Australia’s Kakadu National Park
Rich history and natural life
In the Northern part of Australia in the Alligator Rivers Region, one can find the Kakadu National Park. It is one of the more interesting hiking spots in Australia because it tells much about the history of the country and has varying landforms. The landforms include the outliers, the lowlands, the escarpment complex, the southern basins and hills, the tidal flats, and floodplains.
Kakadu National Park is also a place rich in natural life because, in each type of landform, there live different types of fauna. Some animals that may be seen in Kakadu National Park are saltwater crocodiles, black-necked storks, water buffalos, and wild pigs. Also, the plant life in Kakadu National Park is diverse, offering hikers an educational outdoor experience.
Ubirr
Hiking in Kakadu National Park can be enlightening because the terrain tells much about the history of Australia and the aborigines. Right at the northern side of the park by the edge of the Nadab flood plain, there is a group of rocks called Ubirr and it presents indigenous forms of art depicting animals such as the catfish, mullet, pig-nosed turtle, wallaby, snake-necked turtle, barramundi, and the rock-haunting ringtail possum. Also, a hike by Ubirr can reveal some of the interconnected stories that aborigines share and pass on from one generation to the next.
Arnhem Land Escarpment
The Arnhem Land escarpment is a sandstone plateau that spans 34,000 square kilometres on the east side of Kakadu National Park. The main feature of the Arnhem Land escarpment is the Nourlangie where, among the rock shelters, there are preserved paintings of beings believed to be creators of the land. Similar to the Ubirr, the Nourlangie also reveals mythical stories illustrated by the aborigines. A hike through the Nourlangie can prove to be a truly enriching experience.
Anbangbang Billabong
Right next to the Nourlangie Rock is the Anbangbang Billabong well-known for its diverse wildlife. The most common animals in the area include wallabies, wading birds, and different water fowl, and it is interesting to observe them grazing by the water. Such view can be entertaining for hikers as well, especially if they stop to picnic on the fields nearby.
Jim Jim Falls
A visit to the Kakadu National Park is incomplete if hikers are unable to pass by Jim Jim Falls. It is one of the more popular waterfalls in the world, considering it has been photographed and printed on books, calendars, and magazines and shown in television. Thought to be existing under the sea 140 million years before, Jim Jim Falls now rises to 660 feet or 200 meters from the ground. It has white raging waters and surrounding beaches.
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Accommodation near Kakadu National Park
The Kakadu National Park is near the town of Jabiru, Cooinda and South Alligator. Jabiru offers various lodging facilities as well as a clinic, a shopping center, a service station, and other shops. South Alligator and Cooinda, on the other hand, provide fewer options, but hikers may still find suitable lodging facilities there. The rates for every accommodation option in Jabiru, Cooinda and South Alligator vary.
Cabs, buses, and trains may be used by travelers and hikers who want to reach their lodging facilities from airports. Similar vehicles may be taken if heading to Kakadu National Park.
For more information on transportation, visit.
Accommodation example:Holiday Inn Resort Gagudju Crocodile, Jabiru. Flinders St., Locked Mail Bag 4 Jabiru, 0886 Australia.
How to get to Kakadu National Park
It is better to fly to Jabiru Airport to be able to get to the hotel or any lodging facility in Jabiru. But if the hotels in Darwin are the option, it is best to fly to the Darwin Airport. However, there are no flights between Darwin and Jabiru. After getting off the airports, private service taxi cabs or campervans may be hired to get to the hotels and also to Kakadu National Park.
Sources:
Kakadu National Park Website