Finniss River Lodge from Venturin family to open in 2022
A Territory family’s long-awaited dream to open an exclusive resort is just months from being fulfilled.
Northern Territory
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THE Territory Venturin family’s long-awaited dream to open an exclusive resort on Finniss River Station is just months from being fulfilled.
Three years after announcing plans, finishing touches are being applied to the six-suite lodge built on the Venturins’ 200sq km working cattle property.
About 90 minutes by car southwest of Darwin, finishing touches are being applied to the six-suite lodge and when it opens in May, the Venturins say, Finniss River Lodge will be Australia’s most exclusive, all-inclusive experience for Top End travellers.
“Seeing the lodge coming together not just as we imagined, but even better, is extremely rewarding and it is exciting to think that welcoming guests is now just months away,” said family member Robert Venturin
“While Finniss River Station has operated since 1987 as a grazing property for Brahman cattle, we have never been able to see past the potential for sharing it with others.
“It’s impossible to ignore the landscape’s glittering and surreal natural beauty, which transforms throughout the day to culminate in the most intense, fiery sunsets that must be seen to be believed.
“Be it the discerning traveller seeking a bespoke experience, to families in a quest for adventure, we just know our guests are going to love being here.” The lodge is set on the edge of a vast floodplain and each of the six suites commands expansive views and, the Venturins say, intersects “bush character with contemporary elegance”.
Elite service will be provided for a maximum 12 guests.
Matthew Hurley, from Hurley Hospitality Creative, whose company will manage the new wilderness escape, says the lodge will offer a premium level of luxury accommodation including a wet-edge pool and inspired dining.
Meals will be cooked by the resident chef using fresh, locally sourced farmgate produce.
The natural surrounds that make up the Venturin-owned working cattle station include vast wetlands, dry savanna, paperbarks, flocks of magpie geese and brolgas, and saltwater crocodiles.
“There is no doubt that Finniss River Lodge will be a birdwatcher’s paradise and for camera enthusiasts, the photogenic early morning mists, spectacular sunsets and natural fauna will be out of this world,” Mr Hurley said.
“Added to this, there is the opportunity for guests to immerse themselves in station life, participate in wild adventures, airboat rides, barramundi fishing, or learn about and discover Indigenous culture in nearby Litchfield National Park … We want our guests to have immersive and unforgettable experiences and that means providing a range of extraordinary activities with exceptional guides. Learning bush survival skills and hunter-gathering dinner ingredients will be all part of our Finniss River Lodge story.”
Prices will begin at $1200 per person – inclusive of all meals, selected beverages, and activities – per day based on twin-share accommodation.
Finniss River Lodge will open on May 1.
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