hi all
before or after a NZ tour' would to peep shortly into Australia. i love nature - would u recommend spending 3 days (out of 7-10) at Kakadu ?
can anybody gimme a link to journey summary / blog etc' to Kakadu NP
thanX
aby

I think we would need a little more info to give you an informed opinion. First of all, when are you planning to visit Kakadu? It's a very different place to visit depending on whether you will be there in the Wet or the Dry. Also, where will you be coming from? It takes a long time to fly to Darwin from almost anywhere in Australia and then it's a several hour drive from Darwin to Kakadu (specifically Jabiru). So, this could eat up a lot of your time in Australia. Also, what sort of nature would you like to see?

Thanx longhorn55
time sept- oct
flying from across (syd/Uluru/Cairns)
i'm interested in nature :
would like to see mammals, birds, reptiles, different vegetatioon habitats, plants, views rocks ... ...
nneed some overview & tips
aby

I was not overly impressed by Kakadu, but I know some folks who just loved it. Part of our problem, I am sure, is the fact that we had to go there during school holidays so it was quite crowded. You may run into the same problem since most Australian states have their school holidays sometime between mid-September and mid-October. (Something you'll want to check on.) We did see lots of birds and crocodiles on the (crowded) Yellow River tour, but I actually don't remember seeing many other animals. Lots of the animals are nocturnal and many of the other animals stay in dark places due to the heat of the day. The rock formations were good as were the Aboriginal rock drawings, but again it was too crowded for our tastes. It is also quite expensive compared to the rest of Australia. I would seriously think about whether you want to devote that much time of your trip to getting to and from Kakadu. I would think you could have excellent nature experiences in Uluru and Cairns (since you indicate you will be in those two places) given that you have a limited number of days in Australia. For more info on Kakadu National Park, you can check their website: www.deh.gov.au/parks/kakadu

THANX longhorn55
your view of KAKADU was very important 4 me
aby

Spent 5 nights at Kakadu in a campervan with my wife and three boys to Kakadu in July 2000. We had a wonderful time and it was not crowded. One day we took a 4WD tour out to Jim Jim Falls (over 800 ft high) and Twin Falls - had a fantastic time, canoeing up to Twin Falls and having the place to ourselves and swimming under the gigantic waterfall. Our other favorite spot, was Ubirr, which we visited at sunset...an awesome view, especially at that time of day. Also did the walk around Arnbangbang Billabong (featured in the movie Crocodile Dundee) - with not another soul to be seen. Visited the Aboriginal paintings at Nourlangie Rock (great!) and of course did the most touristy of activities at Kakadu: the Yellow Water Cruise - birds galore, crocodiles, and vast expanses of water lillies.

Also spent a day and a half at Litchfield Nat'l Park - not too far from Kakadu with more great things to see.

Have taken the kids on several different trips within Australia (after visiting relatives on the east coast)....the boys still think the Kakadu and Litchfield trip was the best of the lot.

My advice is to go only if you can spare the time not rush.