Journey into the Northern Territory's rugged Top End on this short but sweet four-day tour. Learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander legends and customs during the Top Didj cultural experience, 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.
Itinerary:
Day 1: Darwin - Mary River via Litchfield National Park
Welcome to the Northern Territory’s tropical capital. Leave Darwin in the early morning and travel to Litchfield National Park, home to dozens of freshwater waterfalls, tropical rainforest and crystal-clear swimming holes. Don’t forget your swim suit as there will be plenty of time to enjoy a refreshing dip or two as you visit Florence Falls and Buley Rockholes. Enjoy a lovely picnic before travelling on to Wangi Falls for a final swim and leisurely stroll through the monsoon forest. After a full first day, retire to your campsite for the evening with a hearty dinner, where all tents are twin-share and come with a proper bed.
Total driving time: about five-and-a-half hours
Accommodation
Included Activities
Optional Activities
Meals
Day 2: Kakadu National Park: Ubirr & Barramundi Gorge
Start the day with a wildlife cruise in the Mary River Wetlands, a network of waterways home to crocodiles and native bird species. In giving Kakadu National Park World Heritage-listing, UNESCO described it as a ‘living cultural landscape with exceptional natural and cultural values’. The Traditional Owners have lived here for more than 50,000 years, to which the ancient rock paintings of Ubirr can attest. Your guide will explain the significance of these artworks during an interpretative cultural walk that finishes on a rocky escarpment overlooking the Nardab Floodplain.
Note: Total driving time today is around five hours. Total walking time is up to three and- a-half hours, depending on the trails taken.
Accommodation
Included Activities
Optional Activities
Meals
Day 3: Kakadu - Katherine
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).
Note: Total driving time is about five and a half hours (approximately 400kms)
Total walking time is approximately one hour
Accommodation
Included Activities
Optional Activities
Meals
Day 4: Katherine Gorge - Darwin
Back in the day (ok, it was 23 million years ago), the Katherine River flowed all the way from Arnhem Land to the Timor Sea. These days, the waters have subsided significantly: the Katherine River now flows along hemmed in on both sides by cliffs 70 metres high. It’s the highlight attraction of Nitmiluk National Park though, and you’ll have the opportunity to cruise through it by canoe or boat. 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. Perhaps enjoy one final group dinner in town and toast to your adventure with your new friends.
Note: Total driving time today is around four-and-a-half hours. Total walking time is up to three-and-a-half hours, depending on the group's choice of optional activities.
Included Activities
Optional Activities
Meals