| 4WD
tours : Tours to Jim Jim and Twin Falls, Maguk and Gunlom leave from Jabiru
and Cooinda, in the Dry season (May to October) if you drive into the park by
conventional two wheel drive. Nth
Entrance RegionMamukala
Wetlands:Mamukala is a wetlands observation platform with well presented
information. Beautiful all year round, it is at its most dramatic in the late
Dry Season, when thousands of Magpie Geese congregate to feed. Choose from a 1km
to 3km walk to see more of the wetlands. Open all year round, entry is free. Gungarre
Monsoon walk : Surrounding Kakadu Resort Gungarre Monsoon forest and billabong
walk takes you through a monsoon forest, along the edge of a billabong and finally
through fringing woodlands. View plant life and Aboriginal use of plants from
the three habitats, monsoonal vine forest, floodplain and woodland. The walk is
open all year round, is 3.0km and takes up to 1.5 hours. Two
Mile Hole & Four Mile Hole : Designated camping areas besides two billabongs
that have abundant wildlife especially late in the dry season. Bowali
Visitor Centre : This excellent (both in design and content) information centre
displays information from both the Gukburlerri (Aboriginal) and Guhbele (non-Aboriginal
perspective). Information includes audio visual displays, park notes and the latest
information on ranger lead walks at many of the sites. Translations are in four
languages. The complex includes a café and gift shop. Open: Daily 8am to
5pm. Phone: (08) 8938 1120, Admission is free. Ranger
Uranium Mine : Located 4km out from Jabiru Ranger Uranium Mine run daily tours
of what is visually an unimpressive operation. The tour itself focuses on informing
visitors of the safety and environmental measures that are in place to protect
the surrounding National Park. Open: Tours at 9.15am, 10.15am, 1.15pm & 2.30pm;
Phone: 08 8979 2411. East
Alligator RegionEast
Alligator River : An attractive stretch of river that forms the boundary between
Kakadu and Arnhem Land. A commercial boat cruise is available, and a boat ramp
is located both upstream and downstream of the crossing. Boat Hire is available
from the Border Store at reasonable rates. Cruising along this stretch of river
is one of the highlights of a visit to Kakadu yet little known by mainstream tourists. Crossing
the East Alligator River at Cahills crossing is not permitted unless you have
a permit. A good reason is required. (See Northern Land Council 08 8979 2410).
If you do have a Permit, be very careful crossing this river. Despite the signs
warning of the danger including photos, every year vehicles get washed away. The
river is tidal so a few hours wait can save you much heartache. Tides at Cahills
Crossing are about six hours behind Darwin Tides. The
whole region is only accessible during the dry because the Magela Creek floods
the road on the way in. Guluyambi
Aboriginal Culture Cruise : This cruise gives visitors the opportunity to
see the spectacular escarpment and rock paintings at Arnhemland's edge. Guides
on the cruise are local aboriginal people who explain some of the local customs.
The cruise gives you a chance to set foot, albeit briefly, on Arnhemland. You
are certain to see crocodiles on this cruise. Bookings recommended. A recommended
attraction. Allow: 90 mins Phone: 1800 089 113 Ubirr
: The rock-galleries at Ubirr are one of the world's best known collections
of ancient art. The paintings illustrate the rich food resources of the wetlands.
Fish, lizards and marsupials including the now extinct Tasmanian Tiger. The Lookout
offers a beautiful view across the East Alligator wetland especially at Sunset.
Ranger talks usually correspond with the sunset and bus tour operators are encouraged
not to visit at this time. A recommended attraction and a recommended time to
visit. Bill Neidjie one of the most famous Aboriginal people in Kakadu lives in
this area and occasionally comes up to the rock. Open: 8.30 am - Sunset (1st May
- 30th Nov) 2.00 pm - Sunset (1st Dec - 30th Apr) Bushwalking
: Four walking tracks ranging from the easy 1 km walk at Ubirr to a 8 km trip
that takes approximately 3 hrs return through escarpment along the East Alligator
River. For a summary of the walks refer Park Brochure "Walking tracks in
Kakadu" . The 1 hr Bardedjilidji walk leads to the rocky outcrops of Arnhemland
and is one of Kakadu's best short walks. A recommended attraction. Don't forget
water and sun protection. Nourlangie
DistrictNourlangie
Rock : Kakadu's most accessible and therefore most visited site. It includes
the Anbangbang Rock Shelter, where there is evidence of occupation stretching
back twenty thousand years. The Anbangbang Gallery, nearby, depicts the dramatic
figures of Nabulwinjbulwinj, Namarrgon (the Lightning Man) and his wife Barrkinj.
A 1.5 km circular walk will
take you past an ancient Aboriginal shelter and several outstanding art sites.
There is also a moderately steep climb to Gunwarddehwardde lookout, which provides
impressive views of Kakadu's escarpment and Nourlangie Rock. Open 7.30am to 5.00pm
daily all year round. Cost: entry is free and rangers conduct guided talks of
the area Anbangbang Billabong
: Anbangbang Billabong is nearby Nourlangie Rock with a picnic site and dense
carpet of lilies. Nanguluwar
Art Site : This art site is a flat 4 km, 1.5 hr walk from Nourlangie Rock.
The fact that the access road is very corrugated and doesn't get tour buses means
the art site sees fewer visitors. Nanguluwur includes images from the Contact
period when Aborigines first encountered explorers and settlers. Nawulandja
Lookout : Nawulandja Lookout looks onto the imposing hulk of Nourlangie Rock
itself, which looms over Anbangbang Billabong. During the Dry, a two-and-a-half-kilometre
track circumvents the billabong. Gubara
: Gubara or Burdulba Springs, an unsealed 13 km off the Nourlangie road, is
a string of small pools along a palm-shaded creek, itself a hot forty-minute walk
from the car park. Warradjan
Aboriginal Cultural Centre : Like the Bowali Information Centre, this centre
was recently refit by the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. The centre was
constructed to give insight into the culture of the park's traditional owners.
The building itself is circular, which is a symbol for the way the Aboriginal
people sit in a circle when having a meeting. The shape is also reminiscent of
the warradjan (pig nosed turtle) hence the name. Inside, the displays depict creation
stories when the first people laid out the land and the laws. Its
an excellent display, with crafts made by the local people as well as audio visual
displays. There is also a craft shop selling locally made items such as didgeridoos
and T-shirts Signs invite
the visitor to move through the display, as a Rainbow Serpent (creation ancestor)
moves through the country. Open: daily from 8.30am - 5pm.Cost: entry is free.
Yellow Waters : Yellow
Water Billabong lies 6.5 km off the Kakadu Highway near Cooinda. A pristine environment
which supports a wonderful variety of plants, birds and animals. Boardwalks and
cruises (either 1.5 hrs or 2 hrs) are very popular providing great views of the
abounding wildlife. Open daily, however check for boardwalk access, and entry
is free. Yellow Water
Cruises : From the car park here, a short walk leads along the edge of the
billabong, from where popular cruises (five daily; book in advance on 08 8979
0145). The early-morning cruise catches the lagoon and wildlife at their best:
heat-of-the-day tours are thirty minutes shorter and a few dollars cheaper. Jim
Jim & Southern RegionBilbilkimbi
- Graveside Gorge (4x4) : A beautiful and remote part of the park that is
accessed via a difficult 4WD track. A very attractive rockhole with the opportunity
for a refreshing swim in one of the many crystal clear waterholes upstream. This
is a very remote and pristine area and much of the walking is "cross-country".
You can spend all day exploring, swimming with plenty of opportunity for bird
watching, photography or simply relaxing in this peaceful wilderness area. The
area is best explored by camping and bushwalking over a couple of days but makes
a good day trip. Gunlom
Plunge Pool (Waterfall Creek Falls):Not as well known as Jim Jim and Twin
Falls but Gunlom is well worth the visit. A serene waterfall and plunge pool.
Has camping facilities, fresh water, toilets and a picnic area with fireplace
The falls don't flow all
year round, the flat land below the escarpment leads to a billabong and creek.
Neither can be swum in because of the risk of crocodiles. The park rangers clear
the crocodiles out of the main plunge pool at the end of the wet so that it can
be used for swimming There
is a steep path to the top of the falls revealing more plunge pools and a spectacular
view of the Arnhemland Escarpment. Open:
From April to November. Cost: Entry is free but camping fees apply. Guratba
(Coronation Hill) : A picnic site on the South Alligator River, this is the
site of a former uranium mine. To local Jawoyn Aborigines this area is traditionally
"Sickness Country", suggesting that even in its natural state uranium
proved harmful to human health. Jim
Jim & Twin Falls (4x4) These
two falls are the most advertised in the Top End and are worth visiting; Access
to both falls is off the Kakadu Hwy along a relatively challenging 4WD track.
The last 10 km to the Jim Jim campsite is slow sand. A further 10 km of 4WD track
takes you out to Twin Falls - but first you must cross the Jim Jim Creek. a guided
crossing between white posts is available but check water level before crossing. Allow
two hours driving time one way to Jim Jim a further 3/4 hr to Twin Falls. Jim
Jim Falls cascades over 200m straight off the edge of the escarpment and are best
visited in the early Dry, as soon as the road reopens - as they often stop flowing
later in the season and will certainly look less impressive. A rocky, one-kilometre
trail leads alongside the large pool to the base of the falls. Twin
Falls is a rough ten-kilometre drive from Jim Jim, including the crossing of Jim
Jim Creek. From the car park it's a short walk to an newly constructed walkway
which makes it more accessible for tourists. Historically you need to swim as
much as 800m to get to the falls. Please note both falls quickly become inaccessible
after the first big rains. During
the dry the rock formations are still worth seeing, but the spouting, raging,
foaming torrent of water that makes the falls such a wonderful sight is often
missing. Open for 4WD access
only from June to November. Koolpin
Gorge (4x4) : A beautiful gorge, but access is limited to keep it in its pristine
wilderness state. The creek flows down several hundred feet. A permit and entry
key must be organised in advance. Open for 4WD access only from May to November,
a deposit for the entry key is required. The key is available from the Southern
Entry Station on the Pine Creek road where you must leave a $50 deposit. The track
to the gorge is a challenging 4WD track, ending just before the actual gorge which
begins 1km upstream and continues deep into the escarpment. You can camp here
or follow the escarpment on foot to the northwest for 3 km to the narrow chasm
of Freezing Gorge which, you'll be pleased to discover, lives up to its name.
Maguk (Barramundi Gorge)
(4x4) : Maguk is a small yet spectacular waterfall and clear plunge pool 2
km walk from the car park through monsoon forest. Considered to be the best of
Kakadu's few swimming holes and well worth the trip time permitting. Several picturesque
picnic areas can be found in this area, as well as other smaller plunge pools
and waterfalls set in monsoonal forest. It is 12 km off the Kakadu Hwy along a
corrugated 4WD track. Driven carefully, robust 2WD cars can manage the twelve-kilometre
corrugated track albeit very slowly. Open
May to November. The top of the waterfall and more rock pools can be reached by
clambering up the tree roots to the right of the falls. | 
