Kakadu is huge. At 20 000 sq km, Australia's largest national park is about the size of the state of New Jersey in the USA, about half the size of Switzerland. It is also one of the few places which has been declared a world heritage area for both natural and cultural reasons. To quote the original world heritage evaluation report, "Combined with the overlay of its cultural values, there is simply no other protected area on earth like Kakadu."
Kakadu is living cultural landscape. Aboriginal people have been living ther for tens of thousands of years. It contains one of the world's greatest collections of prehistoric art, unique in representing the history of a still living culture. Many of Kakadu's birds, small animals and plants are found nowhere else.
As large as it is, there are only a few sealed roads and gravel tracks in the park. This means that most of the park can only be reached on foot. As there are no marked, overnight hiking trails, any group doing an overnight bushwalk must contain at least one member able to use a map and compass for cross country navigation. In addition, they must obtain a bushwalking permit well before their trip.
Although dozens of tour operators can take you to Kakadu, Willis's Walkabouts is the only one who offers treks where you hike far into the back country on dozens of different walks, ranging from three days to three weeks. Unlike other operators who run the same trip again and again, no two of our trips are alike. This means
- you can see the best that Kakadu has to offer in each of its six seasons.
- you can choose an appropriate length and level of difficulty.
- the land can recover between visits so that it will remain as pristine in 50 years as it is today.
Don't take our word for it, The official Kakadu National park website, has a page listing all walking tour operators. Check them all. Some offer similar trips but none has a comprehensive program like ours.
Russell Willis, owner of Willis's Walkabouts, has been hiking in Kakadu since 1974. No one knows it better. Every one of our guides has the benefit of that experience. They know the best things to see, the best trekking routes, the best camp sites and the best places to swim. Our bushwalking trips take you into places like the escarpment country and the upper South Alligator Valley, far beyond where any vehicle can go. They let you experience the wilderness on its own terms.
