Bark Hut Inn in the Northern Territory up for grabs
An iconic Northern Territory tourist park is up for grabs, after being vacant for more than 18 months.
The Bark Hut Inn, 120 kilometres south-east of Darwin, is being marketed as a “rare opportunity to gain a foothold in the tourism industry” in the Top End.
The site had been a tourist attraction and served visitors on the way to and from Kakadu National Park for more than 35 years. It features a pub, dining area, petrol station, tourist gift shop, caravan park and campground.
It has a price guide of about $1.5 million and was suited to local buyers looking to continue the site’s same operation, said agent Steve Liebelt, from RuralCo Property.
The Inn is on about 55 hectares of land. Photo: Supplied
“We’re looking at probably domestic buyers who have some knowledge of the property and its past history,” Mr Liebelt said. “The owner wants the buyer to maintain the focus on tourism and hospitality, and doesn’t want it turned into something showy and glitzy. It needs to retain its character.”
The site, on about 55 hectares, is located halfway along the Arnhem Highway, which is the main access to Kakadu National Park.
“It has catered for a large number of recreational fishermen and is well located on the Arnhem Highway between Kakadu and Darwin, so it was already a popular stopover for coaches and tourists,” Mr Liebelt said. “It’s certainly a Territory icon.”
The place had been closed for the past 18 months after Mr Liebelt said the leaseholder had chosen to pursue other business interests.
The property has cabin accommodation as well as sites for camping and caravans. Photo: Supplied
“The owner of the freehold on the property has had it leased for a large number of years,” he said. “The lessees who were in it decided to opt out of it for reasons associated with their own businesses apart from the Bark Hut. Since that date it has remained closed.
“The owner doesn’t want to operate it himself so he’s keen to see another operator get it up and trading again.”
But the information on the listing also hints at other reasons for the closure.
The “relationships between the landlord and the tenant became untenable so the tenant removed their assets and vacated the premises leaving the property and the building to the landlord” it reads.
Mr Liebelt said the property would be suitable for a wide range of buyers, including those looking to establish a public bar and bistro, motel and cabin accommodation or a caravan and camping park. And it had already received a good level of interest.
“These sort of properties sometimes takes 12 months to sell so we’re pretty happy with the level of inquiry.”
The Bark Hut Inn on the Arnhem Highway, before it was closed in 2016. Photo: Supplied
The large site features a number of powered sites, double and family villas with ensuites, along with a pool, and has previously played host to “Jack the Buffalo” and a range of other animals.
The hut was originally built by Terry Baldwin in the 1960s after he bought the Annaburroo Station, and it became a popular tourist attraction following the construction of the Arnhem Highway in the 1980s.
Its previous manager created controversy in 2016 after deciding to fly in an entire workforce of friends and family from South Australia.
