Departure: Pick up at 6.00 AM from your accommodation in Darwin urban area. It is a private tour, not sharing the car with strangers. Mattia will welcome you with a Barista coffee or tea ready in the car. We are going to drive for 50 minutes along the Stuart Highway, turning to the Arnhem Highway. We are going to drive along the famous rural area of Humpty Doo and we will stop for Breakfast in Fogg Dam.
Fogg Dam is one of the most accessible places in the Northern Territory (NT) to experience spectacular wetlands and wildlife throughout the year.
If you're a keen bird watcher, there are often a variety of birds around the dam wall.
It is also a haven for water pythons, freshwater turtles, and other wildlife.
Fogg Dam has one of the world's highest biomass of predator (water pythons) to prey (dusky rats) ratio. They make their homes in the cracked mud during the hot Dry Season from August to October, while waiting for the rains.
There are several walks through monsoon and floodplain habitats.
Fogg Dam is located on the traditional lands of the Limilngan-Wulna people, who are active in the reserve's management.
After breakfast we are back in the car and We will stop at the Kakadu welcome sign for a photo after 90-minute drive. Kakadu is dual-listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List for its outstanding natural and cultural values. People aren’t exaggerating when they refer to Kakadu as a world-class destination – only a few dozen sites around the globe appear on the World Heritage List for both their natural and cultural significance (and only four places in Australia).The park is a living cultural landscape. Its archaeological sites record the skills and way of life of Aboriginal people over tens of thousands of years. Kakadu’s rock art documents Indigenous creation stories and makes up one of the longest historical records of any group of people in the world. Kakadu’s ancient escarpment and stone country spans more than two billion years of geological history. It’s rivers and coastal floodplains are more dynamic environments, shaped by changing sea levels and big floods every tropical summer.Kakadu National Park was first added to the World Heritage List in 1981, with further areas added in 1987, 1992 and 2011.
Now we are officially into the Kakadu, we still have 1 hour drive to get to our first walk of the day, at Ubirr. We are going to visit the most important art site of the National Park, learning about the creation beings of this Country. As the Rainbow serpent, Mabayu or the crocodile sisters. We are going to climb the top of the Hill because the most beautiful lookout of Kakadu is waiting for us.
After Ubirr we are going to see the legendary Cahills crossing, the only path to Arnhem land.
Now it is time to drive to Nourlangie.
Here you’ll find some of the world’s oldest and most impressive rock art, and spectacular views of the Arnhem Land escarpment.
Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) is one reason why Kakadu is World Heritage-listed for outstanding cultural values. This famous site, with its stunning rock paintings, documents life in the region from 20,000 years ago to the first contact with European explorers.
This 1.5 km walk invites you to take a visual journey through time to an outdoor cultural museum where paintings, shelters and artefacts present traditional ways of life from numerous epochs.
Soak up the serenity of Anbangbang Billabong on this short circular walk with Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) forming a spectacular backdrop.
This is an easy, quiet walk through savanna woodlands and paperbark forest, all framing a billabong teeming with bird life. Anbangbang Billabong is an incredible part of Kakadu, relaxing and inspiring at any time of the day.
We are going to end our Kakadu visit at Nawurlandja lookout!
Clambering up this short, steep rock slope will take your breath away!
Nawurlandja lookout offers world-class views across Anbangbang Billabong to Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) and the Arnhem Land escarpment.
The vistas are impressive all year round. Whether you venture out first thing in the morning or late in the afternoon, you won’t be disappointed. This peaceful spot is a great place to sit and take in the scenery at sunset or watch dramatic storms roll in during the tropical summer.
Once you reach the top of the walk, look out across the sea of savanna woodlands to where they meet the sheer cliff face of the Arnhem Land escarpment. The endless view is a fantastic taste of the grand scale that is Kakadu.
Time to be back at the Hotel for dinner (Mercure Crocodile Hotel, or Cooinda Lodge, based on avaliabilty).
On our second day early wake up and breakfast!
Today we have two options, Jim Jim falls or Yellow Water Cruise.
Yellow Water for your scenic cruise.
Enjoy a one and a half hour wildlife cruise on Yellow Water, a lush tropical billabong located in Kakadu National Park.
This tranquil wetland is home to a diversity of flora and fauna. Watch as native birds rest among waterlilies, see saltwater crocodiles, wild horses and wallabies in their natural habitats and discover why this unspoiled wilderness is a World Heritage listed landmark.
After the cruise Mattia Will pick you up from the Yellow water, going to the Warrandjan culture Centre for toilet stop and a visit to the culture Centre.
or
Indulge your sense of adventure in the Jim Jim region, home to towering stone escarpments and mighty waterfalls.This is a special place to connect with an ancient land and its Indigenous culture. Whether the falls are raging with water in the 'Wet' season, or the merest trickle in the 'Dry', this majestic waterfall is a sight to behold. As Kakadu’s biggest waterfall, set in the red ochre of the Arnhem Land escarpment and boasting white sandy beaches and crystal clear water, it is worth the 900 metre walk through a monsoon forest and over boulders to arrive at a deep plunge pool surrounded by spectacular 150 metre high cliffs. Jim Jim Falls has graced many calendars, books and television program's and is a must see for all visitors to Kakadu National Park. Access to Jim Jim is via an unsealed road (suitable only for 4WD vehicles) that is generally open from the end of May through to early October.We are going to have Lunch at Jim Jim falls campground, ready for the last 7 km of wild 4wd and our 50 minutes difficult walk to the main plunge pool. 20 minutes of swim and back.
We are going to head to Maguk, 1.5 hours away for another swim. One of Kakadu’s lesser-known attractions, Maguk is a pristine natural waterfall and plunge pool at the base of steep gorge walls.Spot the spangled drongos and rainbow pitas in the rainforest, swim with the black bream in the plunge pool and marvel at the majestic endemic Anbinik trees along the rocky slopes.Located an hour’s drive south from Cooinda, Maguk is accessed from a 14km four-wheel drive track off the Kakadu Highway, followed by a 1km walk through monsoon forests, crossing Barramundi Creek. In Maguk we have 30 minutes of moderate walk to the plunge pool, 20 minutes swim and back.
Still 1.5 hours drive to Pine Creek for our complementary dinner. Established in the late 1800s after a gold rush in the area, Pine Creek is located 90km north of Katherine.The town is a treasure trove of heritage bush buildings and mining sites. Echoes of the gold rush days are still evident in the historic Pine Creek Settlement. Gold was discovered at Pine Creek in 1871 by construction workers on the Overland Telegraph Line. There is a small and informative museum and preserved railway station within the township. The township is small but offers a range of accommodation options, including caravan parks and cabins.Many of the original buildings still stand, allowing travelers to soak up some of the old pioneering spirit. Step back in time by driving the Northern Goldfields Loop Heritage trail that takes you from Pine Creek to Adelaide River.After dinner at the Lazy Lizard we are heading back to Darwin (last 2 hours). It will be a long day. Back to Darwin approx. at 9.30 PM.
