The
homestead is located on a half million acres of wilderness in the Northern
Territory. The front gate is 50 kms from the homestead and the nearest neighbour
2 hours away! So remote is this region that there are waterholes and aboriginal
art that have remained unseen and untouched for hundreds of years. The station
is easily reached by light aircraft giving you the chance to admire the
escarpments and gorges that dot the vast emptiness of the Kimberley. Marlee
Ranacher grew up on the station and she and her husband now manage the property
and its 8,000 head of cattle. The mood here is relaxed – you can choose to
explore this vast area or join in the daily operations of a genuine working
cattle station.
Hosts:
Franz &
Marlee Ranacher
Accommodation
/ Meals: A separate block of 12
ensuite rooms, each with double doors opening to the outside, overhead fan,
air-conditioning and hairdryer adjoins the homestead. The main homestead is
spacious and well designed with enough space for guests to have some privacy or
join in with others. Dinner is served in the homestead dining room with top
cuisine – or you are welcome to join the station hands and family in the
kitchen for a typical station evening. There is a swimming pool at the
homestead.
Activities:
Activities include exploring the crocodile infested Bullo River, with
excellent barramundi Fishing, and where hidden gorges reflect deep red colours
and reveal ancient aboriginal rock paintings. Take a helicopter flight to a
remote waterfall for a romantic picnic lunch or if you are feeling adventurous
take a swag, a bottle of wine and a hamper and spend a night under the stars.
Station activities, including mustering (viewed from helicopter or on horse back
for riders) are also offered. Wildlife includes birdlife at Leslie Lake,
dingoes, kangaroos and wallabies and up to 500 buffalo are resident on the
station. Fly to Port Keats with Franz and spend time with the aboriginal
community there; go on a bush tucker walk, catch mud-crabs in the tidal flats
(take them home for dinner) or buy locally produced artwork. Franz is a fully
qualified and licensed chopper pilot and can take guests elsewhere in the
region, notably over Lake Argyle and the Bungle Bungles. Enjoy a Bullo River
Gorge boat cruise - a private piece of wilderness, aboriginal rock paintings, a
walk or a picnic on the sandbanks.