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Australia’s Northern Territory deserves to be visited in style

As an avowed city-dweller, camping has never been on my travel wish list. Forget mess tins and sleeping bags, I’ll have my food served on a plate and sleep on a bed, thank you very much.

As an avowed city-dweller, camping has never been on my travel wish list. Forget mess tins and sleeping bags, I’ll have my food served on a plate and sleep on a bed, thank you very much.

But glamping? That is a different matter altogether. A portmanteau of the words “glamorous” and “camping”, glamping is like the luxe version of camping, combining the luxury of a five-star hotel with the beauty of the great outdoors. That is how I found myself sleeping in a 50sqm tent complete with an en suite bathroom in the middle of Australia’s Northern Territory, next to wallabies (and the occasional water buffalo).

CULTURE VULTURE

Spread over one-sixth of Australia’s total land mass, but with a population of fewer than 250,000, the Northern Territory is vast and sparse. It is as different from Singapore as it gets. Weather-wise, though, we are definitely on the same page (the Top End of the state, which includes Darwin, Katherine and Kakadu, has a tropical climate and two seasons — wet and dry). Our arrival in its capital city, Darwin, at the end of June, meant warm, sunny days and cool nights; with almost no clouds in sight. It is perfect glamping weather.

Dean Hoath of Indigofera Ecotours, our guide for the next few days, held us captive with his encyclopaedic knowledge of the region and all its quirks — from a 10-minute crash course on termite mounds to the relationship the Aboriginal people have with the land. This relationship is best illustrated at Kakadu National Park. At almost 20,000sqkm, the World Heritage site is made up of six different landforms, from savannah woodlands to stone country, each with its own diverse range of wildlife.

What truly sets Kakadu apart, however, is its status as a living cultural landscape. Generations of Bininj (pronounced “bining”) or Mungguy (pronounced “moonggooy”), the Aboriginal people of Kakadu, have lived on and cared for the land for tens of thousands of years and signs of their culture, ceremonies and beliefs can be found dotted all around the landscape.

Nowhere is this more evident than in the art sites of Nourlangie and Ubirr, where we marvel over ancient rock art — some drawn more than 15,000 years ago — depicting stories of law and creation, from traditional x-ray paintings of folklore and naturalistic paintings of animals to “contact art”, which shows local impressions of contact with foreign explorers. This rich history, combined with the truly stunning views afforded to those who make the climb up to the top of the rocks, is enough to make you want to spend the rest of your stay here reflecting on your entire existence.

BACK TO NATURE

There are few places more suited for reflective revelry than a luxe safari tent in the middle of nowhere. Located in the Mary River Wetlands, midway between Darwin and Kakadu National Park, Wildman Wilderness Lodge has 10 “habitats” (luxury cabins with air-conditioning) and 15 safari tents made of canvas walls, mesh windows and timbre floors with two bedrooms, a bathroom and a patio.

It is as close to nature as you can get, only instead of cooking by a fire, you get a three-course dinner at the on-site restaurant, which highlights local produce and elements of traditional bush cuisine. You can sign up for activities including the Wetlands Airboat Safari, where you zip through the floodplains and get an an up-close and personal experience with the flora and fauna in the area, whether it is flocks of magpie geese, or endless visions of lily flowers and, of course, crocodiles.

Before my trip, I would have been hardpressed to tell you the difference between crocodiles and alligators. But after a few days there, not only could I wax lyrical about “salties” and “freshies” — saltwater and freshwater crocodiles, respectively — I could even recognise the many species of birds that call the Northern Territory home. (Incidentally, there are no alligators in Australia.)

Kakadu’s Yellow Water Cruise takes you through the billabong, where you can spot whistling kites, egrets and jabirus (a black-necked stork), as well as witness a jaw-dropping sunrise (it makes the 6.45am departure time worth it).

ACTION TIME

Thankfully, at Nitmiluk National Park, you do not need to wake up at the crack of dawn to experience the beauty that is Katherine Gorge, made up of 13 immense gorges carved over milennia. As you tuck into a three-course candlelight dinner of fresh Australian produce on-board the Nabilil Sunset Dinner Cruise, and the setting sun gives way to a blanket of brilliant blinking stars, set against the magnificent backdrop of ancient sandstone, even the most hardcore of urbanites will find it hard to wish they were anywhere but here. (You can continue your reverie at the nearby Cicada Lodge — which was where we stayed — with its 18 air-conditioned rooms featuring a private balcony that looks out into the native bush and the sandstone country beyond.)

If tranquil boat rides do not float your boat (excuse the pun), Matt Wright might have what you want. He is best known for his Outback Wrangler TV series on the Nat Geo Wild channel, and his Outback Floatplanes is a half-day tour that combines everything you dream of doing in the Top End into one exhilarating adventure: A floatplane ride from Darwin, landing on Sweets Lagoon; a billabong cruise with breakfast or lunch on board; airboat rides through rainforest channels and wetlands (where you get crocodiles galore); and, best of all, a helicopter flight — with an open-door cabin — over the floodplains of Litchfield National Park. It is a once-in-a-lifetime experience you won’t forget for a long time.

BACK TO (CITY) LIFE

After experiencing the glory and serenity of the outback, I was almost reluctant to return to Darwin. But the city, known by some as “that place in the Nicole Kidman movie, Australia”, isn’t short on things to do. Our hotel is smack in the middle of the Darwin Waterfront Precinct, a buzzing development lined with hip restaurants, shops, recreational and wave lagoons, lush gardens and parklands, as well as Stokes Hill Wharf. (While we were there, they had an open-air screening of Frozen, with familes having picnics on the grass.) It is the perfect balance of city meets nature, and a timely re-introduction back into city life.

You cannot leave Darwin without visiting one of its many markets, so on our last day, we visited Nightcliff Markets, open every Sunday from 6am to 2pm. In typical Darwin style, it is cosy, laidback and a great way to spend a leisurely hour or two feasting on all manner of cuisines, from curries to crepes; while picking up souvenirs such as local honey.

But, truth be told, the best souvenir has to be the countless memories you will take away from your time in the Northern Territory, a place truly unlike anywhere else in this world.

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