Bamurru Plains, NT
14-16 July, 2023
I was met by Lucas and after 20 minutes drive on very nice red dirt roads, we arrived at Bamurru Plains where I was welcomed with a nice cold, damp towel and yummy cold fruit juice.
My tent/cabin looked out over the flood plain to the Mary River, and was surrounded by trees. The mesh walls that keep the bugs out, were somewhat see-through, so I watched cattle meander across the grasses as they came in and out of the flood plain, while agile wallabies bounced around on the grasses, some with joeys in their pouches, and masses of birds flew from tree to tree.
With my first excursion planned for 5:00pm, it was nice to stop and do nothing for a while. So I hung out there before going back to the main lodge. From my tent/cabin, I saw buffalo near the water, wandering across the land in front of me, alongside brahman cattle – very small new calves were staying close to their mums. Agile wallabies hopped from place to place, some with joeys in their pouches. Sulphur crested cockatoos were chatting noisily in trees, and many other birds were flying from place to place.
Adrian was my guide for the afternoon, and the plan was to take one of the airboats on the Mary River flood plain that is in front of Bamurru Plains. What an adventure these boats are, and so appropriate for the location.
There were 4 of us with Adrian. We went relatively slowly away from the bank, watching birds floating by, eating vegetation and scrambling to get away from us.
I knew that my challenge now, alongside photographing fast-moving birds, was to learn the names of even a few of the multitude of bird types.
After heading straight out away from the lodge area, we turned west. Adrian said that he’s found a rather special place that would delight us – assuming the animals that he’d seen there earlier, would still be around.
They were. We stopped to see if we could find a jabiru, a large stork that is well known in this area as well as Kakadu National Park. Adrian spotted one that looked relatively small, and then pointed high up in some trees where there was a nest. In the nest was a young jabiru, still too young to fly.
We saw a dingo walking by on the land, brumbies strolling through the water and onto the land, and two white bellied sea eagles way above us in the trees. A nest was nearby.
It was a beautiful place, and a wonderful way to start my short stay at Bamurru.
After a delicious dinner (all meals were excellent), it was time for bed. I’d been warned to expect animals to be close to my cabin – it’s their land after all. So when I woke at 1:35am to the sounds of cattle pulling branches off trees right next to me, and ripping pandanus leaves to shreds, and stomping and snorting, although a little unnerved at first, I realised that this is what happens here.
They moved on, and now I could hear wallabies bounding across the dirt. Unmistakable, and also unexpected – I’d never thought that you’d actually be able to hear this.
Sleep returned, and it was soon time for breakfast, followed by a drive through the bush to see which animals we could find. Termite mounds are everywhere, predominantly on the ground, but also sometimes wrapped around the trunk of a tree.
Whenever a bird was sighted, we stopped to check it out, and work out what it was. Then we arrived at the Sampan River, a large river that moves towards the coast. A jetty with a fishing boat moored alongside, provided a great spot for morning tea. On the way back we saw the Australian Kori Bustard, very similar to the African version, jabiru and cranes, as well as bees eaters and other small birds.
The afternoon drive would bring us back here – Adrian had promised to take 4 of us croc-spotting on the Sampan River. And we certainly found them. The river is lined by masses of mangroves on both sides providing great spots for crocs to haul themselves out. Generally they slid into the water when we approached. However one ginormous croc had hauled itself up a very steep bank and was somewhat hidden behind the mangroves. All we could see was a huge tail, its left rear leg, and the massive “bumps” of its leathery skin. Adrian regards it as the oldest in the area.
The river flows to the Arafura Sea, and that’s where we went. And once there, patiently waiting for us was a beautiful jabiru, standing ankle deep near the shore and catching fish. It was mesmerising to watch this beautiful bird standing still or carefully walking along the sand lifting its pink-red legs high, and occasionally grabbing for a fish.
Back at Bamurru, the overnight animal antics were as noisy as the previous, although there was a noise I never expected to hear at this time of year: rain. At around 3am, I woke to hear rain on the canvas, followed by a significant rainstorm that lasted 10 mins or so. It took everyone by surprise.
This morning was another airboat ride – this time guided by Rufus. He was very excited to be taking us to KFC – not the one you’re thinking of, but the Kingfisher Café, an area that is unlike any place I’ve ever been.
We “drove” across the flood plains, birds flying above us, two eagles in trees, and water buffalo moving away. Way off in the distance were treed areas, and as we came closer we could see these were melaleucas, standing in very deep water.
We manoeuvred between these going deep into a quiet water-filled area that was surrounded by these beautiful trees. It was a quiet and gentle place to stop, to have a cuppa or juice and to just “be”. Small birds flitted from tree to tree and everywhere you looked there was another huge melaleuca standing tall, or on its side with new branches reaching up to the sky.
Then it was time to go back to Bamurru, to pack my cameras away, say farewell and thank you to all those who’d made this short visit very special, and be driven to the airstrip.
My flight with Tom piloting the Cessna 210, was smoother than the flight out (cooler air), and now I’m back in my hotel in Darwin. Tomorrow morning I’ll board the MV Reef Prince and leave Darwin to travel around the Kimberley Coast to Broome.
Please note that there’ll be a “break in transmission” until around 27 July when these posts will resume. Please stay tuned!