4 wild and remote experiences to reconnect with nature

Wild Bush Luxury has a mission to reconnect its guests with immersive nature-based experiences.

In this busy modern world, for many of us, our default gear is full throttle. And often, once we finally slow down or take a break, our body crashes. It’s called the letdown effect. Walking, spending time in the sunshine and observing nature are ways to avoid stress and to avoid the crash and burn. Fill your prescription with Wild Bush Luxury, a collection of immersive nature-based walking experiences and stays in secluded locations, from the Top End to Tasmania.

The mission is to reconnect guests with nature, leaving behind ever-growing distractions – screens, deadlines and packed-out calendars – to slow down, appreciate the natural world, strengthen human connection and rewild the spirit.

1. Arkaba 

This former sheep station was purchased by Wild Bush Luxury in 2009 as a barren land devoid of wildlife and native plants. Today, the sprawling 24,000-hectare Arkaba – located south of Wilpena Pound in South Australia’s Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park – is a wildlife conservancy that’s smattered in native grasses and trees and home to kangaroos, lizards and birdlife. At least two per cent of guest rates go back into conservation efforts, including survey work and wildlife monitoring, and guests have the chance to participate in these activities through special interest tours.

Spot a roo in Arkaba.

The property is home to Arkaba Homestead, a historic five-bedroom home built in the 1850s, which has been tastefully restored while retaining Australian character.

Bed down at Arkaba Homestead.

Part of the Luxury Lodges of Australia, the homestead has a shaded wraparound verandah, a large stone fireplace and a terrace for alfresco dining with views of the ranges. As an intentional omission to allow guests to disconnect and reconnect, there’s no television or wi-fi.

Dine al fresco with views of the ranges.

The homestead is available for relaxed standalone stays, which include twice-daily safari drives around the vast Arkaba landscape, as well as guided short immersive walks. All meals are curated by talented chefs, and guests can enjoy an open bar of South Australian beverages.

Enjoy safari drives at Arkaba.

2. The Arkaba Walk

One of the Great Walks of Australia, the Arkaba Walk is a three-day moderate-graded tour, led by experienced field guides through the Arkaba property. The walk ventures into the wild landscape of the Ikara-Flinders Ranges National Park, starting along the beaten track that meanders into Wilpena Pound in the shade of lofty river red gums.

See a jumping wallaroo over secluded landscapes. (Image: Richard IAnson)

Walkers will spot kangaroos and emus, scramble over boulders and along ancient riverbeds, and journey along ridges with ever-stretching views of undulating earth and the Elder Range punctuating the horizon. The final ascent is up the Red Range, and the walk ends with a night’s stay in the Arkaba Homestead.

Get away from it all in a bush camp.

Evenings are spent at secluded bush camps, with self-hoisted showers and swags laid out on sheltered platforms. Meals are prepared in the camp kitchen by the Arkaba Homestead team, yet they resemble dishes that would be plated up in sophisticated city restaurants – all while providing delicious fuel for another day’s walk.

Dine gourmet meals under the stars. (Image: Graham Michael Freeman)

The cosmos is vivid in the night skies above – which are uninterrupted by light pollution – and Elder Camp puts on a spectacular sunrise show, with the ancient range turning a fiery red at first light.

Immerse yourself in the remote landscapes of Flinders Ranges on a guided Arkaba Walk.

Guides are experts on the native flora and fauna in the area, explaining animal tracks and spotting colourful birds flitting through the trees, as well as the property’s history and the painstaking rewilding process that was undertaken by Wild Bush Luxury.

Emus wander in the outback wilderness of Arkaba.

There’s no phone reception throughout the Arkaba property, meaning walkers can be fully immersed in the moment without distraction. Photos are encouraged but time- and distance-tracking is not, with guides offering advice to be present, look up and look around.

Disconnect from your devices and connect with nature.

3. Bamurru Plains

This luxesafari camp is one of the most unique stays in Australia’s outback. An hour east of Darwin, Bamurru Plains is on the Mary River Wetlands, at the edge of Kakadu National Park. The seasonal floodplain was a significant food supply for the Limilngan people, and bamurru is the Gagadju word for magpie goose, a nod to the birds that frequent the area.

Wild birds flock in the Bamurru Plains.

The 300-square-kilometre property is home to an immensely diverse range of wildlife, including 236 bird species. It also has the highest concentration of estuarine crocodiles in the world. The twice-daily safari-style experiences on both land and water are designed to maximise wildlife encounters, from open-top game drives to see wallabies, wild horses and buffalos, through to airboat safaris that glide across floodplains and float among melaleuca trees and camouflaged crocs.

Float along Bamurru Plains by airboat. (Image: Emma Pritchett)

The intimate camp – which is part of Luxury Lodges of Australia – has a small footprint, sleeping just 24 guests at any time. The safari bungalows sleep two in a king bed and are enclosed by mesh walls to allow guests to feel connection with the natural surroundings. The camp’s newest addition is Jabiru Retreat, two safari bungalows that are connected by a boardwalk; the retreat also includes a private plunge pool and deck, making it perfect for groups travelling together or a family with older children.

Stay in a luxe safari tent.

The all-inclusive experience features all meals prepared with a focus on local ingredients, as well as canapes and sundowners and a fully hosted three-course dinner on a long table, served to the soundtrack of croaking frogs.

Gourmet meals are prepared with local produce.

Guests can elevate their experience with a helicopter safari, flying over the wetlands of Kakadu and Arnhem Land. As with Arkaba, Bamurru Plains is proudly free of mobile phone reception, wi-fi and televisions.

Take land and water safaris.

4. The Maria Island Walk

Another Great Walk of Australia, The Maria Island Walk journeys along beaches, through rainforest and over mountains on a small and pristine island off Tasmania’s east coast. When several threatened species were released on Maria Island to ensure their survival in the 1970s it gained the nickname ‘Tasmania’s Noah’s Ark’, and it’s now home to many rare and unusual birds and animals.

Soak up dramatic views on The Maria Island Walk.

The fully guided four-day walk – which can be undertaken pack-free – meanders through tall eucalypts (including the world’s largest stand of giant Tasmanian blue gums) and along empty beaches, where dolphins play in the surf. Guests will climb through rare ‘cloud’ rainforests to the peaks of Mt Maria or Bishop and Clerk, and will also experience the island’s infamous UNESCO World Heritage Convict Site and the dramatic sea cliffs of Fossil Bay. Along the way, walkers will encounter wombats, wallabies, kangaroos, Tasmanian devils, Cape Barren geese and wedge-tailed eagles.

Climb atop the towering dolerite summit of Bishop and Clerk on Maria Island. (Image: Kerry Lorimer)

Two nights are spent in bush camps, which comprise cosy cabins tucked into the forest, while the final night is spent in Bernacchi House, which dates to 1880 but was beautifully and sensitively refurbished in 2022. Enjoy a menu of three-course seasonally influenced meals paired with Tasmanian wines and local beers, served under the stars by the glimmer of candlelight.

Enjoy a candlelit dinner the way.

All Wild Bush Luxury experiences are fully hosted and all-inclusive of accommodation and gourmet meals. Find out more and book now at wildbushluxury.com.