EXPERIENCES / KAKADU
Kakadu Highlights No. 10
Overview
- Three sections any of which can be done on its own.
- Start with an easy acclimatisation with a houseboat cruise on the Mary River.
- Barramundi Creek with its many waterfalls and beautiful pools.
- A Yellow Waters cruise and night in a campground between sections 2 & 3.
- Graveside with its deep, shady gorges and amazing natural waterslide
This trip takes place during Kunumeleng – the Build Up season. This is the hottest – and most dramatic of the six seasons in Kakadu.We strongly recommend that you click here and visit our Kunumeleng – Build Up page before making a booking.
At the bottom of the page is a link to a second page, Build Up Bushwalking – What to Expect. It is important to read both.
KAKADU
Oct 19 - November 1 2025
1) Mary River & Ubirr
In order to give people time to acclimatise, we begin with the easiest part first – a night in a houseboat on the Mary River, the most comfortable wetland experience we can offer.
After a leisurely drive from Darwin, we board the boat and cruise slowly along the Mary, watching the hundreds of birds that line the river banks and enjoying the changing scenery around us. Those who wish to try their hand at catching a barramundi have a chance to do so. The next morning, we cruise back to where we began and get into the vehicles for the drive to Ubirr.
2) Barramundi Creek
The drive from Jabiru to the start of the walk takes about an hour. A short walk from the car park takes us to the main falls and the climb to the upper gorge. A walk through the upper gorge brings us to a lovely beach camp site.
When we leave the gorge, we find ourselves in a broad sandy valley. The only visible water is in a few isolated pools. All the flow is through the sand below our feet. After about five kilometres, we turn off into a side valley and suddenly find flowing water. Another kilometre brings us to a beautiful, deep, clear, shady pool where we can relax and enjoy a swim.
A short climb to the top brings us to more beautiful pools, waterfalls and our campsite.
The next day we walk across the plateau and down to the largest pool in the entire Barramundi system. Huge Allosyncarpia trees give deep shade on the wide sandy banks of the pool, another exceptional camp site.
Depending on how fast we've been traveling, we may spend a second night here or we may begin our walk back to the start.
We work our way back down the main valley, sometimes in the deep shade of a patch of monsoon forest, more often in the open woodland, stopping for the occasional swim along the way.
Our final campsite is normally at a pool near the top of the upper gorge.
On the final morning, we return to the vehicles and drive to Cooinda where we spend the night in the campground. After lunch, we plan to visit the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre. If the two cruise special is still on offer, you can do the late afternoon cruise for a small additional charge.
3) Graveside
This section overlaps the first and includes the bistro meal, night at Cooinda and Yellow Waters cruise. If seats are limited, those who have done the first section have priority.
After the cruise we bid farewell to anyone not continuing and do about a 2½ hour drive to Graveside Gorge where we begin our walk into the greatest concentration of permanently flowing creeks we have yet found in Kakadu.
After the cruise we bid farewell to anyone not continuing and do about a 2½ hour drive to Graveside Gorge where we begin our walk into the greatest concentration of permanently flowing creeks we have yet found in Kakadu.
You see a variety of landscapes, deep gorges, beautiful swimming pools and cascades as well as a number of little known Aboriginal art sites. Our first camp is about a 5 km walk from the car park.
During the next five days, we visit Graveside Gorge and Cascades Creek.
The two main gorges at Graveside contain some of the nicest monsoon forest in Kakadu. We usually spend most of a day exploring the gorges, enjoying the shade and relaxing in and around the large pools.
Cascades Creek is noted for its many pools, cascades and Aboriginal art sites. It is so pleasant that our trip up or down the four kilometre gorge normally takes a full day. There are a few places where you have the choice of edging along narrow rock ledges (close to water level, no big drops), floating your pack through the creek, or climbing up and around. The last 500 metres alone often takes two hours or more as the deep pools and a natural water slide are much too inviting to pass by in a rush.
The loop which joins the two creeks takes us through the open woodland of the plateau and through tall paperbarks and other trees which line the creek that drains the main valley.
This section finishes with the long drive back to Darwin.
Details
DATES
19 Oct - 1 NovPRICES
Full price: A$TBA
Section 1: $TBA
Section 2: $TBA
Section 3: $TBA
Sections 1 & 2 cost $TBA. Sections 2 & 3 cost $TBA.
GROUP SIZE
4 - 12 guests
CAMP SITE
Mix of sand and rock ledges. Most sites are good to excellent.You are unlikely to see anyone else except at the beginning and end of the walks.
ART
We visit a variety of art sites
SWIMMING
We will have good pools at almost every campsite and lunch spot.
WILDLIFE
Birds are concentrated near the waterholes at this time of year. You will see thousands at Yellow Waters and on the Mary River. The Yellow Waters and Mary River cruises give you a good chance to see large estuarine crocodiles. Fishing can be good from the houseboat. If you bring a line, you might even catch a barramundi.
CLIMATE
September-October is hot. The average daily maximum temperature is 36-37ºC (about 97-99ºF). Fortunately, the average nightly minimum is cooler at about 21-23°C (70-73°F). As the minimum temperatures have been known to drop below 15ºC (about 60ºF), we recommend bringing a lightweight sleeping bag. (Some people do, however, choose to replace their sleeping bag with thermals.) As long as we get an early start in the mornings, we should have plenty of time to rest during the hottest part of the day.
Rain is possible so we recommend bringing something to use as a shelter if we get a rain storm.
COOKING
We will have campfires every night and hot water available every morning.
WALK RATING - MODERATE
Terrain
There are few steep climbs, none of which is over 200 m. As short as they are, these climbs are strenuous. Some may require using your hands to hold on as you climb up or down. None are technically difficult. None require ropes or other special.equipment.
Vegetation
Much of the walking is through relatively flat, open woodland with a grassy understorey. Some short sections of grass may hide a broken rocky surface where you will have to be particularly careful. There may be some slow sections where you will have to pass though thick scrub. The vegetation can vary from year to year depending on when last burnt. At this time of year, the spear grass has finished seeding and dried out.
Distance
4-6 hours per day
Pack Weight
You need to carry up to 6 days of food.
Itinerary
*This itinerary is subject to change
