Kakadu Tourism

When is the best time to visit Kakadu?

Kakadu has wet and dry seasons, but for most of the year, kakadu offers a feast of sight-seeing opportunities for visitors that can be adapted to fit the climate. It is generally dry from april through to the end of october, but even during the ‘wet’ or ‘green’ season much of the day can be fine, with rainfall occurring in short, sharp storms. Kakadu tourism offers a range of itineraries to fit the season, and visitors can be guaranteed that whenever they visit kakadu, they will be able to participate in memorable experiences

What permits are required to visit Kakadu and where can I purchase a park pass?

All visitors to the park must purchase a park pass. Territory residents and infants can travel free of charge. Park passess can be purchased at cooinda lodge reception or bowali visitor centre. For more information please check out the kakadu national park website www.parksaustralia.gov.au.

How do we find out what areas of the park are open, and the state of the roads to get there?

It is always advisable to call into the national parks centre at bowali near jabiru for the latest updates. Road conditions and accessibility is updated regularly on the website parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu/access/

Do you need a 4wd to tour kakadu?

It is not essential, but a sturdy 4wd with high wheel clearance will be an advantage in accessing many of kakadu’s most famous attractions, such as twin falls, jim jim falls and maguk, but other attractions – including nourlangie rock, yellow water billabong and ubirr are accessible by standard cars.

Is it better to stay in jabiru or cooinda?

The mercure kakadu crocodile hotel in jabiru offer’s the region’s highest levels of accommodation, as well as easy accessibility to attractions such as ubirr. Tours of kakadu will usually pick up from the crocodile hotel as well. Cooinda has more accommodation options and is located right next to yellow water billabong, home to yellow water cruises. It is also the base for the spirit of kakadu 4wd adventure tours. For stays of three days or more, a combination of the two can be the best option. See itineraries.

Which is the better yellow water cruise: dawn or dusk?

Both cruises are equally as good but offer very different views of yellow water. Animal movements can vary according to the day, colours change dramatically, and there is always something new to see. The birdlife is wide awake in the morning when the air is still cool, and if you are a keen bird-watcher, we recommend you join us for a dusk cruise. Our resident crocodiles prefer the warmer waters in the late afternoon, and the dusk cruise usually has a visit from a saltie or two. This is why we highly recommend taking advantage of our cruise again special to experience both cruise times.

Will I see a crocodile?

While we obviously cannot guarantee animal sightings, it is rare that you won’t spot at least one during the drier months. During the wet season, when the water levels are high, the crocs have more places to hide and can be harder to spot.

Why can I not visit Jim Jim and Twin Falls all year round?

Jim Jim and Twin Falls are only accessible throughout the drier months, usually June to October. Kakadu National Park rangers will only open the falls when they feel the access roads are safe to travel and they have completed their crocodile surveys. When the roads are closed, a scenic flight is a fantastic way to see the region or splash out on a once-in-a-lifetime helicopter ride over the falls.

Where will i visit on the spirit of kakadu adventure tour?

Our adventure tour visits two waterholes within the park. Depending on the time of year, weather and road conditions, possible itineraries include Motorcar Falls, boulder creek, Gubarra Rock Pools, Ikyomarrawa Rock Hole, Maguk Gorge, or Gunlom Falls.

Can I swim in rock pools and other waterholes?

Swimming in Kakadu is at your own discretion, and it is essential to observe all warning signs. Kakadu park rangers do their best to remove saltwater crocodiles from popular waterholes, however, crocodiles have been known to move into these areas undetected.

Why can I not swim at twin falls?

Twin falls is part of the jim jim creek system and this creek does not dry out in the peak season making it difficult to ensure saltwater crocodiles are removed from the area. Twin falls is also a sacred site for the local indigenous people and the traditional owners of the area request that you respect their land by not swimming at the base of the falls.

How far is cooinda from jabiru?

Cooinda is 56km from the township of Jabiru and it is advised to allow 45 minutes to complete the journey.

Do I need to book a camp site?

If you are travelling during the peak months of june to september it is highly recommended to book a powered site, however, we have over 200 unpowered sites and we operate these on a first in best dressed basis.

Do you have cooking facilities at cooinda?

All of our lodge rooms have tea and coffee making facilities, however, none of our rooms have full cooking facilities. There is a camp kitchen in the campground that everyone is more than welcome to use and several barbeques on site for guest use.

Are cooking utensils available for hire?

Unfortunately, we currently do not offer this service.

Are the tour boats and resort wheelchair accessible?

The pontoon for loading is wheelchair accessible. However, guests do need to be able to traverse the 1m ramp from pontoon to boat. Motorised wheelchairs cannot access the area. Cooinda lodge is wheelchair accessible. However, there is a small step into each room. The Mercure Kakadu crocodile hotel has wheelchair access rooms available.

What are child and infant ages?

Infants are 4 years and under and are free of charge on our yellow water cruises. Children are aged 5 to 15.

Can you accommodate a family of five in a family lodge room?

At Cooinda Lodge our family rooms sleep a maximum of 4; 2 adults and 2 children. Alternatively, the Mercure Kakadu crocodile hotel has interconnecting rooms available.

Is there public transport or car hire available within the park?

Is there public transport or car hire available within the park? There is no public transport or car hire within kakadu national park.

Is it safe to drive at night?

It is strongly advised not to travel within the park after dark due to the wide variety of nocturnal wildlife. The majority of car rental agencies will not insure vehicles on the road after dark. Wallabies, dingoes and buffalo are frequently spotted on the roadside at dawn and dusk.

FAQs