New Luxury Lodge, Tasmania - Saffire

National Geographic - Greg du Toit exhibits his Photographs

Kimberley Cruise - Special Offer

Introducing Serengeti Mara Camp, Tanzania

Breakfast in the Serengeti

By Rich Field (private guide and animal behaviour expert): I had my best ever breakfast recently. The food was good - home made muesli, fresh fruit, muffins, yummy bacon and egg sandwiches, sausages and fresh plunger coffee. However it wasn't actually the fare that saw this breakfast rise meteoricially in my standings, instead it was the fact that I shared it with some great safari companions and around 2 million wildebeest in the middle of the vast expanse of the Serengeti.

It was our first morning and there was a sense of anxious anticipation when we had set off for our first proper drive in the Serengeti. Would we find the migration? How long would it take? Would it be as spectacular as it is portrayed?

The answers to those questions were 'Yes', 'Not long' and 'Most definitely yes'!

It is a breathtaking, awe-inspiring, mind warping spectacle. Your eyes tell you that there are wildebeest and zebra for as far as you can see, in all directions around you, but somehow it takes a little while for your mind to catch up. Yes, it is real. No, these animals haven't been placed here by Disney.

It is a spectacle on a similar scale to the Grand Canyon except with loads of movement and noise. Wildebeest grazing, walking, running, chasing each other, giving birth, nursing, and wildebeest getting eaten.

With such a food supply you would rightly expect a few predators too. We had seen a leopard and a large pride of lions the night before and on this morning we discovered one of the tricks for locating predators in the Serengeti - look for the gaps in the herd. The wildebeest will simply move away from a predator when they see one, which leaves a conspicuous hole in the sea of animals. We found a cheetah and plenty of hyenas this way. And this was all before breakfast!

By the time breakfast came around we were all fairly ravenous, but it did come as a surprise when Roland and Godwin, our local guides, simply stopped in a seemingly random spot on the plain. They offloaded some camping chairs for us and popped some table cloths on the bonnet. Within minutes the coffee was ready and we were tucking into our feast, with several hundred thousand eyes watching us intently. It was simply awesome, and definitely my best breakfast ever (with the only competition coming from the next two mornings when we did it all again)!

To start planning your next African adventure, please contact us.

Culture and Crocodiles in the NT

By Marg O’Connor: “Water, water everywhere and all the boards did shrink…….” The words of the famous poem by Samuel Taylor Coleridge could quite easily be used to describe the Northern Territories amazing “Top End."

I have just returned from a truly authentic Australian adventure to the World Heritage Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land that has left me in awe of the stunning landscape, rich abundance of wildlife, ancient culture of the Australian Aborigines and the truly genuine Aussie hospitality of the Territorians.

My travel companions and I were collected from our very luxurious Balinese-themed villas situated near the Darwin Botanic Gardens by our very passionate and knowledgeable guide, Sab. Sab has spent his life in the Northern Territory. He grew up on a remote cattle and buffalo station in what is now Kakadu National Park. He has lived intimately with the local aborigines his entire life, has been initiated into their clan and as a result brings an unparalleled level of experience and knowledge to his touring.

We spent our first day travelling through Kakadu visiting the Adelaide River Jumping Crocodiles. To travel in the safety and comfort of a vessel down the Adelaide River where some of the densest populations of the deadly saltwater crocodile reside was not only a nail-biting but exhilarating experience. To witness the sheer power of these ancient monsters was certainly eye-opening. Watching crocodiles launch themselves vertically two-thirds of their body length out of the water to grab a piece of meat from the end of a pole was a very timely reminder to be extremely cautious around every waterway or billabong in the Northern Territory.

We travelled from Adelaide River to the Bark Hut Inn for a delicious barramundi burger and then on to Cooinda where we enjoyed a very relaxing Yellow Waters sunset cruise. Gliding quietly along the waterways spotting birds, and even more crocodiles, we watched the sun set on a truly magnificent first day in the Territory.

While we were on the sunset cruise Sab had miraculously transformed a piece of Aussie bush into a very comfortable camp, complete with tablecloth, candles and red wine. There is nothing more enjoyable for me in life than to sit around a campfire beneath the magnificent Milky Way and Southern Cross, gazing into the flames and swapping stories.

Day two was spent travelling to several sites to marvel at ancient rock art. Once again Sab was able to provide an insight into the art that made the paintings come to life. The traditional landowners are very welcoming of visitors to their “country” to help foster a better understanding of their culture and deep relationship with the land. Our final stop for the day was at Bamurru Plains, a tented safari-style camp on the floodplains of the Mary River. To call this “wild bush luxury” is an understatement. As we sipped our drinks and snacked on delicious canapés we watched the sun set over the floodplains.

Day three saw us have an early start as we were about to experience the ride of a lifetime – an airboat ride over the floodplains to view the plethora of birdlife that reside here. The Mary River floodplains offer four distinct and very diverse habitats ranging from open reed/grasslands, melaleuca groves, carpets of waterlilies and lotus flowers to water pandanus environments teeming (and I mean teeming) with birdlife, buffaloes and, of course, crocodiles.

Morning tea was enjoyed in a fairytale melaleuca grove that was carpeted with a multitude of colourful waterlilies. A more picturesque setting could not be found. To sit quietly and take in the sounds of the birdcalls and the smell of the bush is a memory that will stay with me for a very long time.

As I sit and reflect on my adventure I take home with me a deep sense of pride that I am fortunate, not only to live in such a wonderful country, but to have been privileged to have experienced the very best on offer in the "Top End".

If you would also like to enjoy a similar adventure, please contact us and let us arrange your next holiday in Australia.

Snow Leopard dates announced | 12 - 23 Mar 2011

Okavango Flood Safari | 4 - 13 Jul 2010

Adventure in the Blue Mountains

By Kirstie Walia: Sydneysiders and visitors alike need to do this at least once! As a first-timer, abseiling into the grand chasm of the Blue Mountains recently put my logic and trust to the test, yet I soon found myself comfortably descending 30 m over an exposed escarpment edge feeling the adrenalin and freedom only such a vast outlook can provide when your rappel starts 415 m above the valley floor!

I couldn't resist but to spin upside down and take in a truly unique view of the expansive, carpet of eucalypts! At that point, it was amazing to think that only minutes prior I had been nervous descending a wall half that size. The team was excellent and it was clear that safety was paramount.

The day continued with a trek through the canyon system’s ancient rainforest and river beds, jumping 10 m (backwards) into waterpools and finished up abseiling down the impressive Empress Falls (30 m) for a final challenge.

If you are interested in abseiling or canyoneering, either in New South Wales or overseas, please contact us for more details.

Photo School with Greg du Toit

Greg du Toit has recently returned from a spectacular photographic expedition into the Serengeti. Blessed with a plethora of opportunities, he did not miss a beat and proceeded to snap another great collection. Newborn wildebeest calves, lazy lionesses, cheetah kills and hyaena clean up operations, Greg displays just some of his talents below.

Not surprisingly, Greg has received Honors in both the world-renowned BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year Awards and the Smithsonian's Nature's Best Awards, and has been frequently published in Africa Geographic and BBC Wildlife, amongst many others.

His Serengeti gallery can be found in our website's GALLERY page, or by clicking here.

Greg's inaugural Photo School with Epic Private Journeys will take place from 6 - 15 August 2010. Please contact us for more details.

Heaven on Earth - Papua New Guinea

By Pedro O'Connor: If there is a Heaven on Earth I think I found it.

Located on the north east coast of Papua New Guinea is the amazing geological region known as the Tufi Fiords. They are not glacial fiords, but riais, formed eons ago when three massive volcanoes erupted simultaneously spewing fingers of molten lava down the slopes into the crystal clear waters of the Solomon Sea. These calm water havens are home to the Oro people who still live a self subsistence lifestyle in this Peter Pan movie backdrop. The verdant, equatorial jungle marches to the ocean shore, where you can swim in the shade of forest giants at high tide, bathe beneath plunging waterfalls while on the bow of your boat and dive in the most fecund waters on the planet.

Offshore there are 2,000 individual reefs, many of which have never been dived. The biodiversity underwater is staggering; from the tiniest, most colourful nudibranchs to marauding schools of 6 ft long barracuda. A first for me after 30 years of diving was swimming in close proximity to a 12 ft albino hammerhead shark. I did not know they existed, never mind that I would be sharing the water with one that day. You cannot underestimate what one might see in PNG waters.

One of the enduring highlights for me is the local people. They are well mannered and have no agenda. They do not try to hawk anything as they have nothing to sell. What they give in abundance is a big smile and a friendly wave of the arm to make you feel at home. I took parcels of my children’s old school books and clothes to give to villagers and had one of the best days of my life interacting with the children and adults alike. You give a little and get a lot.

Although there are no roads to Tufi, there is a hidden gem to rest your head. Tufi Dive Resort, an ambience-filled lodge perched on the cliffs overlooking one of the coral fringed fiords, is stunning. The timber bungalows are very comfortable, clean, secure and ideally situated to take advantage of the tropical panorama. The service comes with a heartfelt smile. You just can't help but be warmed by the locals' genuine beauty of character. If crayfish, coconut and fresh reef fish are to your liking, you will not go hungry. The quality of the food is outstanding for a remote outpost in the wilds of this water wonderland.

We all have a Bucket List and the Tufi Fiords are causing mine to overflow, just like those volcanoes a million years ago.

To find out more about Papua New Guinea, please contact us for more details.