Ubirr is and always will be one of our most favourite places in Kakadu.

There’s not really much else to say at the moment other than as of Saturday 13 April 2013, we will be visiting Ubirr on our ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry‘ tour after hiking into Gubara in the morning.

Ubirr – View from Nadab Lookout

The conditions are currently very similar to what we experienced this time last year, sure to absolutely captivate you:  Monsoonal rainforest, crystal clear creeks, cheeky wildlife, Aboriginal rock art, stunning views, exciting 4 wheel driving — a day that’s got it all!

Read my blog post from last year for more details: Ubirr in Kakadu’s Early Dry

Call us for more information on (08) 8979 3615

Bobo!
Anja

With Christmas over for another year and 2013  just around the corner, we (that’s Anja, Thommo, Steve and junior guide Flip) would like to extend a big THANK YOU to everyone who’s come on our tour this year and an equally big THANK YOU to those who are thinking about joining us next year!

And what a great bunch of people we welcomed on board this year!
We met intrepid travellers from all corners of the globe and heard some truly inspiring stories. We were able to pick quite a few experts’ brains on topics such as geology, archaeology, entomology, and Aboriginal Land Rights – and most importantly, we had lots of fun along the way!
Ma gamak!

We’ll be doing it all over again next year, can’t get enough of Kakadu! We will kick off with our regular day tours in April, check out ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry’ for likely destinations. Once park staff have removed any estuarine crocodiles from the Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls area and put infrastructure back in place, we will switch to our ‘Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls’ day tour. Watch this space for updates on seasonal conditions and how they may affect our tour program.

Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris)

Our exclusive ‘Kakadu Private Charter’ is available year round, just send us an email with your enquiry.

Whether you simply like the luxury of a private tour with your expert guide or you’re travelling with young children, whether you’re planning a trip for a specialist group of birdwatchers or you’d like to visit some of Kakadu’s attractions not incorporated in our scheduled day tours:
Let us provide you with a tailor-made itinerary to suit your interests and needs and make it a day to remember!

We can show you brilliant examples of Aboriginal rock art and take you off the beaten track to pristine gorges and waterfalls that are accessible by special permit only.

Drumroll please, as we’ve got some really exciting news:

Top End Explorer Tours have secured a special permit for 2013 to access the restricted area of Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge) in the southern part of Kakadu National Park!

As of next dry season we will be able to offer small groups of travellers an exclusive ‘Kakadu Private Charter‘ experience in this spectacular sandstone gorge that is as rugged as it is remote. It is a great place for bushwalking (yes, a good level of fitness and agility is required!) and birdwatching, the best for learning about Jawoyn culture and to experience the beauty of the stone country in the southernmost corner of Kakadu!

Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge)

Access depends on seasonal conditions. As estuarine crocodiles regularly move into the lower pools of the gorge during the wet season, mandatory crocodile surveys need to be conducted in the early dry (usually complete by around June/July). Furthermore, we don’t recommend visiting the area beyond September when conditions become progressively inhospitable with the approaching build-up season.

Please note that a trip to Jarrangbarnmi is subject to availability and best booked way (!) in advance. Be flexible with your travel dates too, possibly work out a few alternative days as spots will fill up super fast, particularly during Wurrgeng (cold weather time: July- August).

Jarrangbarnmi is a culturally sensitive area and visitor numbers are strictly limited: Only 40 people are allowed to gain access to this magnificent site at any one time, no exceptions!

Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge)

Parts of Jarrangbarnmi lie within ‘Sickness Country’ (Buladjang country). Bula, a powerful spirit, formed this landscape and then went to live under the ground. Jawoyn (local Aboriginal people) are very respectful when visiting this gorge.  They ask visitors to also respect these important sites while visiting Buladjang country.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year!

Bobo!
Anja

Yegge is here!
We’ve finally said our goodbyes to a very “interesting” wet season.

Kakadu saw its wettest December on record followed by an extremely long and hot dry spell during January. For a while ‘Gudjewg’, the monsoon season, looked like a non-event but then the rain returned with a vengeance. In terms of overall rainfall the wet season gone was a pretty average one with just under 1800mm of rain recorded at Jabiru Airport. However, the 59.4mm of rain registered there on 24 April we could have done without…

I’m writing all this to explain why our ‘Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls’ day tour will have ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry’ inside for a few weeks into June.

Jim Jim district rangers have just recently assessed the area around Jim Jim Falls and Budjmi Lookout and found the 4WD track washed out and in need of repair in a few places. There’s still a good amount of water over the falls, which is good news from a sightseeing point of view. On the other hand it also means that mandatory crocodile surveys had to be delayed until water levels receded a little further.

A pilot of one of the local scenic flight companies (yes, the falls can be viewed from the air!) has also been spotting an estuarine crocodile on the beach at Twin Falls on a regular basis. Of course, this reptilian will have to be removed before park staff and contractors can enter the gorge to put boats and infrastructure back in place. We will keep you updated as news come to hand.

No need to be disappointed though, mandatory crocodile surveys have been completed at Gunlom and are currently underway at Maguk (Barramundi Gorge).

Gunlom

Maguk is expected to open later this month. Park staff are currently in the area to prepare walking tracks, campground and facilities. Traditional Owners and district rangers are also lighting ‘cool fires’ in the area at the moment as part of Kakadu’s fire management – which is something we talk about in length on our tours.

We have been visiting Gunlom for the last week and a bit and we’re absolutely loving it!

The falls look great from below – but the view from the rock pools above the falls is truly memorable, the hike to the top of the escarpment well worth the effort!

Top of Gunlom

Kakadu National Park has so much to offer! Come with an open mind, experience the natural beauty and diversity of this place and find out why Bininj/Mungguy (local Aboriginal people) feel so strongly connected with their country.

“Our land has a big story. Sometimes we tell a little bit at a time. Come and hear our stories, see our land. A little bit might stay in your hearts. If you want more, you can come back…”
Na-godjok Nayinggul

What else could I possibly say, he truly had a way with words, the old man from the Manilakarr clan!

Bobo!
Anja

Gunlom in Kakadu National Park’s south is now open!

Park rangers have completed their crocodile surveys, the day use area is slashed and tidy, the camp ground manager is setting up camp as I type — and guess where Steve is with his group today!

Gunlom

Have a lovely weekend, wherever you are!

Bobo!
Anja

Just a quick update today…

The Gimbat Road in Kakadu’s south is now open to 4WDs between the Kakadu Highway intersection and the South Alligator River.

YAY!
We can now access the Yurmikmik area and visit beautiful Motor Car Falls and Boulder Creek!

Motor Car Falls in the Yurmikmik Area

Come for a walk with us to experience the southern hills and ridges which cover a large area in the south of the park, including the headwaters of the South Alligator River. This landform is characterised by rugged ridges and exposed volcanic rocks separated by alluvial flats, it creates a diversity of habitats that a number of endemic and threatened species call home.

Ikoymarrwa (The Rockhole) will also be on our itinerary — of course!
We love this beautiful little spot, a special permit area which can be accessed by a small number of operators only!

I’m off to get the camera ready and all batteries charged…
This season I will get a good shot of the colourful Gouldian Finches that can sometimes be observed along the Yurmikmik walks!

Bobo!
Anja

It looks like the dry season, it feels like the dry season…

The morning air is fresh and cool once again here in Kakadu National Park. And while the days are still pretty hot things are definitely looking up.

Kakadu’s skies are blue again, with puffy white cumulus clouds. While localised afternoon showers will be a possibility for a little while longer, they do not pose a thread. Humidity levels are also starting to drop and so are the water levels in the creeks – finally!

If you’ve been keeping a close eye on Kakadu National Park’s access and road conditions report, you would have noticed that the road up to Ubirr is still classed as ‘impassable’ (as opposed to ‘closed’). Visitors to Kakadu National Park are strongly discouraged to attempt the crossing of the Magela Creek.

Magela Mishap

While the Magela Creek itself looks harmless enough once it’s dropped to around 0.6m, travellers unfamiliar with the area don’t realise that 1km further on there is a second and much longer water crossing through the so-called ‘S-bends’. Along this windy section there is water over the road on a stretch of at least 500m and at the deepest point it’s usually 10-20cm deeper.

Every year travellers come to grieve here at the Magela after ignoring all warning signs, drowning their car in the middle of a crocodile-infested creek, their holidays ruined when they realise that taking their rental car through water left them uninsured.

Now, the road report also states that there are options to access Ubirr despite the road restrictions. Top End Explorer Tours offer one of these options!

Right now our ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry‘ tours visit the sites of Gubara and Ubirr.

The pleasant 6km return takes us past dramatic sandstone cliffs into the midst of the monsoonal rainforest of Gubara. The creek is flowing rather nicely righth now and the gorgeous rock pools are clear and safe for swimming.

Gubara

After a freshly prepared picnic lunch on the shady lawns of the Bowali Visitor Centre we head up the road and stop at the Magela Creek to inspect the water depth and talk crocodile safety.

Magela Creek

We safely master the water crossings and continue on the Oenpelli Road into the East Alligator region. More crocodile talk when we stop at the East Alligator River to spot the crocs from the viewing platform at Cahills Crossing.

Crossing the Magela Creek

The remainder of the afternoon we spend at Ubirr which is breathtakingly beautiful in the early dry season. The vegetation is so vibrant and green, the colours are sensational!

Let us show you Ubirr’s extensive rock art sites, listen to the stories the clans of this region have been passing on from generation to generation for thousands of years.

Mabuyu

We climb up to the lookout for spectacular panoramic views of Kakadu’s and Arnhemland’s stone country and the Nardab Floodplain right beneath. It’s a great time of the year to come here. Take in the different  colours, watch the spinifex grass sway in the afternoon breeze, feel the country.

Ubirr

We will continue to offer this itinerary with our tour ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry’ for as long as the Oenpelli Road into the East Alligator district is classed ‘impassable’ or ‘open to 4WD with high clearance and snorkel only’ – for approximately another couple of weeks. Subscribe to our blog so you don’t miss out on any updates regarding this itinerary!

While we’re heading up north into the East Alligator region, we will be available for pick-ups from Jabiru only, Cooinda is just a bit too far out of the way. The tour starts at 06:45 in the morning and we return to Jabiru from approximately 17:00 (05:00PM).

Don’t hesitate to comment with any questions – or give us a call on (08) 8979 3615 for more information!

Bobo!
Anja