MEDIA RELEASE 13 November 2005

Does the train go to Maningrida?

MEDIA RELEASE – NOVEMBER 2005

Does the train go to Maningrida?

In announcing the winner of the evening’s major award, the Brolga’s MC referred to the prize that accompanied it: a three-day train trip aboard the luxurious Chairman’s Carriage on The Ghan.

“The winner’s not from Alice Springs,” he said. “And not from Darwin either.

“Does the train go to Maningrida?” he asked.

According to Alex Julius, “Right then, I looked to the ceiling and uttered ‘Oh no! It’s happening’.”

The MC announced the winner as the Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge and three adjoining tables, occupied by the staff and support team of the remote-area Lodge, simply erupted.

“We were still getting over winning the Brolga in the hotly-contested Adventure Tourism section, but taking out the overall award was something that none of us had dared to even contemplate,” Mr Julius said.

Arnhem Land is the largest Aboriginal land reserve in the Australia. In a class of its own, the unique Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge is situated near the Aboriginal community of Maningrida, approximately 300 km north-east of Darwin in Australia's Northern Territory.

A joint venture with the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation, the Arnhemland Barramundi Nature Lodge caters primarily for anglers seeking an incredible remote-area barramundi and sport fishing experience.

The Lodge also offers fascinating Aboriginal culture tours utilising traditional custodians. These provide guests with a genuine experience of seasonal subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering, and exclusive viewing of ancestral rock art.

“Our first clients went to the Lodge only in April last year, so you can imagine how overwhelmed Lindsay and I, our families and staff, and Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation CEO, Ian Munroe, were when we won the big one,” Mr Julius said.

“Our success is a combination of a great team, both at our Howard Springs office and up at the Lodge, our commitment to providing the highest level of service possible in such a remote area, and our close, mutually-beneficial relationship with our joint-venture partner, the Bawinanga Aboriginal Corporation and the Maningrida community in general.” Mr Julius said.