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Bullo River Station
The FISHING
Fishing is a favourite pastime at Bullo, with early mornings and late afternoons the perfect time to drop a line into the glassy Bullo waters.
The wild Bullo River winds 80 km through the station, offering tidal and freshwater fishing. Whilst renowned for our barramundi, there are plenty of other fish to try your hand at catching.
Our guides are available to take novices through to professional anglers to experience some of the Top End’s best fishing and maybe show you a local trick or two! You can fish from the boats or the river bank. Quality fishing gear is supplied and included in the nightly rate.
We do operate a catch and release policy to protect fish stocks.
Set on 400,000 acres of privately owned land at the convergence of the Bullo and Victoria Rivers, Bullo River Station is a working cattle station in the Northern Territory, near the Western Australian border.
A visit to Bullo River Station is an authentic cattle station experience.
Whether it’s a day filled with dust, sweat and the exhilaration of station life or spent exploring stunning landscapes and waterfalls, swimming in remote waterholes, fishing for barramundi and discovering Aboriginal rock art and wildlife, the Bullo River experience is unlike any other.
THERE’S ALWAYS TIME TO CAST A LINE
THE STATION
A working cattle station and homestead covering 400,000 acres of the Northern Territory, our station operates in harmony with the land, balancing sustainable farming methods with best-practice land management. Pristine landscapes carved with gorges, decorated with waterfalls, and defined by the Victoria and Bullo rivers, make Bullo River Station one of the most breathtakingly beautiful cattle stations in Australia.
The list of daily tasks needed to manage the 3,000-strong Brahman-cross herd across almost half a million acres can look exhausting, however, it’s certainly interesting and lots of fun.
You’ll get out on the station in four-wheel vehicle drives, activities include bore checks, lick runs, and cattle yard work. There are poddy calves to be fed and muster training to do. Or take a farm tour to learn about everything we do. We invite you to join the Keeping the Lights On tour to learn everything about how a remote cattle station operates.
Cattle mustering is seasonal over the dry season, weather dependant, and guests are welcome to watch.
OUR CATTLE STATION ORIGINS AND THE PIONEERING SPIRIT OF THE STOCKMEN STILL RESONATE WITH OUR TEAM TODAY.
A pastoral lease for Bullo River Valley Station was granted in late 1959, bringing about the arrival of pastoralists, stockmen and women who faced oppressive conditions and isolation. They poured their blood sweat and tears into developing Bullo into a viable cattle station.
Although we are still compiling a great deal of Bullo’s early history, it is clear through early imagery that Aboriginal people worked at the station, contributing to its early development. The Aboriginal men were known to be expert stockmen, with a unique talent for finding wayward stock.
The number and breeds of cattle have changed over the years, as have the stockmen who mustered across the valleys. The homestead and station activities have expanded and modernised, but the spirit of the bushmen and women who pioneered cattle in the outback remains in our team today.
CRUISE THE BULLO
The Bullo River Gorge is a stunning location that can only be taken in from a boat. The river banks are lined with mangroves, fig trees and pandanus, while the red cliffs tower over the water.
We know of one resident crocodile but regularly see smaller freshies sunning themselves on the riverbank.
When you come to Bullo, it’s only natural to spend some pleasurable hours on our namesake river. Our electric motor boat takes you through the gorge at a relaxed pace so you can decide to drop a line or just take in the scenery.
STAR GAZING
With minimal light pollution, Bullo River Station is the perfect place to explore the stars. Gaze through the telescopes or just the naked eye, to reveal the wonders of our expansive night sky.
Discover more about our solar system as you identify the Milky Way’s Giant Emu and other constellations.
BIRDS & WILDLIFE
Birds, wallabies, crocodiles, goannas, and other reptiles are native to the station. The cool mornings and evenings are the best time to see the wildlife as they congregate at the water’s edge.
One of the world’s two known populations of pygmy crocodile is found on the Bullo River. This elusive reptile is a rare but delightful sight.
The station is a bird watcher’s paradise with around 200 resident and migratory bird species spotted on the property. Just before sunrise, you’ll hear the raucous call of the Blue-winged Kookaburra starting up, followed by a chorus of noisy Sulpher-crested Cockatoos, Masked Lapwings, and Honeyeaters. It’s a hotspot for finches, with more than ten species found here including the exquisite Star Finch, and the colourful and threatened Gouldian Finch.
BOUNDED BY ABUNDANT WATERHOLES, BILLABONGS, AND SEASONAL CREEKS
European Arrival
Rock art on the property is evidence that First Nations people lived in the area hundreds, if not thousands of years before the arrival of European settlers. At the time Europeans arrived, there were at least 11 language groups and up to 16,500 indigenous people living on Miriwoong and Gajirrawoong country. (“Invaders of a peaceful country”: Aborigines and explorers on the lower Victoria River, Northern Territory’, Darrell Lewis, 2005)
1906
A document dated 1906 shows an attempt to carve up the land where Bullo River Station now stands and surrounding land into farming permits.
1960
Pastoral Lease No. 568 was granted to Raymond and Barbara Locke, and officially came to be on 1 June 1960, covering 3,528 square km (1,352 square miles), for ‘Bullo River Valley Station’, with 1,000 head of Shorthorn cattle.
1961
The first airstrip became operational, opening up easier access to the Station, particularly for a fortnightly mail service.
1962
Stockman ringer, Ernie Rayner, carves his name and date into a large boab tree during a particularly difficult muster, where they had to walk up to 700 cattle around the Victoria River. Peter Williams (R.M William’s son) later also left his name on one of our trees.
1963
An attempt to move live cattle by boat up the Victoria River was made. 60-80 bulls were taken by barge to Darwin. This remains the only attempt at water transfers. The property was also sold to Charles and Sara Henderson. They went to live in the US between 1966 – 1971, with Charles’ cousin, Gus Trippe, involved as part owner during that time.
1986
Charles Henderson died, leaving Sara to run the heavily indebted station with her daughters, Marlee, Bonnie and Danielle. Sara was awarded Qantas-Bulletin Business Woman of the Year in 1991 for her management of Bullo.
2001
Sara’s daughter, Marlee Ranacher and husband, Franz, took over running the station, with approximately 7,000 head of cattle. Marlee and Franz opened Bullo River Station to tourism.
2017
After one year’s ownership by Grant Farris and Grant McLeary, the property was sold to Julian and Alexandra Burt.
2018 & Beyond
Cattle numbers have been reduced to around 3,500 to assist with the rehabilitation of land. Some grazing areas have been returned to native bush to increase wildlife populations.
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