Wildman Wilderness Lodge is now offering exciting new meeting and incentive options for businesses looking for “out of the box” venues with its opening this month.

Easily accessible by sealed road, the new Lodge is conveniently situated on the beautiful Mary River Wetlands putting it about two hours driving time from Darwin and about one hour from Kakadu. There is also an air strip at the property for plane and heli transfers.

Wildman will offer two distinct types of accommodation and can cater for up to 50 guests in stylish air conditioned “Habitats” – eco-style cabins or fan cooled luxury safari tents.

Wildman will offer two distinct types of accommodation and can cater for up to 50 guests in stylish air conditioned ‘Habitats’

A central lounge area will house the restaurant and bar. Adjoining that complex will be the Pavilion which can hold 20 people boardroom style for intimate meetings and private events.

“Guests will now be able to come to this very special part of Australia for business but at the same time immerse themselves in the spectacular beauty of this region” said Alison Conroy, director of sales and marketing for Wildman Wilderness Lodge.

“As such we have also designed a wide range of touring options which can be tailored for our groups” Conroy continued.

The tours will include:
• Mary River Rockhole Cruise. This cruise runs daily providing an opportunity to visit the beautiful Mary River which is home to the largest number of estuarine crocodiles in Australia. There is also an add-on 4WD tour which travels through open woodland, paperbark forests, pandanus swamps and along the Connellan Lagoon before meeting up with the Cruise

• Home Billabong Cruise – cruises run at sunrise or sunset allowing guests a close up view of the billabong and its stunning wildlife

• Kakadu Tour – this full day tour departs at 7.30am and takes guests via the Old Jim Jim Rd across floodplains and billabongs and on to Nourlangie Rock where guests can view ancient rock art and take in amazing views of the Arnhem Land escarpment. Lunch is served at the peaceful and scenic Anbangbang billabong followed by a trip into Barramundi Gorge for a rainforest walk and the option of a waterhole swim in a beautiful waterfall fed swimming hole.

• Guided walks – for guests wanting to get to know the surroundings closer to the Lodge, the Lodge will run a 45 minute interpretive walk through termite fields and across the floodplain where guides will give them an insight into the wetland ecosystem

• 4WD Quad Tour – For the more adventurous guests, this tour takes the southbound station track and the Wildman track around the western end of Home Billabong and on to the Connellan Billabong before returning to the Lodge.

Wildman can also work with meeting and incentive planners to identify tailor-made trips around barramundi and fly-fishing, landscape and wildlife photography and bird watching.

Wildman has an interesting history which also makes it a unique Australian business venue. Probably the greatest example of recycling in Australian tourism, the Habitats and the central bar/restaurant facility were previously located at Wrotham Park Lodge in Central Far North Queensland. In late 2009, a team of builders moved onto that site and dismantled the entire resort infrastructure down to all the fixtures and fittings.

The Lodge is located on the Mary River Wetlands, about two hours driving time from Darwin and about one hour from Kakadu.

The cabin verandahs and awnings were removed and the cabin structures lifted onto the back of semi trailers. The central bar and restaurant facility was dismantled piece by piece – with around 70% of it saved for the move. Two staff accommodation units were also packed up. Power generators, the water treatment system and the sewage treatment system along with key electrical infrastructure were also dismantled and readied for the journey. 18 triple road trains transported the entirely dismantled infrastructure 2800km across country to the Northern Territory where it was then installed onto the site.

Justin Long Designs, the original architect behind Wrotham Park, returned to assist with Wildman Wilderness Lodge. Interior design is by renowned Australian design firm, Pike Withers. Stylish interiors can be found throughout the Lodge with natural colours from the region providing a sense of place, in the form of a resort in harmony with its surroundings.

Wildman is also making the prices attractive for guests. Standard rates including accommodation, 2 course dinner and breakfast are $215.00 per person, per night for a Safari Tent and $285.00 per person, per night for a Habitat.

“The atmosphere at the Lodge will be relaxed and informal with a feeling of comfort and quality in all aspects of accommodation, meals and touring” said Conroy. “Along with the unusual background to the Lodge, we believe Wildman offers a fantastic new and highly affordable option for businesses.”

Wildman Wilderness Lodge opened 1 April 2011. It will close on 30 November for the wet season.

For more information on incentives and conferences at the Wildman Wilderness Lodge click here.