Kakadu National Park

Our first stop was Edith Falls. We weren't quite prepared for how beautiful it was. There is an amazing waterhole and gorge walk but we had planned to stay our first night at Gunlom Falls campground which was still some way away so had to keep moving. We all agreed however that we'd stop here for a night on our way back. The Kakadu, Darwin, Litchfield part of the trip is one big loop. We decided to go anti-clockwise from Katherine, north through the bottom of Kakadu, onto Darwin, then back through Litchfield to Katherine again.

We arrived at the Gunlom turnoff quickly but realised the trip down to the falls would not be so quick. We pulled over to lower the tyre pressures. The track in was quite corrugated with the last 10kms being slow going with a lot of washouts, drop offs and soft sand. The campground down there is fantastic with showers, toilets and fresh water if you need it and big open spaces. I couldn't believe how many 2wd rental cars full of backpackers there were. That track was not easy and would have dome some major damage. But nothing drives like a hire car I guess…

Bottom of Gunlom falls. Only a trickle over the falls!

After setting up we did some exploring to get a feel for the area. The water hole at the foot of the falls is just beautiful. We also saw there was a steep track leading up to the top of the falls where you can also swim. It was a warm day so we waited till after lunch to tackle the track. We reached the top and were quite hot so a swim in the cool water was a welcome relief. We spent about an hour exploring around the top of the falls before heading back down in the cool of the afternoon. We then went for a swim in the water hole at the bottom.

View out from the top of the falls

We met another family from Brisbane here. We chatted for a while and exchanged information. They coincidentally had come through outback North Western Qld along the track we were headed so some of the information they gave us was invaluable. We invited them over for a drink that night. They brought some scones so whilst we chatted the kids played board games in the camper together. It was a lovely evening. This is what I really love about travelling. Everyone, whilst very different, are all kindred spirits on the road. Seeking out new experiences, having adventures and helping each other on the way.

We only stayed the one night at Gunlom. The next day we headed back out to Cooinda in the middle of the park. It was a fairly short trip in so we were setup before lunch in shady site with power. Cooinda has a caravan park attached to a resort. Nice big pool, dining facilities and day trips out to various sites. Cooinda is right on the famous Yellow Water Billabong.

On our first afternoon we drove up to Nourlangie to attend several free ranger talks. There are six rangers in the park who travel around giving talks about the significance of various cultural sites in the park. Our guide Joel was excellent, providing a deeper insight into the culture of the aborigines. We attended 3 talks one after the other. The first was in an ancient cave/home. The second was on some rock art with the third being on an escarpment overlooking the woodland plains right up to Arnhem Land. All the talks were fascinating which we all really enjoyed. On our way back to camp we popped into the Angbangbang Billabong to try and catch a glimpse of the local large saltie. We didn't see him but the birdlife was amazing.

Ancient rock art

Angbangbang Billabong

The next day we were up early for the sunrise cruise on Yellow Water. The morning was surprisingly cool. The billabong was shrouded in fog hanging low on the water which didn't clear until the sun rose higher in the sky. It gave a real sense of mystery and drama to the cruise. Everyone in the boat was quiet just taking in the eerie silence until it was shattered by an angry bird we disturbed or a 4m saltwater crocodile cruising beside the boat trying to work out who they'd like to eat for breakfast!

We saw heaps of birds, crocodiles, wild brumbies and a huge water buffalo. The cruise went for a couple of hours and was well worth it. We arrived back at the resort around 9am and lined up for the buffet breakfast which was part of the cruise. We were all starving and stuffed ourselves.

Lachie and I went fishing that afternoon back on Yellow Water without success. I thought it was pretty rich of the resort taking our money with virtually no chance of catching a barra. The guide said basically if you catch one it will be a miracle! That afternoon we had a swim in the resort pool and a chat platter for dinner. Unfortunately some french backpackers decided to have a party till 2am which got a bit annoying. Not the first time we'd experience this unfortunately whilst in the NT.

Our time at Cooinda was over so we next headed to Garnamarr campground which is the entry to Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls. The campground was fairly empty when we arrived however there were a few telltale signs of recent feral human activity. A few cans of JD and coke on the ground with a JD and coke carton turned into a makeshift flag on the campsite indicated we may be in for a rough night. More on that later. We setup our camp as far away form them as possible.

After setting up we met the ranger and had a chat about the drive into the 2 falls. She said there was only one deep creek crossing and the track was a bit rough in parts. On her recommendation we drove to Twin Falls first. The track was beautiful and as expected the creek crossing was about 900mm and a lot of fun. We arrived at the carpark and then took the short walk to the river. From here you catch a boat driven by a ranger who drops you at a point a kilometre short of the falls for a walk up. We had timed our run perfectly as there was no-one with us and a large pack of people waiting to catch the boat back so we had the falls to ourselves which made us feel quite privileged. You can't swim here as there is a risk of crocs. To say the falls are beautiful is an understatement. Easily the most beautiful we had seen so far. The water is so clear and the sand so white against the ochre cliffs.

A Barramundi mocks me as I point it out to Grace. No fishing

Cruising up the gorge

Arriving at Twin Falls

We then drove to Jim Jim Falls. The walk in was easy at first then turned to a scramble over huge boulders. It makes you realise the amazing power of the gorge in flood. It looks like the water has just tossed these massive boulders like pebbles around the place. We finally arrived quite puffed but strangely no-one felt like swimming so we just had a snack and a drink listening to the trickle of water. The falls were only small and there was a nice sandy beach as well.

View into Jim Jim Falls

We didn't arrive back at camp until after 5pm and we were all pretty shattered. We had a nice fresh shower and a nice bbq dinner. The campground had filled up a lot and as expected unfortunately the bogans we'd spied were in full voice to late until the ranger was called to shut them up. Many campers let them know about it in the morning as well.

The next morning we had a quick pack and an easy drive up to Jabiru at the top of Kakadu park. Unfortunately I hadn't locked the side draw properly, so on the bumpy track we lost our broom, clothes pegs and Marias water shoes on the trip back up the rough track. Oops!

We had decided to stay at the Kakadu Lodge to recharge batteries and stock up on water instead of camping down at Ubirr or Merl camp. We'd heard from too many people that the mozzies were terrible and the drive there was easy on bitumen.

Yet again we bumped into Paul and Sue which was amazing. We caught up with them for a while then planned our next move. Instead of going to Darwin we decided to go straight to Litchfield the next day as Maria was heading to Sydney for her mum's 80th in a week or so. That afternoon we headed out to Ubirr for some more ranger talks, rock art and of course the famous sunset over the wetlands. Once again the talks were interesting and very informative. We then climbed to the top of the escarpment to watch the sunset. Wow, just spectacular and easily the most picturesque. Even better than some of the Kimberley sunsets I think. We stayed until dark (and the mozzies) then drove back to Kakadu Lodge where we decided to have dinner at the restaurant with Paul and Sue. They came with small gifts for the kids which was really sweet. Our Kakadu adventure had come to an end and what a glorious one. We packed up early the next morning and headed to Batchelor on the edge of Litchfield NP.