The Northern Territories ultimate Nature’s Way road trip itinerary with kids
Remote wilderness, winding waterways and stark plains stretching as far as the eye can see. A bewilderingly bright starry sky – all teeming with wildlife – road tripping Nature’s Way is the perfect way to experience a snippet of the vast Northern Territory.
Best for: Wetlands and crocs
Drive time: 10 hours return
Stop 1: Kakadu National Park
Encompassing almost 200,000 square kilometres of World Heritage-listed wilds – and plenty of colourful flora and fauna in between – Kakadu National Park is so much more than just a ‘park’. Changing with the seasons, head here for ancient rock art, plunging waterfalls and floodplains reaching to the horizon.
Must do
- Take a dip in the glorious waterhole at Gunlom Falls. The falls are just 200 metres from the car park along a paperbark-lined trail. But don’t stop there: Jim Jim Falls, Twin Falls and Maguk Falls are all essential stops as well.
- Appreciate the rock-art paintings – in various styles and from various centuries – at Ubirr. Afterwards, check out the Nardab Lookout, located just 250 metres from the main gallery, for unbelievable views across the floodplain.
- Join an exclusive tour of a rarely seen area of Kakadu – learning about the fascinating history of buffalo hunting, the local wildlife and traditional bush foods – with Ayal Aboriginal Tours.
- Attend Australia’s premier Indigenous food and culture festival, A Taste of Kakadu. Be sure to sign up for a guided foraging walk. You’ll try Kakadu staples such as crocodile, barramundi and buffalo cooked in ground ovens. Then glide along the famed Yellow Water Billabong while enjoying bush tucker-inspired canapes.
- Experience a whole new perspective of Kakadu’s extraordinary floodplains and escarpments from the air with a scenic helicopter flight.