Escape on an outback safari from Darwin to Kakadu National Park. Spend time with the Traditional Owners of Wulna Country to learn about their culture, go bird and croc spotting in the lush Mary River and see traditional rock art in Ubirr. Climb high to look down on the Nardab Floodplain and then find refuge from the tropical heat in the swimming holes of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. Discover the history of the First Peoples of Australia at Anbangbang and cruise through the towering rock walls of Katherine Gorge. The reds of the soil and orange of the sunsets will leave you with a lasting impression of the Territory’s beauty and biodiversity.
Travel Season: April to October
Arrive Darwin and check in at hotel
Stay overnight in Darwin
Welcome to the Northern Territory! Your adventure begins in the tropical city of Darwin. Set off from Darwin and head south to Lichfield National Park, a huge sandstone plateau with dozens of waterfalls. Explore Florence Falls, Wangi Falls and the Buley Rockholes. After a picnic lunch, stroll through steamy rainforests and cool off with a dip in one of Litchfield's picturesque swimming holes. We then hit the road to Wulna Country, where your Limilngan-Wulna hosts – the land’s Traditional Owners – will greet you with a Cul Cul or ‘Welcome to Country’. Learn about their culture during bush tucker talks and didgeridoo and basket weaving demonstrations. Enjoy a camp dinner before climbing into bed at private campsite in the Mary River region.
~ Accommodation: Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities)
~ Total driving time: approximately 5.5 hours (approximately 400 km)
~ Total walking time: approximately 45 minutes
After breakfast this morning, head to onto the water on wildlife cruise in the Mary River Wetlands, a network of waterways home to crocodiles and native bird species. Kakadu National Park and discover ancient Aboriginal rock art in Ubirr. Your guide will lead an interpretive cultural walk through the numerous rock galleries, before you climb to the top of a lookout for views over the Nardab floodplain. Tonight, relax by the pool at the Kakadu campground and enjoy a group dinner.
~ Accommodation: Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities)
~ Total driving time: approximately 6.5 hours (approximately 550 km)
~ Total walking time: approximately 2 hours
This morning you have the option to take a scenic flight over Kakadu (at your own expense). The flight takes in views over the Arnhem Land escarpment, vast flood plains and billabongs. Later spend time exploring Kakadu’s other major Aboriginal rock art site – Nourlangie (Burrunggui), while your guide provides a glimpse into how the local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live. After lunch head south and stop to visit the historic gold-mining centre of Pine Creek. Stop for a quick dip at Maguk or Gunlom Falls, before continuing on to Katherine, where you'll settle in for the night at a private campsite near Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge).
~ Accommodation: Permanent tented camp (with shared facilities)
~ Total driving time: approximately 5.5 hours (approximately 400 km)
~ Total walking time: approximately 1 hour
Depending on the season, head out on a morning cruise along the inky waters of Katherine Gorge, or canoe between red rock walls that are up to 70 meters high (both of these activities are optional and at your own expense). This 23 million-year-old landscape was formed by the Katherine River, which flows from Arnhem Land out to the Timor Sea. After lunch we head to the beautiful Edith falls for one last refreshing swim in the huge plunge pool before we hit the road back to Darwin, where your adventure comes to an end on arrival. Stay overnight in Darwin
~ Total driving time: approximately 5 hours (approximately 400 km)
~ Total walking time: approximately 1 hour
Depart Darwin and proceed to your onward destination