Kakadu or Kangaroo Island
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,162
Kakadu or Kangaroo Island
My husband, 14 year old son and I will visiting Australia in late July 2004. We will visit Sydney, Cairns, Ayers Rock and one more area. My husband wants to visit Darwin/Kakadu and my son wants to visit Kangaroo Island. I am at a lose, we have daily discusions over this. My husband and I have been to Austalia before, but have not visited Kakadu or K.I. We know that it will be winter in K.I. area, but have heard it is not too cold. Any comments on either area would be greatly appreciated.
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
There is absolutely nothing like Kakadu anywhere else in the world and so I would opt for Kakadu any time of the year over Kangaroo Island. You will see one of the oldest places on earth together with some interesting wildlife. Darwin and surrounds is a real "must do" because of where it is and the people there. It is sooooo different from the rest of Australia and anywhere else for that matter - also is World Heritage listed country.
#7
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 18
Just a quick note on "ideal" time to visit Kakadu.
The peak tourist season for Darwin/Kakadu is May - June - July. This is in the middle of the Dry Season - no rain. Unfortunately, most of the country is either dead, dying, burnt or currently on fire. The wildlife is either migrated, dead, burnt or on fire. The creeks are stagnant pools, the wind blows dust and there is generally an expectation of waiting... for something to happen.
That something is the Wet Season - a spectacular explosion of not only rain but the life that follows. Very exciting and awesome time. People say dont go in the Wet because its warmer (about 2.5 degrees warmer on average) and its much higher humidity (pushing 100% at times). They also say that many places are closed due to flooding - this is partially true - SOME roads are SOMETIMES closed to flooding - and for every location that disappears under water - ten other places become "must see" attractions because of the water ! The Wet Season also supplies the Top End with the best sunsets in the world. Im a photographer born and raised in Darwin and every year I still take hundreds of photos of the storms. Truly gobsmacking in colour and granduer. Anyway, the point is, the two seasons make the same place totally uncomparable between times. You really need to see both. But if its a once off.. dont dismiss a late Wet Season, when everything is still green and the water flowing - say March - April.
Chris.
The peak tourist season for Darwin/Kakadu is May - June - July. This is in the middle of the Dry Season - no rain. Unfortunately, most of the country is either dead, dying, burnt or currently on fire. The wildlife is either migrated, dead, burnt or on fire. The creeks are stagnant pools, the wind blows dust and there is generally an expectation of waiting... for something to happen.
That something is the Wet Season - a spectacular explosion of not only rain but the life that follows. Very exciting and awesome time. People say dont go in the Wet because its warmer (about 2.5 degrees warmer on average) and its much higher humidity (pushing 100% at times). They also say that many places are closed due to flooding - this is partially true - SOME roads are SOMETIMES closed to flooding - and for every location that disappears under water - ten other places become "must see" attractions because of the water ! The Wet Season also supplies the Top End with the best sunsets in the world. Im a photographer born and raised in Darwin and every year I still take hundreds of photos of the storms. Truly gobsmacking in colour and granduer. Anyway, the point is, the two seasons make the same place totally uncomparable between times. You really need to see both. But if its a once off.. dont dismiss a late Wet Season, when everything is still green and the water flowing - say March - April.
Chris.
#8
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,676
We're going to Darwin in late April and I'm really excited about it. We originally planned to go to Australia in March and had thought we'd go to Tasmania. When our plans got pushed back to April, I did a bit more research and learned that Tasmania's weather in April sounded like Toronto's weather in April! Sure it might be hot and wet in Darwin, but it does sound like a unique place to visit.
#9
Original Poster
Join Date: Oct 2003
Posts: 1,162
Message: I ended up booking Kakadu. I promised my son I would take him to a zoo or wild animal park to see the animals. My husband's family loved the sound of our trip so much that we now have my in-laws (80 yrs. young) and my brother-in-law and his wife traveling with us. The trip should be interesting to say the least!!
