Cicada Lodge, Northern Territory review: ticking all the luxury boxes

High flyers: A helicopter trip over the gorge is a show-stopper.

THE SETTING

Cicada Lodge is a window on Nitmiluk National Park, one of the wonders of the Top End. Set on the brink of Katherine Gorge, among bushland that harbours knee-high wallabies, the gated complex opened late in 2013 and is owned by the local Jawoyn people.

THE SPACE

Sublime sunsets: Cicada Lodge in Nitmiluk Park in Northern territory lifts the luxury bar.

Long, low and linear, the no-expense-spared lodge is a showpiece, and it smacks of an expensive architectural firm: there's lots of glass and stainless steel along with the obligatory corrugated-iron genuflection to the outback aesthetic. The dove greys and eucalyptus greens on the main lodge and guest suites are designed to blend in with the topography, and the local goannas, birds and wallabies approve, judging by the numbers that visit.

THE KIT

The 18 guest suites are built on stilts and clustered in separate pods with elevated boardwalks leading to each. There's a pleasing lack of clutter in the cream-and-chocolate suites, which feel almost Scandinavian in every way but their generous dimensions. The king-size bed splits to a twin-bed scenario and bedside lighting is a no-grope affair. The Nespresso-style capsule coffee maker comes with a liberal supply of coffees and Temple Tea Co teas, and there's real milk in the mini-bar fridge. The bathroom, with a Caesarstone benchtop, features a rain shower but no bath, Bulgari bath condiments and quality robes. At the front is a small deck and although the trough of Katherine Gorge is just a few metres away, it's obscured by vegetation. Although some find fault here, the lodge places high priority on its eco-credentials, and reshaping the landscape to accommodate tourist whims would have been the wrong call.

Tasty treats: Cicada goes all out in the food department.

COMFORT FACTOR

Rooms could use a warming splash of colour, but they're bright, clean, spacious and have plenty to look forward to after a day out in the wilderness. Beds are high quality, the air-conditioning does what it should and heavy curtains on the full-length glass doors provide absolute darkness. Silence is total. The pool is a nice touch but you can also swim in the gorge below Cicada, guaranteed croc-free.

FOOD

Plain living: the cream-and-chocolate suites have a pleasing lack of clutter.

Cicada goes all out in the food department, with a savvy, bistro-smart menu with a touch of the outback. Cocktails and canapés happen every evening, just as the fruit bats are darkening the sky over the river, followed by a table d'hote menu, although I feel in need of a food lexicon to decipher dishes such as chermoula-rubbed kangaroo with tomato kasundi. Breakfasts are a la carte, nothing so déclassé as buffet food here, and run the gamut from wholesome to decadent.

WORTH STEPPING OUT FOR

The 12-kilometre Katherine Gorge is the centrepiece of Nitmiluk National Park, a succession of rock chambers chiselled from the rust-coloured sandstone of the Arnhemland Plateau, each one a mirror of blue sky hemmed in by sheer stone walls. The park's visitor centre is just a five-minute stroll from the lodge, and there are plenty of offerings for hands-on, DIY experiences as well as organised tours. Hike the trails along the edge of the gorge, paddle a kayak to the cataract at the end of the first chamber, take a heli-flight to view Jawoyn rock art and swim in an isolated rock pool with cold, crystal water, but the sunset gorge cruise with dinner is just pure fun and laughs.

THE VERDICT

This is a game-lifter for accommodation in the Top End's national parks – Kakadu National Park, please note. From the welcoming glass of Louis Roederer Champagne at the check-in desk, it's calculated to appeal to urbane sophisticates looking to experience one of the headline attractions of the Top End with a high comfort factor, a barista and a cocktail waiter who knows his caipirinha from his caprioska – and it delivers in spades.

HOW TO GET THERE

Katherine is a 30-minute drive, Darwin is 330 kilometres away. Nitmiluk forms a neat triangle with Darwin and Kakadu National Park as the other vertices.

ESSENTIALS

Rooms start from $695 for two per night, including breakfast. Phone [phone], see cicadalodge.com.au

The writer was a guest of Cicada Lodge and Tourism NT.