Finniss River Lodge: Is this where Crocodile Dundee goes on vacation?

Australia’s Northern Territory really is an untamed land. And with these massive carnivores lurking in the shadows, no one is going to try.  

“Be careful not to get too close,” warns Chase, “they can be a bit unpredictable.”

And she ought to know. Lodge manager, Chase Johnson, is a true Territorian, born and raised on the wild country that is Australia’s Top End. A land where the fierce saltwater crocodiles (crocodylus porosus) are the apex predator and inhabit every river, stream and puddle all the way across the vast northern coast of Australia.

“That’s just a little one,” says Chase, pointing to the deceptively immobile reptile on the bank of the Finniss River, its jaw agape in a show of preparedness, “we have one or two here about six metres long and they can certainly grow larger than that.””

A six-metre croc is probably more than 80 years old and has learned a thing or two in that time. Like how to stay submerged for hours on end waiting for someone or something to come within striking distance. Needless to say, there is no swimming in the Finniss River.

But that’s not to say guests at the plush Finniss River Lodge are left wanting for activities. Set on more than 200 square kilometres, the lodge is a recent addition to the working cattle station, a 90-minute drive southwest of Darwin.

We’re on one of the signature airboat excursions out on the river’s wide floodplain where crocodiles, barramundi, turtles, feral pigs and a myriad water birds mingle with the ranch’s friendly Brahman cattle brought here in 1987 by Italian-born Leo Venturin and now exports to Indonesia, Malaysia and Vietnam. 

I say ‘friendly’ because one of the included experiences is ‘Cows and Canapes’, where guests enjoy sundowners and nibbles in the company of these wholesome beasts who don’t mind a guzzle of lager or a hand-fed hors d'oeuvres occasionally, along with a scratch and a cuddle.

It’s time to head back for dinner and six litres of Chevrolet V8 muscle roars into life, propelling us along the narrow waterway, between protruding limbs of paperbark and Melaleuca trees. We skim across patches of reeds and shallow puddles as if riding a 600-horsepower magic carpet. My fellow passengers are probably yelping in delight and excitement for all I know, but the industrial earmuffs muffle everything to a monotone crescendo. 

I’ve ridden in and driven some pretty wild machines in my time, but this is my first experience in a high-powered airboat. Rowan ‘Rowdy’ Sutton, our skipper, is the picture of concentration, laser-focused attention on our white-knuckle passage along.

On our return journey to the lodge we spot more waterbirds and raptors, reinforcing the fact that these significant wetlands are great for wildlife and animal spotters.

The airboat adventure is just one of several activities available to fortunate guests staying at the remote upmarket lodge. Add barramundi fishing, helicopter flightseeing, indigenous interpretation and Litchfield National Park excursions and you have the full gamut of leisure and enrichment options.

Finniss River Lodge is an exclusive escape offering just six suites and an inviting infinity pool - perfect for cooling off after a day’s energetic exploring.

Wetlands, coastline, dry savannah, paperbarks and remnant rainforest make up the balance of the cattle station. The diverse surroundings support flocks of magpie geese and brolgas in their thousands, native and introduced species, and, of course, the iconic saltwater crocodile. 

Now back at the lodge, chef  Lachlan Raineri is cooking up a storm using locally-sourced produce, foraged wild plants, meat butchered in-house and everything prepared on an open fire.

“Instead of conceiving dishes first and sourcing ingredients second, I approach the creative and cooking process very differently, starting with what our farms and nature have at any given time. The constraints, if any, result in creativity and an honest and spirited style of cooking,” said Lachlan, “Through my food I am able to tell the story of the region to create an exceptional customer experience.”

And, of course, I have to ask: “Is crocodile on the menu?” Yes, it is. Lachlan marinates the commercially sourced meat all day and cooks it on the open fire against an explosive Territorian sunset. Now that’s a feed Crocodile Dundee would be proud of.

For more information and to book, visit Finniss River Lodge at www.finnissriverlodge.com.au or email bookings@finnissriverlodge.com.au