The Unesco World Heritage Kakadu National Park is Australia’s largest
national park, stretching more than 100km from the east to the west and
more
than 200km from the north to the south.
It has a wide range of habitats
from
savannah grasslands to monsoonal rainforests and the richest wildlife
in the Northern
Territory. It has also got some of the most famous Aboriginal rock art
in Australia.
Aerial of the park. Poster by AllPosters. Click on
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Geology
The biggest geological feature of Kakadu is the Arnhem Land Escarpment
– a 200m-high sandstone
cliff range that stretches some 500km through
the eastern Kakadu and forms the natural border to Arnhem Land in the
east. You
can reach this eastern part of the park either via Arnhem Hwy from Darwin,
or via Kakadu Hwy from Katherine.
Escarpment. Poster by AllPosters. Click on
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Combine Kakadu National Park with Other Famous Places
Vegetation
More than 80% of Kakadu National Park is covered by pandanus
and savannah woodlands. Other habitats include open grasslands, eucalypt
forests, monsoon rainforests, wetlands and
billabongs, all containing plenty of wildlife.
Plants. Poster by AllPosters.
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Wetland Birds
There are more than 280 species of birds in Kakadu National Park –
finches, parrots,
honeyeaters, and migrant birds during the
wet. Ducks and magpie geese can be seen in huge flocks, and large, up
to 150cm-tall brolgas
and jabirus
walk around as they
look for food on the grasslands and in the shallow water.
Birdlife. Poster
by AllPosters.
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Animals
Animals include 65 species of mammals such as wallabies
and wallaroos,
quolls
and bandicoots;
120 species of reptiles
including lizards, freshwater turtles
and goannas; 25 species of frogs;
55
species of freshwater fish; and both of Australia’s two species of crocodiles.
Crocodile. Poster
by
AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy.
Ubirr and its Aboriginal Rock Painting
There are three visitor information centres in the park: Bowali on
Kakadu Highway, Wadjarran Aboriginal Cultural Centre near Cooinda, and
the Northern Land Council Office and Jabiru Travel Centre in Jabiru –
the largest settlement in the park, which also
has a bank, a post office, a supermarket, a medical centre, a
newsagency
and a service station. North of Jabiru is Ubirr, known for its
Aboriginal
art examples and spectacular views from Narab Lookout.
Nourlangerie Rock. Poster by
AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy.
Nourlangie Rock and the Aboriginal Art Examples
South of Ubirr is Nourlangie Rock, a spectacular part of the Arnhem
Land Escarpment, the start of which can be seen from the nearby
Gunwarddewardde Lookout. There is also a 12km walk, Barrk walk, on top
of the Nourlangie Rock, but Nourlangie Rock is most famous for its Aboriginal
art in Anbangbang rock shelter that feature
aboriginal
animal art. This is
one of the best and most accessible
aboriginal
rock painting of
Kakadu’s 5000 others, many of which are
50,000 years old.
Aboriginal rock painting. Poster
by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy.
Yellow Water and Australian Crocodiles
Southwest of the Nourlangie Rock, across the Kakadu Hwy is the famous
Yellow Water waterhole next to Cooinda. A Yellow Water Boat Trip is a
great way to
see the large crocodiles and lots of wetland birds in Kakadu
National Park.
Jim Jim. Poster
by
AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy.
Jim Jim, Twin and Gunlom Falls
South from Yellow Water are the beautiful Jim Jim Falls
and Twin Falls. Both are nice for a
cooling swim and
best seen in the early Dry Season when plenty of water is still running
down
the falls. Both waterfalls are only reachable during the Dry Season.
Swimming in the Twin Falls is only permitted at the top of the
escarpment, due to the freshwater crocodiles in the Twin Fall Gorge.
Another excellent swimming hole is further south off the Kakadu Hwy at Gunlom
Falls, where there is also a campsite.
Gunlom. Poster
by AllPosters.
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Other Camping in Kakadu
Other places where you can camp in the bush are at Koolpin Gorge,
Maguk, Giyamungkurr, Jim Jim Billabong (not the same as Jim Jim Falls),
Sandy Billabong, Yellow Water, Red Lily Billabong, Alligator Billabong,
Burdulba, Malabanjbandju, Meri, Two Mile Hole, Four Mile Hole and West
Alligator Head.
Gunlom Falls. Poster by
AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy.
Other Accommodation in Kakadu Australia
Tour on Yellow Waters. Poster by AllPosters.
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Here's a map of Kakadu National Park,
where I
have
tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on
the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the
map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move
around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth,
click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.
Note:
This site uses
British English, which is the English we use in Australia. You will
find words like "traveller", "harbour" and "realise", and they are all
correct in the language used in Australia.
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best efforts have been made to ensure
that all the information on this site is correct,
gondwananet.com is not to be blamed should there be a mistake.
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