A Kakadu Adventure

Location:
Australia

Outback camping excursion

By Megan Manni

I landed in Darwin, in Australia’s “Top End.” Darwin is the capital of the sparsely populated Northern Territory. I wanted to experience the real outback, but I was warned against going alone so I had booked a camping trip to Kakadu National Park. Darwin is only 12 degrees below the equator, and I had come from a chilly Perth at 6 a.m. so I arrived wearing pants and long sleeves. As soon as I stepped out of the airport I was hit with a suffocating wall of heat, I immediately retreated to change clothes.

I stayed at The Cavenagh hostel, and tried to find solace at the pool. The sun is stronger in Australia to begin with, and the humidity in Darwin is such that sweating is guaranteed. Darwin is like Miami without the glitz. Its turquoise ocean is like a forbidden oasis as it is infested with carnivorous estuarine/salt water crocodiles or “salties,” and sharks.

I made sure to come well-prepared. I had done six months worth of reading and research on Australia and brought U.S. Army-strength insect repellant cream and clothing-treatment spray, top-notch hiking boots and a water jug with a cooling case.

The tour guide of our 3-day excursion picked everyone up at 6 a.m. I was the lone American amongst travelers from England, Ireland, Holland, Switzerland, Denmark and Romania. As the ten of us rode the 125 miles to Kakadu, I saw a strange road sign – a black circle with a slash through it denoting the absence of a speed limit. What a dream for me that would be, lead foot driver that I am!

The Top End doesn’t have four seasons, it has two: the Wet, and the Dry. During the Wet, in the Austral summer, there are heavy downpours daily and it’s impossible to get around because roads are cut off. As luck would have it I planned my visit for April, the tail end of the Wet when roads were opening up and waterfalls were still raging. We did make it through one still-flooded road in our SUV and towed camper, trudging slowly but surely through almost 2 feet of water. I’m thankful for Australian automotive innovations: the exhaust pipe sticks upward from the hood by the front passenger side window.

Kakadu is wide open bushland, said to be half the size of Switzerland. We mostly passed over red rocky roads, although there are one or two “sealed” highways. There’s no sound but those from animals and birds. We saw fewer animals than expected, but once in awhile an eagle, a donkey, a dingo, some kangaroos or wallabies passed by.

Our days were spent climbing, hiking, swimming at the base of waterfalls, boldly passing signs saying, “Danger: Crocodiles.” We did lots of driving along the park roads while blasting U2 and Red Hot Chili Peppers – universal favorites. We set up our tents during the day, explored Kakadu during the afternoon, and stopped at lookout points to see the most gorgeous sunsets before returning back to our camp to make dinner and sleep heavily before waking again at 7 a.m.

One of the waterfalls was in a gorge, and after a swim in the pool at the base our guide led us upward. We climbed up huge, dangerously steep rocks to get to another rock pool and waterfall, and I relied heavily on my bare foot’s grip on the rock itself. Our guide coaxed me across the actual falls when I became stranded. We were so high up, and I was doing this sopping wet in a bathingsuit. I thought to myself, “One slip and it's over!” As I look back, I can honestly say I was so petrified I don’t know how I did it. We took a short swim at the top of the falls and I remember hoping I wouldn’t lose my footing all the way down.

We climbed Nourlangie Rock, toured Ubirr Rock and its ancient Aboriginal drawings, and continued upward for breathtaking views over the East Alligator River floodplain. We stopped at Corroboree Billabong for a croc-sighting cruise, saw beautiful flora and waterfowl and even spotted some freshwater crocs with their narrow snouts. The infamous salties that were known to live there must have been out to lunch.

Before bed one night, we went out snake spotting. Snakes mostly come out after dark when it’s cooler and easier to hunt. We searched the unsealed roads, and found a deadly brown snake already dead and a harmless small children's python, both about a foot and a half long. I passed up holding the mini python myself, but a few of us were brave enough to manhandle it.

All in all we drove in the shape of a giant 7 through Kakadu, stopping at Motorcar Falls, Kurundi, Boulder Falls, and a couple cultural centres. We hiked through 100 degree heat and bonded over sights, climbs and swim breaks. Through a trip like this, I guess you just have to know to be prepared, take plenty of water, and be ready for anything.

Further Information

Travel tips: Bring a huge jug of water and a portable way to keep it cool, high SPF sunscreen, a towel, a swimsuit, a camera, top-notch hiking boots and a hat.

Must see/do at this place: Hike, camp out in a tent, cook over an open fire, respect the wildlife, swim beneath a waterfall, enjoy the view.

You should avoid here: Reptiles.