A favourite snorkeling spot at Sal Salis is called 'Turtle Hole'.  This snorkel spot is located directly out the front of the camp approximately 20m from the waters edge.  It is a great place to spot turtles.  At Sal Salis we are fortunate enough to have Green, Loggerhead and Hawksbill turtles frequent our waters. 

The photo below is of a green turtle which was taken by one of our guides.  Green turtles have a shell colour with light to dark green mottling with four pairs of large scales on either side.  They mostly eat seaweed and seagrass however adults will also feed on jellyfish when abundant but are predominantly herbivorous.  Their nesting and breeding cycle is generally late November to January with hatchlings emerging late December to April.

In Latin, Euca means 'well', lyptus means 'covered' and miniata means 'flame'.  Between May and August, the Darwin Woollybutt is recognised not by its rough (or woolly) bark that covers only the base (or butt perhaps) of the tree but by its flame coloured flowers which emerge from their well covered pods.  These flowers tell the Indigenous people that mud crabs are ripe for harvesting and also provide a good source of nectar for native bees to make honey.  The lorikeets revel in it, leaving branches and flowers on the ground that we would otherwise be unable to reach from this giant of the savannah woodlands.  The young Darwin woollybutt is a popular tree for making didgeridoos. 

On a cruise down the Sampan River on our boat MV Nowhere, guests spotted around 50 large salt water crocodiles during the trip.  

Below is a female protecting a nesting area located close by.  Having the mouth open allows the crocodile to control its body temperature by panting, similar to what a dog would do.  The mouth being opened is also a defensive posture to warn others away.

It is the beginning of the mating season and a number of crocs in groups of 4 or more were spotted which is unusual as they are not a social reptile.  Most of the crocs that were spotted where males sunning themselves, preparing their body temperature so they can hunt during the cooler temperatures of the night.

On Monday the 9th of August, Arkaba Station hosted the live weather report for the Today Show on Channel 9. Emma Freedman reported live for the breakfast show from 5.30am with a link every half an hour until 9am.

The day was beautiful- a little chilly, but the sunrise was stunning!

Wildlife watching involves all your senses.  Sight, hearing and smell can be used singly or in a combination to identify which animals are present. You may even use detective skills to look for other more cryptic clues – such as tracks, nests or scratch marks on trees. 

• Approach wildlife slowly and quietly
• Keep a reasonable distance
• Do not feed the wildlife
• Binoculars allow you to observe an animals behaviour more closely
• To make your wildlife viewing experience memorable take a camera

Arkaba Station is delighted to have been selected by Dairy Farmers as the prize destination for their current promotion.  As featured on Getaway on channel 9 last night, Dairy Farmers Thick and Creamy is offering Getaway viewers the chance to win a luxury escape for two to Arkaba Station in the Flinders Ranges.  An amazing outback holiday!

Dairy Farmers Thick and Creamy prize package includes:

• Return economy airfares for 2 people from the winners nearest state capital to Adelaide
• One way scenic flight transfer from Adelaide to Hawker plus road transfer to Arkaba Station
• 4 nights accommodation at Arkaba Station including all meals, beverages and scheduled activities
• One way road transfer from Arkaba Station to Adelaide

If you missed the promotion last night then tune in to Getaway on channel 9 on Thursday 12th August for your chance to enter!

   It's time to enjoy the sunshine with Dairy Farmers  

Bamurru Plains is able to offer scenic flights from the lodge during the month of August.

The options available are: 

• 15 minute scenic flight
• 30 minute scenic flight
• 1 hour scenic flight
•  Kakadu scenic flight
• Romantic sunset flight which lands at an isolated beach location for sundowner drinks and canapes

These can be booked via our reservation office or at the lodge.  Prices on application. 

Two young male buffalo fighting as the sun rises over Bamurru Plains camp.

Our guide Cameron, has taken a great picture of a blue-spotted stingray he found whilst snorkeling on the reef at the front of Sal Salis. 

The colourful stingray is immediately recognisable by the large, bright, iridescent blue spots on its body.  They are commonly found on the sandy or rocky bottoms of coral reefs, in shallow continental shelf waters.  Feeding is most common during the day and they eat small fish, worms and shrimps.  Breeding occurs from the late spring through to the summer with a gestation period ranging from four months to a year.  The female gives birth to live pups that have hatched from eggs inside the uterus with each pup showing distinct markings of its parents. 

This archaic looking tree, with its long spiky leaves is ripening at this time of year.  Its fruit, which has been developing for many months turns a deep bright orange and falls in chunks from its football sized cluster.  This plant was a treasure for the Aboriginal people who ate the fruit raw or roasted and sucked the ends of the fresh fruit for its sweet juice.  Pandanus are still used to make baskets, mats and dilly bags.  The trunk of the Pandanus has been used to make rafts.  Apart from all these practical uses, the Pandanus has many medicinal qualities, including the treatment of diarrhoea, stomach pains, colds, toothaches, ulcers and many more.