Into the wild Northern Territory

Exploring Darwin, Litchfield and Kakadu

The first time I made it to the north of the vast Australian continent was in 2010. The Northern Territory (NT) of Australia with its capital Darwin is known for its tropical climate, incredible wildlife (even for Australian standards) and stunning national parks such as Litchfield and Kakadu. 

Darwin’s tropical savanna climate features similar average maximum temperatures all year around but distinct dry and wet seasons. The best time to travel to the NT is the dry season during the Australian winter between May and September because the humidity is relatively low compared to the summer during which humidity is high and monsoon rains and floods occur frequently. We had booked to go there in October, and even though some people warned us that it might be too hot and humid, we actually found it was the perfect time to travel up north. Everything was cheaper (including flights); there were barely any other travellers around which meant we didn’t need to prebook anything, the night markets were still on and water levels were low after the dry season – which means for e.g. Litchfield Park: No crocodiles. But more about that later. 

We took a Virgin flight from Perth to Darwin which was on sale for half price and we got it even cheaper because we used up some flight vouchers we had from COVID times. After resting up one night in Darwin, we picked up our four-wheel-drive (4WD) with a rooftop tent which we had rented from Camplify. Camplify in short is like Airbnb but for camping vehicles of all sorts that are rented out by private vehicle owners. I’ve used it twice and found that it was great. Our rental called “Adventure Rig” was a 2001 Nissan Patrol featuring everything and more than we needed for the trip – from fridges and a rooftop tent to binoculars for bird watching. It had to be driven no faster than 110 km/h for it not to overheat but we thoroughly enjoyed cruising in the robust ride. 

Greeted by a bush fire 

Our initial plan was to go first to Kakadu via the Arnhem Highway and then loop around to Litchfield. Not long after leaving, near a place called Middle Point, we saw lots of smoke coming from the fields. A bushfire had erupted right next to the road. We slowly drove through what we thought would be one patch of very dense smoke – only to realise that there was another smoky spot coming up. And another. And another. By that time we were both freaked out and also in disbelief that the road would still be open in this condition, as the fire had obviously been going on for a while. When we came across a patch of open flames right next to the road that nearly reached the height of the car, us and some other cars turned around to get the hell out of there. 

A bit shaken we stopped at the Humpty Doo Hotel to reassess our plans. And do what we should have done before, which is checking bushfire alerts across the NT. The fire we had just passed through had literally just been upgraded from level one (“Advice”) to level two (“Watch and Act”). Since there are only three levels, and the third one is “Emergency Warning”, we decided we’d loop around the other way and go to Litchfield first. 

Litchfield National Park 

Litchfield National Park is a relatively small but mighty place just over an hour from Darwin with stunning waterfalls and waterholes.It’s beautiful on a hot day because in comparison to most other places in the NT, it is relatively safe to swim in Litchfield. It’s not advisable to swim in most other open waters in the NT because many of them are inhibited by one of the world’s most dangerous predators, the saltwater crocodile. 

Crocodiles living in the NT are distinguished between the smaller and timid freshwater crocodiles, who can live in any stream or water hole but don’t usually attack humans. Whilst they can bite and cause injury, no human fatalities are known to have been caused by this species. Saltwater crocodiles on the other hand can grow to up to six metres long and are notoriously dangerous. 

Rangers in the NT are doing what they can to keep waterholes free of crocodiles e.g. by catching and releasing them elsewhere, but it’s very important to read the signage. We learnt that swimming in Litchfield is fine most times especially after the dry season because water levels are low and Litchfield sits on a plateau so the crocs who move through water don’t get there, especially during that time. 

Wangi Falls 

We camped at Wangi Falls, a stunning waterhole with twin falls. A hike takes visitors to the top of the waterfall through the canopy of a cooling rainforest. The campground is walking distance from the water, and after a beautiful dip at sunset, we retreated to our site for our first night in the wild north. We quickly found out that the crocs aren’t the only difference to Western Australia as far as the wildlife goes. There are lots of bugs, spiders, venomous toads and even massive fruit bats. When a huge grasshopper nearly the size of my hand repeatedly landed on us and then joined a huge swarm of insects that circled around our only light, we thought it was a good time to hit the hay for a warm but bearable night. 

Florence Falls, Buley Rockhole and Tolmer Falls 

Waking up to already humid weather, we went straight to the water for a dip then took a shower in the surprisingly neat shower block on the site – especially considering the campground is only 15 AUD (9 EUR/8 GBP) per person and per night (sites have to be pre-booked online). On route to Kakadu, we visited other beautiful sites in the park, namely Florence Creek and Florence Falls, as well as Buley Rockhole, a series of smaller waterholes situated in a stream with little waterfalls, which we simply loved. We spent quite a while there, relaxing in the cool stream, jumping into the water, and enjoying the views. Tolmer Falls plunges from quite high up into a beautiful, green canyon. It’s not possible to access the canyon but you can hike along the top. We admired the falls from the viewing platform but had to give the hike a miss as well as the four-wheel-drive tracks in the park because we simply didn’t have the time (plus we were alone and four-wheel-driving in remote areas is best done with another car in case help is needed). But we will definitely be back. 

Del Lago Resort at Lake Bennett 

Before entering Kakadu we spent the night at the Del Lago Resort at Lake Bennett (AUD 149 / 89 EUR / 77 GBP per room and per night), an artificial lake that is perfect for a swim, a kayak and just relaxing in the pool overlooking the lake. The resort has recently changed owners who have been breathing new life into the place since taking over. It was the perfect spot for a layover, a hearty dinner of Chicken Parmi and a few cocktails for us before heading back into the national parks. 

Kakadu National Park 

The world heritage site of Kakadu is Australia’s second largest national park, covering 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres from east to west, which makes it roughly the size of Wales. The name most likely originates from the aboriginal language spoken in the north-western part of the park, “Gaagudju”, which was misunderstood to be “Kakadu” by western explorers. Indigenous tribes and people have lived in the Kakadu area for around 60,000 years, and Kakadu National Park is still home to over 5,000 recorded art sites illustrating Aboriginal culture. 

Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) 

Since we entered the park from the south end, our first stop was the waterhole of Maguk (also called Barramundi Gorge). It can be reached via a short, 15-20 minute walk along a scenic stream with crystal clear waters and rocks, surrounded by lush monsoon rainforest. This walk alone was magic, and a bit scary with croc warning signs very apparent and the walk being very close to the stream. Where the water almost hits the boardwalk, steel fences make sure visitors are protected. 

Nourlangie rock shelters 

En route to our campsite, we stopped over at Burrungkuy (Nourlangie), one of the two main rock art sites in the park. A walkway takes visitors past rock shelters in which the ancient wall art can be admired. It’s hard to believe that some of these are thousands of years old. Rangers lead guided walks and talks at the rock art site during the dry season for those that want to learn more. 

Yellow Water Cruise 

We had contemplated camping close to Nourlangie that night but were talked out of it by a girl we had met at the Del Lago Resort. Most campsites in Kakadu, especially those close to water, attract bugs to the point where it’s near impossible to sit outside at night. So we headed to the beautiful Cooinda Lodge instead – also because we were told by another couple that we had met in Litchfield that their favourite activity was the Yellow Water Cruise, bookable at this lodge. They had recommended we book the sunrise cruise at 6:40 am – the first one of the day. Luckily, upon our arrival, we managed to get the last two seats on the cruise for the next morning. 

Our plan to camp went swiftly out of the window when we found a special offer for beautiful glamping tents on booking.com. So instead of crawling into our rooftop tent, we spent the night in a beautifully furnished safari tent, for only 180 AUD (107 EUR / 94 GBP) instead of high season prices of 400-500 AUD (May – September). 

The next morning started bright and early with pick up from the lodge bus station to drive five minutes to board the cruise. The Yellow Water wetlands are part of the South Alligator River system (Kakadu is located within the Alligator Rivers region which contains the East, West, and South Alligator Rivers). The sun had only just come up when the boat started gliding through the calm waterways. The vast wetlands opened up in front of us, brimming with life. Water lilies line the shores of the river. Their waterproof leaves collect little puddles of water. Birds were walking on the water lilies, their long thin legs and feet light and stable on the floating ground. We saw probably twenty crocodiles, floating past us, eying us up suspiciously and probably hungry, or lazing and camouflaging in the mud. It was truly magical. Our witty tour guide, an indigenous man called Glenn, shared his vast amount of knowledge around the area and the wildlife with us and made us laugh. Every other time we spotted a crocodile, he casually said “that’ll kill ya”. He theatrically and with great enthusiasm described the way crocodiles eat their prey – “chomp chomp”. We learnt from him that crocodiles don’t have sharp teeth but the strongest known bite force of the entire animal kingdom, which they use to crush their prey to bite sized chunks before they swallow it. He also explained to us that any hoofed animal in the area is sadly not native to Australia and therefore poses a threat to a balanced ecosystem. This applies to wild horses, water buffalos, wild pigs and donkeys roaming Kakadu National Park.

Kakadu Cultural Tours 

When lazing in the pool at Cooinda, we met a tour guide who told us about another cruise that he warmly recommended, Kakadu Cultural Tours. We didn’t get to do it as it would have been too much but have it firmly on the list for next time. This tour delves deeper into culture and mythology of aboriginal people in the area, also including bush foods, plants and bush survival skills. These people have survived for thousands of years under the harshest conditions. I can’t wait for them to share a glimpse of this incredible knowledge with me.  

More crocodile watching at Cahill Crossing  

Our next stop after this incredible start of the day was Cahill Crossing. Since we couldn’t get enough of the croc action, this had to be on our list. Cahill Crossing is described as “Australia’s most dangerous water crossing”. The river floods the street into the indigenous Arnhem Land especially at high tide. Going into Arnhem Land is not allowed for people that don’t live there, or that aren’t going as part of a tour. So those that cross the river will have to turn back right after. Several warning signs point out that people shouldn’t walk across the crossing – around 200 saltwater crocodiles live in the area and we could see at least five simultaneously at any given moment. A viewing platform is a safe place to watch the crocs as well as those that drive through. At least five people have been killed at this spot, one of them was decapitated when he fell into the river in 1987 while fishing. He supposedly threw a beer can to fend off the five-metre crocodile approaching him. One could say, only in Australia. 

I was quite astonished to see how reckless people were acting amongst these predators. In the hour we spent on the viewing platform, we saw a guy fishing on the rocks with several crocs lingering just metres away from him. A small car crossed the river with two young indigenous fellas walking ahead with sticks to check the water depth. Thankfully they got away. 

Sunset and rock art at Ubirr 

When we had seen enough dangerous behaviour for the day, we moved on to a more peaceful spot for sunset: Ubirr. With even more incredible rock art than Nourlangie, visitors can hike up to the lookout to see the sunset. We spent a good few hours taking in the peaceful scenery, watching a family of wild pigs roaming the lands in the far distance and admiring the 360 degree views of the flat landscape ahead and rolling hills behind us. All we could hear was the quiet chatter of a handful of other sunset junkies, and some bird sounds. 

As soon as the sun set, we headed down the rock. It’s important not to linger for too long as the rangers close off the area at night. We spent the night at Aurora Kakadu Lodge Campground in the township of Jabiru, another lucky find. We were amongst even fewer guests than at Cooinda Lodge, and had the pool completely to ourselves. And as much as we love our wilderness campsites, in these temperatures it was definitely worth paying just a little extra to have a pool and decent amenities (30 AUD (17 EUR / 15 GBP)) per night and per person to camp at the campsite).  

Mamukala Wetlands

We were already nearing the end of our trip when we stopped over at the Mamukala Wetlands on our way to the Arnhem Highway back to Darwin the next day. These vast plains are home to countless bird species. A boardwalk invites visitors to walk around it, and static binoculars bring visitors closer to the abundance of birds in this area. 

Jumping Crocodile Cruise 

Also en route to Darwin, near where we had encountered the bush fire on our first day, is the Original Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Cruise. I had done this 14 years ago when I was still on my working holiday visa in Australia and absolutely loved it. The company has two boats, on the first trip I was on the larger, two-storey boat which is probably better suited for families and kids. This time, we boarded the close encounter boat. The Jumping Crocodile Cruise bears its name because the tour guides hang rods with meat attached to the ropes over board and the crocs literally jump out of the water to grab those. When I say jump, they thrust themselves out of the water with the help of their front and back legs as well as their tail, some so far that the majority of their body is visible. As the close encounter boat is quite low in the water, the crocodiles really do come close, so much so that I backed off my seat at one point because I really felt that one of the larger crocs was eying us up instead of the rod with the meat. The tour guides know most of the crocodiles so the tour is as informative as it is simply sensational. 

Darwin 

The two last days of our trip was spent in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. Whilst we contemplated during the roadtrip if it had really been a good idea to spend two nights in town, it soon turned out that here as well, two nights simply didn’t do it justice. Some people refer to Darwin as just a drinking hole at best, a shit hole at worst, neither of us could echo this sentiment in the slightest. A week in the Northern Territory barely scratched the surface, and this applied to the capital as much as it did to the rural areas. 

We stayed at the H on Smith Street (rooms available from 150 AUD / 90 EUR / 78 GBP), a decent, no fuss hotel with a pool close to the main restaurants and pubs, many of which can be found on Mitchell Street. There are many beautiful beaches in Darwin which are unfortunately out of bounds for swimming unless you wish to encounter a saltwater crocodile. There is a man-made beach at Darwin’s waterfront district which also features a wave pool and many restaurants if one fancies a dip. Berry Springs, just an hour out of Darwin, is another beautiful spot for swimming in a natural stream. However, for those that just fancy the sight of the ocean, there are many beautiful beaches to see and walk along, such as Nightcliff and Mindil Beach.

The month of October is the last month of the year during which the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets are on. These Asian-style night markets run every Thursday and Sunday between 4 and 9 pm from May until the last October weekend. They feature local produce as well as many different food stalls, a fireshow and Asian massage parlours, just to name a few highlights. I recommend starting the evening with a few delicious cocktails at the nearby Mindil Beach Casino, watch the sunset at Mindil Beach then explore the markets. Which is exactly what we did 🙂 There are many other markets all over Darwin which we’ll have to check out next time. 

We also happened to be around during the Laksa Festival which was on for all of October. Different restaurants offering Laksa (a Malaysian spicy coconut noodle soup) were competing to be awarded the best laksa of the year. 2021 and 2022 winners were Chok’s Place in the city’s mall, so that’s where we headed to have what truly was the best laksa I have ever had. 

Most of the remainder of our time was spent on Mitchell Street, drinking some lovely pints of beer and listening to live music from The Ovulators (yes you heard me) in a hidden gem with a beautiful beer garden called Bustard Town and Shenanigans – the local Irish pub. We may or may not have done a karaoke duet one night but unfortunately I have lost all footage from the night 😉 At least some of what happens in Darwin stays in Darwin.