KH03
EXPERIENCES / KAKADU
Kakadu Highlights No. 3
Overview
Two separate walks in two very different national Parks.
- Baroalba Creek in Kakadu. Amazing rock formations and a wealth of Aboriginal rock art sites. This section finishes with a night in a campground and a Yellow Waters cruise so you get to see Kakadu's famous wetlands
- Northeast Gregory, the least known part of the park with deep gorges and pools.
TOP END
April 7-20 2024
1) Baroalba Creek, Kakadu
The rugged nature of the approaches prevented buffalo from reaching the basin, making this one of the few undisturbed areas in Kakadu. The area is full of rock shelters that were used by Aboriginal people over the millennia. It contains what may well be the greatest concentration of Aboriginal rock art in Australia, dating from the most ancient to the most recent.
We begin with a drive of about 300 km from Darwin followed by an easy three kilometre stroll along an old four wheel drive track to Kubara (Baroalba Springs) where we can enjoy a refreshing swim. From here, we leave all tracks behind.
There are two routes to our preferred campsite. A relatively easy one through mostly open country along a small tributary and a small, more strenuous one through a monsoon forest patch along the boulder strewn main creek.
Monsoon forest is too rare an environment to miss so we may go up one and down the other. Which is which will depend on the time we arrive.
Once inside the basin, the ground levels out and the walking becomes easier. There are a number of nice camp sites to tempt us as we work our way upstream, taking our time, stopping every so often to have a swim or just to enjoy the shade of a cool rock shelter or the sight of a particularly colourful patch of flowers. We should have one two-night camp from which we do a day walk.
On the final day, we return to the walking track, hike back to the vehicles and drive to Cooinda where we spend the night in the campground and enjoy a bistro meal.
On our final morning in Kakadu, we do the 6:45 am Yellow Waters cruise. This gives you a good view of the Kakadu wetlands, not the best place for a bushwalk, but a wonderful place for birds and other wildlife.
On the final day, we return to the walking track, hike back to the vehicles and drive to Cooinda where we spend the night in the campground and enjoy a bistro meal.
On our final morning in Kakadu, we do the 6:45 am Yellow Waters cruise. This gives you a good view of the Kakadu wetlands, not the best place for a bushwalk, but a wonderful place for birds and other wildlife.
Those finishing with this section have the choice of getting dropped off at Cooinda, Pine Creek or Katherine.
2) NE Judbarra/Gregory
Gregory is one of the largest yet least known national parks in the NT. It lies about halfway between Katherine and Kununurra and contains several creek systems where large permanent pools and shady rock shelters can be found in the depths of sheer, red-walled gorges.
We plan to do a loop along Matt Wilson and Ryan Creeks in the northeast section of the park. This area contains some of the most spectacular cliffs in the park. We do not visit it on any of our other trips. The beginning of the walk depends on the level of the Victoria River. If the river is low enough to walk across at the old crossing, we will do so and save a half day’s walk. If not, we have to start from the Katherine side of the Victoria Bridge and walk from there.
The terrain here is more open and flatter than in Litchfield. There are lots of boabs. In 2019, the group saw numerous freshwater crocs. Somehow they have coped with cane toads better here than in Kakadu or Litchfield. While they are crocodiles, unless you actively provoke them, they are harmless.
As we work our way up the valley, we sometimes drop our packs and do an exploration of a side gorge. Eventually, we climb up out of the Matt Wilson Valley and cross the plateau heading west toward Ryan Creek. We find a number of high, shallow gorges on the small creeks that feed into Ryan Creek.
Some of the walking is fairly easy. Some has thick scrub and is quite slow. Gregory is much drier than Kakadu or Litchfield so there aren’t a huge number of waterholes on the small creeks, but occasionally we even find a small flowing waterfall .
Once we reach the main creek, the going gets easier and the views more spectacular. As we continue the gorges get deeper. Walking on the top is fairly easy but some of the side gorges are deep enough so that we have to drop down to the main creek or contour well around. There isn’t a lot of difficult terrain, but as the middle photo below shows, there is some.
Eventually, we return to where we began, climb into the vehicle and begin the 530 km drive back to Darwin. (Some groups prefer to finish on the second last day and camp en route to Darwin.)
Details
DATES
7-20 AprilSection 1: 7-14 April
Section 2: 14-20 April
PRICES
Full price: A$4295
Section 1: $2395
Section 2: $2495
*discounts available
GROUP SIZE
4 - 12 guests
CAMP SITES
Mix of sand, grassy areas and rock ledges. Most sites are good; some are excellent, some may be no more than average. You are unlikely to see anyone else at any of the campsites.
ART
Excellent on section one. Minimal on section two.
SWIMMING
Good pools at most campsites and lunch spots in Kakadu. Good swims in the smaller pools in Gregory but some of the larger pools could contain large crocs. Ask your guide before swimming in the larger pools.
WILDLIFE
Birds are always present but spread out at this time of year. Gregory is excellent for freshwater crocs and agile wallabies. The 2019 group saw many great bower birds. You are unlikely to see many other large animals.
CLIMATE
Average daytime max 34ºC, average nighttime min 19-21ºC. Conceivable but very unlikely to drop below 15ºC. Generally moderate humidity. Rain is moderately likely but not likely to be much. We recommend that you bring a tent or mosquito net with a fly or at least a plastic sheet for shelter if we do get rain.
COOKING
We will have campfires every night and hot water available every morning.
WALK RATING - MODERATE
Terrain
Section 1. Most of the walk is relatively flat. There are, however, a few moderate climbs and a fair amount of rock hopping. There may be sections of thick scrub. We cannot say for sure as this depends how recently the area has been burnt and on how much rain there has been since.
Section 2. The walk along Matt Wilson Creek is relatively flat and easy as is the lower portion of Ryan Creek. In between there are a few steep climbs and a fair amount of rock hopping. The amount of scrub varies depending on the recent history of bushfires and rainfall.
Vegetation
Varies from year to year depending on when last burnt. In May, most of the spear grass has finished seeding and dried out. Based on past experience, we expect some sections of thick scrub and or spinifex which will make some days much harder than others. There are always flowers in bloom.
Distance
4-6 hours per day. A few days might be longer.
Pack Weight
You need to carry 5 days food on section 1 and 7 days on section two. You should not need more than a very light sleeping bag. We recommend a tent or mosquito net with a fly or plastic cover.
Itinerary
*This itinerary is subject to change
You need to click view more to see all the photos in the gallery below. The first ten are from Baroalba. The last ten from Gregory.
2019 All rights Reserved