4WD Kakadu & Koolpin Tour - Camping
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Day 1: Darwin – Kakadu
Pick up at 8-8:30am from your nominated accommodation in Darwin.
We start our Kakadu tour by heading towards the world heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, with a stopover and the iconic Australiana Bark Hut for quick refreshment.
Stop & enjoy the sights of the tidal East Alligator River with the opportunity to spot some crocs and flying foxes!
Then on to the world famous Ubirr in the North of the park. Some of the best examples of Northern Australian rock art can be found here. Learn about the art from your guide and the meaning behind these special paintings. A climb to the top is rewarded with staggering 360º views over the Nardab Floodplains and into Arnhem Land.
Tonight, we camp at our exclusive safari camp at Mardukal Billabong in the heart of Kakadu. Enjoy sitting around an open campfire enjoying a cool beverage or a toasted marshmallow.
Walking distance: 3 km
Meals: Lunch & dinner
Day 2: Kakadu
After breakfast, we do some 4-wheel driving to Jim Jim Falls. A 1 km walk through the gorge surrounded by towering 200m high sandstone cliffs leads to the impressive plunge pool for a
well-deserved refreshing swim or simply relax on the beach whilst taking in the breathtaking views.
Visit to the Warradjan Cultural Centre is a wonderful opportunity to gain some insight into the traditional owners of Kakadu through interactive displays and demonstrations.
This evening, we will enjoy 2-hour Sunset Cruise on the famous Yellow Waters. Here, we will have the opportunitytheir natural habitat.
We then return to our safari camp at Mardukal Billabong and relax around the campfire after some dinner.
Walking distance: 5 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 3: Kakadu
After some breakfast we then make our way to Maguk (Barramundi Gorge). A 1km hike through a paperbark forest with some rock scrambling leads to the plunge pool for a cool swim in a pristine environment, teeming with black bream and barramundi this is a place like no other.
This afternoon is spent exploring Gunlom Falls in the Southern end of Kakadu. A hike to the top is rewarded with a swim in the naturally occurring infinity pools whilst taking in the panoramic views of Southern Kakadu. The bottom plunge pool and beach are not to be missed, made famous in the Crocodile Dundee movie it’s a great place to relax and soak up the atmosphere of this special place.
Tonight, we camp at Gunlom Falls in tents and swags.
Walking distance: 5 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 4: Kakadu
Today, we spend the entire day exploring the magnificent Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge), the jewel in the crown, this is a special permit access area that is recognised for its cultural and environmental sensitivity.
Territory Expeditions is the only tour operator that can offer regular tours to this area and is grateful to the traditional owners for allowing us to have this opportunity.
The walk up the gorge is a real wilderness walk and requires a proficient level of fitness with great rewards on arrival to some of the National Parks, most spectacular rock pools, waterfalls, and rock landscapes.
This remote location is restricted to only 40 people per day and is home to several endemic species of flora and fauna.
Tonight, we camp back at Gunlom Falls in tents and swags.
Walking distance: 5-8 km
Meals: Breakfast, lunch & dinner
Day 5: Kakadu
This morning, we visit Old Goodparla Homestead, this was one of the first cattle stations occupied by the early pastoralists of the Kakadu region before being declared a national park. A fantastic opportunity to see how Europeans lived and struggled in the early days with many of the remnants remaining, a glimpse into the past.
Then we visit Ikoymarrwa (Moline Rockhole), a special permit area that is spring fed and flows all year round, this is the last opportunity for a swim in Kakadu before preparing for the drive back to Darwin.
Return to Darwin via the historic town of Pine Creek, arriving back in Darwin at approximately 5pm.
Walking distance: 2 km
Meals: Breakfast & lunch.
everse at Guides discretion.
All itineraries are subject to change without notice due to seasonal and extreme weather conditions, national park road or attraction closures and cultural commitments from Traditional owners. All tours must be reconfirmed 24 hrs prior to travel.
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
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We had great conversations and lots of laughs
along the way. Only sorry our tour didn’t include the guitar
Would highly recommend a tour with Rhett
Thanks
Vicky
My only recommendation is to provide more protein for breakfast and less sugary snacks.
The camps were well set up, the parks incredible and had a wonderful time! Highly recommend!!
Our guide Mishka was awesome. Knowledgeable, patient, funny. The hikes are challenging, requiring a good level of fitness and balance. I wouldn’t have had the confidence to do some of hikes on my own but managed to surprise myself under Mishka’s guidance.
Camps are great with clean amenities including hot showers and flushing toilets. There is Telstra service at the camps and Jabiru but not elsewhere.
My fellow trippers were a lot of fun which also contributed to my enjoyment. You spend a lot of time together so it makes a big difference if you get along.
Highly recommend this trip.
Our overnight camping experience had everything we needed to enjoy a comfortable but traditional bush camp experience with the added luxury of hot showers.
A great mix of adventure, culture, walking and swimming in these two stunning National Parks We had a blast!
Day 1: Ubirr
Day 2: Warandjan Cultural Centre, Nawurlundja Lookout, Anbangbang Billabong, Burrungkuy (Nourlangie), the Cooinda Lodge, and the Yellow River Cruise
Day 3: Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) and Ikoymarrwa (Moline Rockhole)
Day 4: Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge)
Day 5: Leliyn (Edith Falls)
Koolpin Gorge was the highlight of this tour and is sufficient reason to select this tour over others that don’t visit this gorge. The views and swimholes at Koolpin were iconic and spectacular. Our group of 11 were the only people there that day.
Days 1 and 2 were smoking hot, and Dan did a good job explaining the rock art to us, which would not have been nearly as interesting without his commentary. We camped at the Mardukal Campground. This was set-up with a communal kitchen tent, several permanent screened buildings with bunk beds, and several portable tents. The campground had a nice central bathroom/shower facility with hot water and flush toilets. We were lucky and there were few mosquitoes, so we enjoyed the evening around the fire.
On Days 3 and 4 we camped at the Moline Golf Course. This was a bit of a surprise as the Mary River Roadhouse is listed as the camp location on the itinerary, but it’s been closed for quite a while. The Moline Golf Course is outside the park but has its own interesting quirks including the outdoor showers, a resident bull, and has good cooking facilities and flush toilets. We slept on bedrolls in portable tents.
Breakfast supplies were provided and we looked after ourselves in the mornings – except for making coffee which was Dan’s specialty. Breakfast was typically cereal and toast with the option to cook bacon if you felt like cleaning the pan. Lunch was typically sandwiches and vegetables/fruit. Supper changed daily and was stir fry, pasta, and steaks/sausages. The food was good and filling. Dan would typically prepare lunch and supper with help from the guests prepping vegetables and washing up.
The tour was excellent, and my 17 year old daughter who was hesitant to go camping with old dad had a great time. The people on the tour were all pleasant, ranging in age from 17 to ~65. The hikes were challenging, and you should be prepared for multiple short hikes in hot weather on rocky terrain with moderate exposure, creek crossings where you hop from rock to rock, as well as be willing to swim in the wonderous waterholes and sit under waterfalls surrounded by spiders!
This tour was everything we hoped for with a great mix of lookouts, gorges, swimming and local knowledge all delivered by our guide and driver Adam. Adams local knowledge was very extensive and he certainly made the tour interesting. We had a great group and the accommodations and food were excellent. The only negative would be the bus - although it did the job it needed to do, it was very tired and at times uncomfortable and does need a little TLC. Saying that I would certainly travel with them again.
For future travellers, expect that you get involved in food preparation, dishwashing and cleaning up. Everyone is expected to pitch in. No room for princesses. All meals were prepared by the group at breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food was varied and plentiful. Dan stopped at a bottle shop on the way to first overnighter, allowing all passengers to gather ample liquid supplies for the 4 nights. Eskies were kept ice filled.
The tour took us to various waterfalls and gorges in Kakadu. A number of these 1-2 km walks are very tough to negotiate due to the tracks being very rocky and not levelled out for the public. The aboriginal artwork was fascinating to see and understand. Our highlight was the cruise on the Yellow Waters billabong getting very close to crocodiles and birdlife.
The tour caters for 12 passengers. On our tour we were the only couple, with one elderly gent, and 8 single young women. We all got along very well. Hint to any single young men thinking about Kakadu……
Very glad we got to travel to these remote locations, and had plenty of time to relax.
I have just completed the 5 day Kakadu/Koolpin trip.
I think Territory Expeditions really needs to re think using an abandoned road house as their accommodation. The amenities were filthy and not at all pleasant to use.
The food on this tour was adequate and we didn't go hungry but it doesn't take much to provide a few basic herbs, cracked pepper and extras like Parmesan cheese for pasta and a roast by the fire would have been fabulous.
Overall I enjoyed our 5 days with a fabulous group of people but would have to think seriously about another trip with your company. Safari Tents were not provided at the second camp making it difficult to sleep when you have a crook back.
You also advertise that the $40 entrance fee is included but we paid on tour in cash?
I think with some fine tuning this could be not just a good experience but an excellent one.
It was an amazing experience to see the wild life, waterfalls and immerse yourself in culture. Dan made sure that we saw and experienced Kakadu at its very best- so a huge thanks to him. There was plenty of food and cold water. Make sure you take sunscreen and mosquito repellent.





























