Part way there we stopped in at "Windows of the Wetlands" which is an interactive information centre detailing the history, seasons and wildlife of Kakadu National Park.
Upon entering Kakadu we stopped at Mamukala for our first glimpse of the Kakadu wetlands.
We then headed into the small town of Jabiru and after a quick stop at the National Park info centre we headed north to Ubirr.
Ubirr:
Setting up at Merl campground we then drove up to Ubirr and scaled the rocky outcrop to witness a truly awesome sunset over the wetlands and views into Arnhem Land.
The next morning we drove out to Ubirr again and joined a ranger lead tour exploring much of the Aboriginal rock art. We had no idea of the amount of rock art in Kakadu, it seemed every flat surface, under every overhanging rock had some amazing artwork dating back thousands of years. The stories passed down through generations were amazing.
We also stopped at Cahills Crossing on the East Alligator River which is the border between Kakadu and Arnhem Land. There we watched people fishing for the elusive Barramundi and spotted a couple of big salt water crocodiles.
That afternoon at the campground the girls joined a workshop lead by some local Aboriginal women on how to prepare, dye and weave baskets from the leaves of the Pandana tree.
Late in the afternoon we packed up and headed south to our next camp at Mirabella Park which we intended to use as a base to explore some of the more iconic Kakadu attractions, Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls.
Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls:
Leaving the camper behind we headed off to Jim Jim Falls. The road started wide and corrugated but after about 50km it became a narrow winding goat track crossing many dry creek beds. Once we arrived at the car park we hiked up the rocky trail, scaling massive boulders to finally reach the huge round plunge pool at the bottom of a towering water fall...a truly amazing sight.
At this time of year the water fall is a small but steady stream plunging the 100 or so metres to the pool below but in wet season it is transformed into a raging torrent. It's hard to even imagine as we look at it now but the massive boulders stacked up on one another gives a pretty good idea of the forces at work.
After seeing a crocodile in the river on the hike in, none of us felt the need to go for a swim and as the sun barely reaches the pool the water was very cold.
After hiking back to the car we drove another 11km to the Twin Falls trail head, on the way crossing our deepest river to date (700mm).
The hike to Twin Falls consists of a 200m rocky path, a 500m boat ride up the river followed by a 500m walk along a pontoon bridge then scrambling over some rocks.
On completion we were greeted by a beautiful set of water falls cascading into a large pool with a sandy beach. Unfortunately no swimming here due to saltwater crocodiles (torture as it looked so inviting).
Cooinda:
Our next stop in Kakadu was Cooinda. This is an indigenous owned and run resort and caters for all manner of tourists from campers like us to self contained bungalows and hotel rooms. It is situated on Yellow Waters, a billabong off the Alligator River and is home to large variety of birdlife, crocodiles and rare sightings of buffalo and wild horses. We had booked a Yellow Waters Sunset cruise and a highly anticipated "boys only" fishing tour.
The sunset cruise was amazing and didn't disappoint seeing crocodiles, Jabiru, Brolga and all sorts of other birds. The sun setting over the billabong was breathtaking.
As Nath and I set off at 6:45am on the fishing tour we were discouraged by the guide saying that the fishing had been pretty poor this year. However, that didn't last long with Nath landing two decent size barramundi (unfortunately both just under the 550mm limit) and me landing a good size Saratoga (never heard of it before). Nath was beaming and loved every minute even if we didn't get to keep a fish.
As it happens Liz and the girls were able to go on the Yellow Waters sunrise tour. The mist rising over the water during sunrise was somewhat surreal. Again they saw Jabiru, Brolga, Crocodiles and wild horses.
This tour also included a buffet breakfast which was very much appreciated and devoured heartily by all.
Maguk and Gunlom:
Leaving Cooinda we kept heading south within Kakadu and stopped in at Maguk falls (we had heard that the upper pool was spectacular but the track was hard to find). We hiked into the lower pool which was very inviting.
However, we resisted the urge to swim and back tracked along the path we had come until Nath spotted a small clearing and path on the other side of the creek. We were soon trekking up and around the cliffs and made it to the upper pools and they certainly were spectacular and swim worth the hike.
With the sun sinking we set about getting back to the car with the intent of making it to Gunlom camp ground for the night. Being late in the day a lot of animals started to come out close to the roads which was a little concerning for me driving but to the delight of Liz and the kids. We saw Red Kangaroos, a heard of Buffalo, Wild Horses and Donkey's.
On the road into Gunlom we saw first hand what can happen on these corrugated, loose dirt roads (looked as if the accident had occurred a day or so prior).
Darkness fell before we made it to Gunlom camp ground so we pulled into Kambolgie Creek camp ground. It was in the middle of nowhere and only had two other campers which was great. After setting up in the dark and a quick dinner we all collapsed into bed and fell asleep listening to a Dingo howl not far away.
In the morning we left the camper and drove the remaining 37km to Gunlom. At Gunlom, yes you guessed it, is another towering water fall and pool (this one starred in the Crocodile Dundee movie). We hiked to the pools above the falls which has a natural infinity pool with views looking out over south Kakadu.
From Gunlom we returned to the camper and continued south leaving Kakadu National Park.
At Kakadu we enjoyed learning more about the indigenous history and were encouraged to see the indigenous and white fella's working together for the good of the people, culture and National Park.
Travel Log:
Darwin to Cooinda: 552 km
Total Trip: 13,778 km
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