The boutique retreat on a forgotten island, that even Gen Z can afford

Bremer Island’s Banubanu Beach Retreat offers an affordable, eco-friendly glamping experience in the heart of the Northern Territory. Photo / NT Tourism Australia
Paradise does exist, and it’s affordable too. Australia’s Bremer Island (Dhambaliya) is home to a cool, budget-friendly glamping retreat that hardly anyone knows about, writes Fiona Harper
When you dream of a tropical island escape, you’d be forgiven if the Northern Territory doesn’t spring to mind. Sure, the Territory is known for its red-hued larger-than-life landscapes daubed with ancient rock art. So too its national parks bestowed with World Heritage status. But tropical islands rimmed by white sand beaches and azure seas?
Actually, yes there is.
Move over Queensland, the Territory has tropical sun-drenched islands. And the good news is, you won’t have to remortgage your home to visit. Bremer Island (Dhambaliya) in East Arnhem Land is a teeny slice of sand-between-your-toes paradise that ticks all the boxes. Straddling the island’s northern peninsula is Banubanu Beach Retreat, a small eco-sensitive retreat that has evolved from a simple fishing camp into today’s luxe glamping resort.
READ MORE: Six things to do in Darwin: A first-timer’s guide to the Northern Territory
Five glamping bungalows are shaded by sheoak trees lining the beach, each with an outdoor deck positioned for maximum privacy. Check into a beachfront bungalow and you’ll be close enough to the sea to be lulled asleep to the meditative sound of the ocean rolling across sand.
If panoramic views are more your thing, choose the penthouse with its cantilevered deck atop an elevated sand dune. Enjoy endless views across the Arafura Sea from the deck or by peeling away glass doors and canvas walls and you won’t even have to get out of bed to soak in the views.
Each of the bungalows, which are technically soft-sided canvas tents with elevated timber floors, comes with a king bed, a sitting area, an ensuite bathroom and an alfresco deck. Mammoth windows with mesh screens unzip to allow the breeze in and keep the bugs out, while glass sliding doors open onto the deck. Ceiling fans, a small fridge, a coffee machine and tea-making facilities, along with timber floors and table lamps themed with fairy lights and shells create a cosy luxe beach vibe.
Bremer Island (Dhambaliya) sits on the western shores of the Gulf of Carpentaria, just north of Nhulunbuy (also known as Gove). It’s approximately a 90-minute flight from Darwin to Gove Airport. From the Gove Boat Club it’s a 40-minute boat trip to the island, or a 10-minute charter flight to the dirt airstrip if your pockets are deeper.
Banubanu Beach Retreat is a small eco-sensitive retreat on the northern tip of the island. Owners, Arrernte woman Helen Martin and Trevor Hosie developed the retreat after extended consultation with traditional owners the Yolgnu people, who live in the small family community called Gutjangan near the airstrip.
The restaurant and bar is the hub of island life, with its full-length deck overlooking Western Cove. The deck with its plunge pool at one end doubles as a dining area, socialising hub and sunset viewing. Indoors is a seating area, bar and library. A few steps away is Old Banubanu, the mainstay of the original fishing camp. With its sand floor and shade cloth walls, it remains a popular spot to read or gather with friends amongst a ramshackle collection of photographs, shells, driftwood and interesting flotsam that has washed ashore.
Walking trails wind through the sand dunes, connecting long sweeping beaches that stretch along the east and west coasts. The eastern shore is the ‘weather’ side of the island and is subjected to prevailing south-easterly trade winds which gain momentum as they pass across the Gulf of Carpentaria. On the other shore, Western Cove is more like the beaches you’ll see in the Whitsundays with crystal clear waters washing ashore onto a white sandy beach. Coral rubble builds up along the high tide line during wet season storms, making for fascinating beach combing for shell collectors. Look for nesting and hatching turtles on the beaches, whales in the channel further out to sea, or some of the 65 bird species that have been identified.
There’s a wealth of information about walking trails along with the island’s fascinating history displayed around the restaurant. East Arnhem Land has long been visited by Macassan seafaring traders from Sulawesi. As early as the 1600s seafarers harvested trepang (also known as sea cucumber), trading tools, food and implements with the local Yolgnu people. Macassan traders would stay for months at a time and integrate with Aboriginal people, who sometimes travelled back to Sulawesi and settled there to raise families. This heritage lingers in the form of certain Yolgnu words originating from Macassar. The name Banubanu refers to a rocky outcrop on the north point of the island and is thought to originate from these early exchanges. Banu is a Persian woman’s name meaning lady. Banubanu would refer to a group of women.
The Yolgnu people remain connected with the island after granting Helen and Trevor a 25-year lease to develop a low-key resort in 2005. Banubanu’s eco-sensitivity is based on a minimal environmental footprint, ensuring the island and surrounding waters remain little-changed from when those first foreign footprints stepped ashore. Walk along the eastern beach today and it’s likely the only footprints you’ll encounter – beyond turtle tracks and bird prints – are your own.
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Darwin with Air NZ, Qantas and Jetstar with one stopover, then it’s approximately a 90-minute flight from Darwin to Gove Airport.
Book a 40-minute return boat transfer when you book your overnight stay, or arrange a charter flight through Mission Aviation Fellowship.
DETAILS
Day trips include boat transfers and lunch and cost AUD180 (NZ$197). Short stay weekend packages for two guests start from AUD490 (NZ$537 ) for one night or AUD998 (NZ$1094) for two nights, including breakfast. Boat transfers are additional.
banubanu.com