Tropical summer adventure – 5 days

Thundering waterfalls, spectacular floodplains and astonishing wildlife. Connect with nature and an ancient living culture. 

Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) and Nawurlandja

Get going early to take in the Northern Territory on your way to Kakadu.

Stop at Fogg Dam Conservation Area to see rare wetland birds. Pop into Bowali Visitor Centre to quiz staff about the park and discuss your trip. Stroll through the nature displays and watch a Kakadu documentary.

Head to Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) rock art site and Kunwarddehwardde lookout (1 km return walk). Wind your way through shaded rock shelters, an ancient occupational shelter and several outstanding rock art sites, discovering the way life used to be for Bininj.

Climb nearby Nawurlandja Lookout for fantastic views of the escarpment and a magical spot for sunset.

Stay overnight in Jabiru at one of the campgrounds, hotels, lodges or cabins. Refuel and restock at the supermarket and dine at one of the fantastic restaurants for some locally-inspired cuisine.

During the tropical summer the landscape is a lush green, the rivers, creeks and billabongs are brimming and the spectacular waterfalls are flowing. The best way to see country at this time is by air and getting out on the water.

Join a Guluyambi Wet Season Tour & Cruise for a for a journey by boat and an exclusive guided tour to Ubirr rock art site. Your Aboriginal guide will give you an insight into culture and bush survival skills in this enormous park.

Return to Jabiru and stretch your legs with a peaceful walk around the Jabiru Lake – take a picnic lunch with you.

Take a scenic flight from Jabiru Airport and experience the grandeur of Australia’s largest national park and Kakadu’s iconic waterfalls in full-flow.

During the tropical summer roads can be flooded, so check access before heading to Ubirr in your own vehicle. Between 1 December and 31 March the rock art site is open between 2:00 pm and sunset. At Ubirr, the moderate walk passes some of Kakadu’s best rock art before a climb to Ubirr lookout. Here you’ll stop to soak up one of Kakadu’s most stunning views – a 360-degree panorama of the Nadab floodplain, complete with colourful sunset.

After all the fantastic fresh air, enjoy dinner and get an early night in Jabiru, ready for an early start.

Start the day gliding over the wetlands, then walk through shady monsoon forest pools to escape the heat of the day.

Leave Jabiru at 5.45 am and drive 45 minutes to Yellow Water (Ngurrungurrudjba) for an unforgettable sunrise cruise through this wetland area of international significance followed by breakfast. Float through paperbark forests and past carpets of lotus lilies. Don’t forget your camera!

Around mid-morning visit the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre for a fascinating explanation of Kakadu’s living cultural heritage and European history. You’ll see many artefacts, hear about kinship and personal stories from local Bininj/Mungguy (the Aboriginal people of Kakadu).

Next stop is Kubara pools walk in the Burrungkuy (Nourlangie region). This moderate 6 km return walk takes you through savanna woodlands and past rugged sandstone cliffs to beautiful monsoon forest pools. Listen to the birdlife and marvel at the many different plants, including the tiny sundew, flowering lilies and grevilleas.

Note: Be Crocwise – no swimming

Return to Jabiru for dinner and relax by the pool at Aurora Kakadu Lodge.

An extended bushwalk today through sandstone country and past ancient rock art galleries will immerse you in Kakadu’s natural and cultural wonders.

Leave Jabiru early and head for Burrungkuy (Nourlangie Rock). Walk past the rock art site towards Kunwarddehwardde lookout and take a left turn for the Barrk Sandstone Walk. This is a difficult 12 km walk that takes you right to the top of the sandstone outlier that is Burrungkuy. Once you reach the top, take a break and enjoy the view before traversing through sandstone heath country and across rocky outcrops. Descend on the far side of the outlier and start heading back along the marked track through the woodlands. Time for a lunch break when you reach the ancient Nanguluwurr rock art site.

Take plenty of water, a hat, sturdy footwear, a picnic lunch and some healthy snacks. This is not an easy walk – don’t embark on this walk alone, let a responsible person know where you’re going and when to expect you back.

You still have time for a spot of fishing in the afternoon, return to Cooinda and book a tour.

Stay at Cooinda Lodge and enjoy barramundi at the bistro. You can refuel and purchase snacks and supplies here for your last day.

On your last day farewell the wetlands and say hello to stone country. This is the home of Kakadu’s Jawoyn Traditional Owners.

Leave Cooinda in the morning with a packed lunch and experience Gungurul (2 km return walk). This serene walk takes you up a moderate climb to a lookout with views across the spectacular South Alligator River valley. You can also drop into Bukbukluk Lookout (400 m easy loop walk) for beautiful vistas of Kakadu’s southern hills and ridges. Keep an eye out for birds and wallabies.

If you have a 4WD, follow the gravel Gimbat road to Yurmikmik and pick a route from the interconnected walks in the area to Boulder Creek (2 km return) or Motor Car Falls (7.5 km return walk). Sit and enjoy a picnic lunch in a truly unspoilt wilderness.

Stop at Mary River Ranger Station to see old mining relics and read stories about the fight for land rights in the area by Jawoyn people.

Say farewell to Kakadu and relax on the 3 hour drive back to Darwin.