extended indefinitely. Guests can wander at leisure along pathways through this light installation that creates an outback fairyland. There are around 50,000 individual stems holding up frosted glass bulbs that bloom under the inky night blanket. Other activities include hiking through the Valley of the Winds, camel tours through red dunes and a private feast under a starlit sky.

Bamurru Plains Image Courtesy Bamurru Plains/Peter Eve

Uluru view Image courtesy Crooked Compass/TravMedia

Longitude 131 Image Courtesy George Apostolidis/Longitude 131

Wildman Wilderness Lodge, Kakadu

Set on the edge of Kakadu National Park, Wildman Wilderness Lodge offers two distinct styles of accommodation as well as cultural and nature-based tours. Choose between a spacious safari tent or an air-conditioned Habitat which is a freestanding structure with a king bed and ensuite. The tents have fans and ensuites with five configured for families up to four.

Experiences include the Home Billabong sunset cruise – where crocodiles can be spotted slowly sliding through the waterway or the four-wheel-drive wetland safari tour.

Wilderman Wilderness Lodge is closed for 2020 season and will reopen for 2021.

Bamurru Plains, Kakadu

Spot sunbathing crocs, up to 236 bird species, brumbies, dingoes and wallabies at this wilderness safari lodge just to the west of Kakadu National Park on the Mary River floodplains. Nine safari bungalow tents and one suite are nestled in this wilderness safari camp without TV, mobile or wifi.

Landscapes consist of melaleuca forests and savannah woodlands. Access is via a 30-minute charter flight or a three-hour drive from Darwin. Reopens in 2021 from March to October.

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