If you’re looking for a summer escape, Kakadu is at its most stunning in the tropical summer, with an extensive range of adventure options made even more attractive by top-value accommodation deals.
Kakadu summer is the time when waterfalls are at their most thunderous, wetlands at their greenest, and wildlife at its most abundant.
You even get spectacular light shows most evenings for free, just sit back with a cold beer and enjoy as lightning flashes across the night sky.
During the day, there is plenty to see and experience, and sealed roads throughout Kakadu National Park make it easy to get around the Park.
So what can you do in the tropical summer?
Experience the waterfalls: The money you save on accommodation is best spent on a scenic flight with Kakadu Air over the National Park to see the waterfalls at their most awesome. The torrential flows over the Escarpment into rock pools below are a sight you will never forget. And you can view waterfalls up close at both Motor Car Falls and Moline (Ikoymarrwa), where you can also cool off in the swimming holes.
Remarkable cruises: Yellow Water Cruises operates cruises throughout every day of the tropical summer season. The stunning waterways, filled with Kakadu’s wildlife – from gigantic crocs to tiny, vivid kingfishers – are best seen at dawn and dusk.
Million-dollar fishing: From December through March, the Million Dollar Fish competition offers fishing enthusiasts the chance to hooking a million-dollar tagged barramundi and 100 others with $10K tags. Try your luck on a special Yellow Water Fishing cruise or just dine on the million-dollar tasting seafood at Escarpment Restaurant or Mimi’s at Cooinda.
Kakadu Full Moon Feast: As the name implies, you will be able to feast on the best of Kakadu’s legendary cuisine under the stars. A full Indigenous Kakadu experience, developed by Kakadu Kitchen’s Ben Tyler, you will be richly entertained while enjoying premium food and drinks. The next monthly dinner will be held on Saturday 10 December.
Sizzling Christmas festivities: Barra is a feature of seafood and traditional buffets for Christmas Day. Santa will brave the heat and visit both the Crocodile Hotel and Cooinda Lodge with his bag laden with presents for the children.
Inspirational tours: The Ubirr Combo Tour operated by Kakadu Cultural Tours only operates during the wet-season taking guests through the flooded melaleuca forests of the East Alligator River to Ubirr Rock. Combining 4WD vehicles and specially designed cruise vessels, the tour is led by expert Aboriginal guides, who provide a fascinating insight into local Indigenous mythology, traditional uses for many plants and animals, as well as bush survival skills required for this wilderness environment.
Trekking the tropics: Many walks are open throughout the summer which are easily accessible and will provide a rich appreciation of the ancient landscape. These include the Kubara Pools Walk, the 12km Barrk Sandstone walk near Nourlangie Rock, where you may see wallaroos and a variety of birdlife, and the much shorter Boulder Creek walk where you may find banded fruit doves and spangled drongos, with their iridescent blue-green spots.
Art rocks in Kakadu: There is outstanding rock art at Nourlangie, one of the famous sites from the Crocodile Dundee films. Take the path to the Kunwarddewardde lookout, and along the way, you will discover the renowned Anbangbang gallery and shelter, with the rock art charting some 20,000 years of life in the region. Walk on to the Kunwarddewardde lookout, which offers views across the Arnhem Land escarpment with its sandstone cliffs and expansive savanna woodlands. And if you have time, also view the Nanguluwurr rock art site and take the short climb to nearby Nawurlandja Lookout for fantastic sunset views of the escarpment.
The world’s oldest living culture: Kakadu has over 65,000 years of continuous human settlement, and the incredible rock art at Nourlangie and Ubirr is testament to the region’s cultural heritage. Modern-day indigenous art can be viewed at art galleries in Jabiru including the Crocodile Hotel’s Ochre Gallery and Marrawuddi Gallery. You can discover the rich history of Kakadu’s evolution at Warradjan Cultural Centre and the Bowali Visitor Centre.
Summer offers great value accommodation deals
At Cooinda Lodge you can save over 50% compared to winter season rates. This accommodation oasis offers 4-star Lodge rooms and air-conditioned Outback Retreat glamping tents with rates from $169 per night, available till the end of March 2023. Details: https://kakadutourism.com/tropical-summer-kakadu-packages
For suggested itineraries and all other information about visiting Kakadu: https://kakadutourism.com/
