Kakadu: Northern Oasis of Australia

The Northern Territory is mostly a dry and desolate place in Australia, featuring long, deep red sand deserts and rocky out crops. It truly is an amazing sight to see.

Heading to the north you reach Darwin, sitting on the edge of the sea, featured in the recent film 'Australia'. Darwin holds a lot of history for Australia as it was very nearly the place we're Australia go invaded in World War II. It is now a flourishing city with beautiful beaches and accommodation.

However in this article I'm going to cover a place to the East called Kakadu National Park. Kakadu gets it's name from 'Gagudju' which was the Aboriginal floodplains language spoken back when it was discoverd by white men.

Kakadu has a tropical climate, meaning that is really had just to seasons, the dry season and the wet season. During the wet season the park literally floods to 3 metres above the ground, it is something I have always wanted to see. I have only been during the dry season so this is what I'm going to talk about in this article. This really is my favourite place in Australia, hope you enjoy the rest of the hub.

I'm going to start with my favourite parts of Kakadu, the swimming holes. There are others hidden about but these two are my favourite.

Maguk (Barramundi Falls)

Imagine getting off the hot bus in the 30ºC heat, sweat sticking to the back of your shirt. 'Grab your towels guys!', calls out your tour guide. You follow him from the carpark down a dirt path, the shade is refreshing and the air smells sweet. Your guide leads you down a set of stairs that plunge into a gorge, following him down you see wallabies sitting on the rocks looking at you.

Reaching the bottom of the stairs you follow your guide along another path, you can hear a water fall now. As you continue walking the water fall grows louder and louder and then coming out of the trees you see it... two waterfalls cascading down into a pool of clear blue water. You jump in, the water is beautiful and refreshing, not cold at all. Swimming towards the water falls you notice dozens of tiny fish swimming around you. The waterfall is loud and you get sprayed as you get closer and closer. Ducking under the water you come up into a small space on the other side were you can catch your breath and think about just how lucky you are to be here.

Gunlom Falls (Plunge Pool)

I can remember the first time I traveled to Gunlom falls, entering the park we passed a sign that said 'Beware of Crocodiles!'. I must say that it certainly got me to keep my wits about me. Although I saw no crocodiles I will take a moment to talk about them.

The main pool at Gunlom is huge and so deep you cannot see the bottom. The water is crisp and cool and is beautiful on a hot sunny day. The secret though is the pools at the top of the waterfall. A short 1km up hill trek will take you around to the top pools. Here, out of the hustle and bustle of the other tourists you can slip into the several crystal clear pools to cool down. The view from the top of the water fall is quite simply amazing. You can also take a short walk further up the creek and explore some more pools.

There are also camping facilities here, so it is a good place to camp for the night and get the cooking on an open fire experience.

While swimming is my favourite thing to do, there are definitely a few other places you should check out.

Yellow Water Billabong

Taking a cruise down Yellow Water in the afternoon is relaxing and an action packed adventure at the same time. You will finally get to see some of those crocodiles I was talking about, including some big salties basking along the banks in the hot sun. I have also seen wild pigs, wallabies, hundreds of birds and even a buffalo. On the way back as the dun sets you will see where this place gets it's name as the water reflects up a brilliant yellow light. They say it has something to do with the pollens on one of the local plants.

Ubirr

The site is one of the best aboriginal rock sites in Kakadu. Try to time your visit with a ranger guide to get all the fantastic stories behind the artwork. At the end of the trail is a worn pathway up a rock outcrop. At the top of the rocks you are greeted with a fantastic view of the local plains. During the wet season, the plains disappear and all you can see is miles of water.

Bowali Visitor Centre

Get some much needed information on the history of Kakadu. Lots of interactive displays in this open museum building. Make sure you hit up the souvenir shop for some presents for the family back home.

Katherine Gorge

Just 300km south of Darwin, Katherine Gorge is worth a day or half day trip down from Kakadu. Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk National Park) can be enjoyed many different ways.

• Take a boat cruise up 2 or 3 of the gorges.
• Take an overhead scenic flight in a helicopter.
• Walk along the over 100km of walking tracks along and around the gorge.
• Or the best way, hire a canoe and paddle you way up the gorges. Take your time, bring some food and stop on one of the small sandy beaches to relax ans soak up the beauty of heaven on earth.