Litchfield, Katherine and Kakadu Tours in February

Wet Season Tours from Darwin 

Thinking of visiting the Top End in the wet season? Wondering if there is much open?! Well the answer is 100% yes!! There is heaps to see and do at this time of year. Here is one of our favourite tours we run early in the wet season (i.e. January, February and March). It's a 6 day accommodated private tour that takes in the best of what 'the wet' has to offer! 

Day 1  

At 8am your Venture North guide will collect you from your Darwin accommodation. This morning we will make our way to Kakadu National Park by 4wd via the Arnhem Highway. Covering almost 20,000 square km of exceptional natural beauty and unique biodiversity, Kakadu is one of very few places World Heritage listed for both its cultural and its natural values. Kakadu is home to the Bininj and Mungguy Aboriginal people who have inhabited this area for thousands of years. En route to Kakadu, our first stop will be at Fogg Dam. Originally built as a rice-plantation the area has become a conservation reserve and is now an important refuge for various bird and reptile species. After Fogg Dam we’ll travel to the Adelaide River where we will join a Jumping Crocodile Cruise. On this unique 1 hour cruise you will see wild crocodiles feed right beside the boat. You will also be able to get a closer look at some of the NT’s birds of prey as they come in to feed. Continue on to Leaning Tree Lagoon, this scenic billabong is a great place to have morning tea and view large populations of waterbirds. Next, we will travel on to Kakadu. Once in the Park we’ll stop in at Bowali Visitor and Information Centre. Bowali provides visitors with a wealth of information and displays on the Park and habitats.

Overnight: Kakadu National Park - Crocodile Hotel

Day 2 

First up this morning we’ll travel to Jabiru Airstrip. One of the best ways to see Kakadu at this time of year is by helicopter! Upon boarding your 45minute flight you will travel over many different and spectacular landscapes along the Arnhem Land escarpment and see various river systems, billabongs and two of Kakadu’s most famous waterfalls Jim Jim and Twin Falls. Continue on Gubara where we’ll take a 6km (return) hike past sandstone cliffs and through monsoonal woodland to a series of small rock pools. While hiking your guide will point out various bush-tucker and medicinal plants Aboriginal people have used for thousands of years. Next, we will visit Nourlangie Rock, one of Kakadu’s oldest Aboriginal occupation sights open to the public. Enjoy a walk around this impressive rock, through ancient rock-art sites and savannah bushland which is home to a variety of wildlife found nowhere else on the planet. Keep your eyes peeled for the chestnut-quilled rock pigeon as well as black wallaroo. Finally, today we will travel to Nawurlandja Lookout. A short climb takes us up the sloping sandstone to provide views of the sun setting across Anbangbang Billabong, Nourlangie Rock and the Arnhem Land escarpment.

Overnight: Kakadu National Park - Crocodile Hotel

Day 3 

This morning we will explore the northern region of the Park (weather permitting*) to Cahill’s Crossing where the East Alligator River separates Kakadu from Arnhem Land. This notorious river crossing is a great place to spot salt-water crocodiles. Continue on to Ubirr Rock, one of Kakadu’s best-known rock art sites and featured in the movie Crocodile Dundee. After exploring the rock art we’ll walk to the top of Ubirr which offers picturesque views of the sun setting across the Nadab floodplain into the stone country of Arnhem Land. Next, we will visit the newly established Marrawuddi Gallery, in Jabiru. Marrawuddi is owned and run by the Mirarr clan, the local Traditional Owners of this part of Kakadu. All artworks in Marrawuddi are created by Bininj (Aboriginal people) from Kakadu and the surrounding country. In addition to the extensive art work in the gallery you’ll usual find various Indigenous artist painting and weaving around the gallery. Finally, today we’ll join a 2hr sunset cruise on the famous Yellow Water Billabong. On this picturesque waterway you will have the opportunity to view a large variety of birdlife as well as salt water crocodiles in their natural environment. Learn more about the wildlife on the billabong from your knowledgeable guide who will make the cruise both fascinating and informative. *note when this region is in flood we can often take a boat tour to the northern region or alternatively visit a different area of the Park.

Overnight: Kakadu National Park - Crocodile Hotel 

Day 4 

Today we’ll explore some of Kakadu’s waterfalls and swimming holes en route to Katherine Gorge. Our first stop this morning will be at Moline Rockhole, a special permit area in which only a few select operators are permitted to access; guaranteeing minimal crowds. The small waterfall and waterhole below the falls is a great place to cool down and relax. Here your guide will give you a pair of snorkels so you can explore the underwater world, home to a variety of species such as fish and turtle. After departing Moline we’ll travel into the Yurmikmik region of Kakadu where we’ll embark on a short walk to Boulder Creek. The walk takes us through open woodland to a secluded waterhole surrounded by monsoon forest, another great place for a dip. Mid-afternoon we’ll continue on to Katherine and the Nitmiluk National Park, home to Katherine Gorge and our lovely accommodation for the next 2 nights at Cicada Lodge. At 6pm nibbles and complementary drinks will be served followed by a set-menu 3 course dinner.

Overnight: Nitmiluk National Park - Cicada Lodge

Day 5 

Enjoy a relaxing start to the day at Cicada Lodge, then at 9am we will join a 2hr Gorge Cruise on the spectacular Katherine Gorge. Sit back and relax as the tranquil surroundings transport you into a spiritual world of the Jawoyn culture and history. Discover the stories and ways of the Jawoyn people against the magnificent backdrop of the Nitmiluk Gorge. Next, we’ll travel into Katherine and visit Godinymayin Yijard Rivers Arts & Culture Centre where you can learn more about the art and culture of the region. We’ll then spend the afternoon at Edith Falls. The sandstone and riverine communities of Edith Falls provide habitat for a diverse range of flora and fauna. Upon arrival we’ll have morning tea followed by a swim in the large waterhole beneath the falls. Next, we’ll embark on 2.7km loop walk to the top of the falls offering more great swimming with spectacular views. Finally today depart on a 1.5hr heli adventure with 40 minutes of airtime. Once in the air we’ll head for the mouth of Katherine Gorge whilst tracking along the Katherine River. We’ll cruise over all 13 Gorges before visiting the incredible Biddlecombe Cascades and Crystal Falls. This helicopter tour also includes a remote landing, on the top of an impressive sandstone gorge. Here enjoy complimentary champagne and cheese board as the sun sets.

Overnight: Nitmiluk National Park - Cicada Lodge 

Day 6 

Today our final destination is Litchfield National Park, about 1.5hrs south of Katherine, en route to Darwin. Litchfield comprises of a central sandstone plateau which supports rich woodland flora communities. Patches of monsoon rainforest thrive in the deep, narrow gorges and wildlife such as wallabies and birds flourish in the Park. This morning we will enter Litchfield via Batchelor and firstly explore Tolmer Falls. The caves near Tolmer Falls are home to the rare Orange Horseshoe and Ghost Bats. After a picnic lunch we will visit the Magnetic Termite Mounds. These gigantic termite mounds stand up to 2m tall, having been erected in a north-south orientation which acts as a built in temperature control. These ‘tombstone’ like structures make the area look eerily like a giant cemetery. We’ll next visit two of Litchfield’s most famous waterholes, Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls. Here you will have the opportunity to swim and also snorkel in the crystal clear pool below Florence Falls and relax in the cascading pools at Buleys. This afternoon we’ll make one last stop in Litchfield at Wangi Falls before departing for Darwin via the Finniss River dirt track. Arrive into your Darwin accommodation at approximately 07.00pm.

Like what you see? Find out how you can book a wet season tour here: Book Your Tour Today