My husband and I are new to this scene. I want to fly into Darwin and hire a camper vehicle and travel around Kakadu National Park. Is it necessary to pre-book sites and can anyone see any problems when we haven't done this before. My husband wants to hire a 4 WD and book into resorts but I don't want to experience it that way. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Caz
jimricho said
07:07 AM Jun 18, 2012
I would suggest booking ahead whether you choose resorts or caravan parks to avoid disappointment. You will not need a 4WD to visit Kakadu.
-- Edited by jimricho on Monday 18th of June 2012 07:08:24 AM
kandagal said
05:10 PM Jun 18, 2012
Whichever way you go also go to Litchfield National Park. I like it more than Kakadu
cazza said
05:15 PM Jun 18, 2012
Thank you both for replying to my email. I am trying to work out flights etc. hire of vehicle. If caravan parks are all booked out, can you stop in areas if you dont want facilities? Also are the roads fairly good. Thank you, Caz
Dougwe said
05:24 PM Jun 18, 2012
Welcome from me too cazza, enjoy here and out there.
Have a great time when you get to Kakadu and anything else you choose to do while that way. You will enjoy the life style that's for sure.
Dougwe said
05:26 PM Jun 18, 2012
Get a copy of "Camps 6" cazza, it has all the free/low cost camp sites listed for all states and territories.
Gerty Dancer said
06:37 PM Jun 18, 2012
On the way out to Kakadu, stop at the "Window on the Wetlands", Fogg dam, Corroboree Lagoon... and take a "jumping crocodile" cruise. Theres a "rustic" caravan park at Corroboree Park. Plenty of interesting and informative things to do before you even hand over your money to enter Kakadu.
jimricho said
05:16 PM Jun 19, 2012
Both Kakadu and Litchfield are well worth visiting. In fact it would be a pity to travel all the way to the Top End and not include both.
It is unfair and missing the point to draw comparisons as they are quite different.
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 19th of June 2012 05:18:02 PM
tiger5 said
10:42 PM Jun 19, 2012
GO to both as you are the only one to know if you like them.Have been to both & must that each has their own good/bad points. It is like recomending van parks,what you I don't.
-- Edited by tiger5 on Tuesday 19th of June 2012 10:43:23 PM
vkgreenie said
10:47 PM Jun 19, 2012
Hi Cazza
We are currently in Darwin, however all reports advise not to get to excited about visiting Kakadu. I think it is a suck and see for yourself, and make up your own mind.
Funny isnt it how people view things differently. Our friends have told us not to bother with Litchfield. As you say it is a matter of going and seeing for yourself. We will go to both places though. Caz
neilnruth said
11:50 PM Jun 19, 2012
Welcome Cazza. You'll enjoy this forum. We went to Darwin by plane, booked a 1 day Litchfield tour and enjoyed it and a 2 day tour to Kakadu and enjoyed it but felt we had seen as much as we wanted to see in the 2 days (then we went back to Adelaide on The Ghan - now that's good fun). As the comments above show, it is really personal choice and it's really hard to tell you which way to go. By the way, we booked out Litchfield tour only via Great Southern Rail and got the upgrade to Gold service on the Ghan.
wendyv said
12:21 AM Jun 20, 2012
There are national park type campgrounds at a number of places in Kakadu and I don't think you can pre book sites in those. If your hired camper can be independent of 240V power, then these may be a better option. There is one at Ubirr, one near Yellow Waters, one not too far from Nourlangie and one at Gunlom that I can think of, and may be more. Make sure you hire a 4WD camper, otherwise you will be restricted to the bitumen only and will miss some great places. Kakadu is at its best in the earlier part of the Dry Season, before the waterholes shrink too much. I think that many of the people who are disappointed with Kakadu go at the wrong time of the year. By late July, it is getting pretty dry and dusty. Litchfield is pretty spectacular right through, but early in the Dry, the waterfalls are still flowing really well. However, once into the Dry, you can do a good circuit there (with high clearance vehicle) - out from Darwin, through Batchelor, take in the Litchfield sights and back on the gravel road through to Berry Springs way. That section is closed in the Wet and you have to backtrack through Batchelor. There is a caravan park at the Wangi end of the park, as well as at Batchelor, and some NP campgrounds at a few spots.
wendyv said
12:27 AM Jun 20, 2012
neilnruth wrote:
Welcome Cazza. You'll enjoy this forum. We went to Darwin by plane, booked a 1 day Litchfield tour and enjoyed it and a 2 day tour to Kakadu and enjoyed it but felt we had seen as much as we wanted to see in the 2 days (then we went back to Adelaide on The Ghan - now that's good fun). As the comments above show, it is really personal choice and it's really hard to tell you which way to go. By the way, we booked out Litchfield tour only via Great Southern Rail and got the upgrade to Gold service on the Ghan.
We did the same, flew to Darwin and came back on the Ghan, and upgraded via booking accommodation and a tour with GSR - but in a February, because the Driver wanted to experience the stormy season. (We had previously spent quite a bit of time up that way in the Dry.) However, he overdid it a bit, and we wound up in a little cyclone - it was an interesting experience, and certainly stormy! Agree the Ghan is a great experience. I wasn't sure I'd like it - was Driver's wish - but now I'd like to do the Indian Pacific too.
Hylda&Jon said
12:31 AM Jun 20, 2012
Litchfield or Kakadu? We heard opinions good and bad on both of them before we went. Now, after we spent about a week in both we found both most enjoyable.
Litchfield has great waterfalls and nice walks and very nice private individual camping spots. The swimming holes were slightly better than Kakadu in my opinion.
Avoid Litchfield during NT school holidays as it gets packed due to its close proximity to Darwin. We were there then & the camping spots were filled before midday every day & the swimming spots were overcrowded.
Kakadu is very large and we used 3 different camp spots so we could spend time in each area. It has excellent waterfalls and nice swimming holes though most are a bit more difficult to get to. The aboriginal art is amazing in Kakadu. Sitting watching the sunset over the wetlands on the hill at ubbir was breathtaking. The ranger walks and talks were an added bonus.
Don't miss going on one of the wetland tours in the Kakadu area & bring your camera.
$25 fee in Kakadu will let you camp for 2 weeks and you don't prebook at either Litchfield or Kakadu campsites.
My husband and I are new to this scene. I want to fly into Darwin and hire a camper vehicle and travel around Kakadu National Park. Is it necessary to pre-book sites and can anyone see any problems when we haven't done this before. My husband wants to hire a 4 WD and book into resorts but I don't want to experience it that way. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Caz
I would suggest booking ahead whether you choose resorts or caravan parks to avoid disappointment. You will not need a 4WD to visit Kakadu.
Click on http://www.tourismnt.com.au/ and http://en.travelnt.com/ for more info and to obtain accommodation and caravan park guides
Welcome to the forum,
Jim
-- Edited by jimricho on Monday 18th of June 2012 07:08:24 AM
Thank you both for replying to my email. I am trying to work out flights etc. hire of vehicle. If caravan parks are all booked out, can you stop in areas if you dont want facilities? Also are the roads fairly good. Thank you, Caz
Have a great time when you get to Kakadu and anything else you choose to do while that way. You will enjoy the life style that's for sure.
Get a copy of "Camps 6" cazza, it has all the free/low cost camp sites listed for all states and territories.
Both Kakadu and Litchfield are well worth visiting. In fact it would be a pity to travel all the way to the Top End and not include both.
It is unfair and missing the point to draw comparisons as they are quite different.
-- Edited by jimricho on Tuesday 19th of June 2012 05:18:02 PM
GO to both as you are the only one to know if you like them.Have been to both & must that each has their own good/bad points.
It is like recomending van parks,what you I don't.
-- Edited by tiger5 on Tuesday 19th of June 2012 10:43:23 PM
Hi Cazza
We are currently in Darwin, however all reports advise not to get to excited about visiting Kakadu. I think it is a suck and see for yourself, and make up your own mind.
We have just visited Litchfiled National Park. Check out the photos on our blog http://theretroroamers.blogspot.com
Hope that helps
Cheers beers
Make sure you hire a 4WD camper, otherwise you will be restricted to the bitumen only and will miss some great places.
Kakadu is at its best in the earlier part of the Dry Season, before the waterholes shrink too much. I think that many of the people who are disappointed with Kakadu go at the wrong time of the year. By late July, it is getting pretty dry and dusty. Litchfield is pretty spectacular right through, but early in the Dry, the waterfalls are still flowing really well. However, once into the Dry, you can do a good circuit there (with high clearance vehicle) - out from Darwin, through Batchelor, take in the Litchfield sights and back on the gravel road through to Berry Springs way. That section is closed in the Wet and you have to backtrack through Batchelor. There is a caravan park at the Wangi end of the park, as well as at Batchelor, and some NP campgrounds at a few spots.
We did the same, flew to Darwin and came back on the Ghan, and upgraded via booking accommodation and a tour with GSR - but in a February, because the Driver wanted to experience the stormy season. (We had previously spent quite a bit of time up that way in the Dry.) However, he overdid it a bit, and we wound up in a little cyclone - it was an interesting experience, and certainly stormy! Agree the Ghan is a great experience. I wasn't sure I'd like it - was Driver's wish - but now I'd like to do the Indian Pacific too.
Litchfield or Kakadu? We heard opinions good and bad on both of them before we went. Now, after we spent about a week in both we found both most enjoyable.
Litchfield has great waterfalls and nice walks and very nice private individual camping spots. The swimming holes were slightly better than Kakadu in my opinion.
Avoid Litchfield during NT school holidays as it gets packed due to its close proximity to Darwin. We were there then & the camping spots were filled before midday every day & the swimming spots were overcrowded.
Kakadu is very large and we used 3 different camp spots so we could spend time in each area. It has excellent waterfalls and nice swimming holes though most are a bit more difficult to get to. The aboriginal art is amazing in Kakadu. Sitting watching the sunset over the wetlands on the hill at ubbir was breathtaking. The ranger walks and talks were an added bonus.
Don't miss going on one of the wetland tours in the Kakadu area & bring your camera.
$25 fee in Kakadu will let you camp for 2 weeks and you don't prebook at either Litchfield or Kakadu campsites.
Both parks have modern toilets and showers.
Cheers
Jon