Me again!!!! Sorry for being a serial pest but have a couple of days off and am trying to plan this trip. If we hire a vehicle that is not a 4WD can we travel from Darwin on the Arnhem Highway and then back on the Kakadu Highway through to Litchfield or isn't the latter a sealed road. Any suggestions of must stays would be appreciated especially if they have their own trips out to off-r0ad destinations. Thank you again, Caz
vkgreenie said
10:59 PM Jun 22, 2012
Hey Cazza, and no you are not a serial pest. Everybody here is all willing to help.
As I advised before we are in the Darwin area, and to my full knowledge all the main roads to your desinations are sealed. Although I haven't been to Kakadu yet, all roads are easily accessable as far as I know.
The only part I know that is un sealed is the Berry Springs end of the Litchfield loop. However if you do what i did, and just back track from the Batchelor end.
Check out our blog http://theretroroamers.blogspot and go back a couple of posts and that will tell you about Litchfiled NP.
Happy and safe travels
Cheers & beers
Evie n Rhys said
01:38 AM Jun 23, 2012
Hi Caz, When you hi the van they will tell you where you can't go with it. All 2 wheel vans cannot go on any dirt roads. I did take it to the Douglas hot springs which was a dirt road in which was ok but there a definate areas you can't go. I made no difference to me, all the main rds in Leitchfield and Kakadu etc are sealed and ok. Some of the roads you can't go on a not open at the moment anyway. Jim Jim falls rd etc you can't go on. Not open.... More than enough to see without that anyway. You can go to cooinda, ubirr rocks! Etc. will chat later and fill you in. If you do go on the banned rds you void all your insurance excess with them and are sponsored for all repairs they say. Maybe you don't get your excess back at the end of the hire too. I did get mine paid back into my bank within two days. Tess
wendyv said
07:03 AM Jun 24, 2012
2WD will take you to most of the good spots in Kakadu and Litchfield. You can certainly do the circuit you mention and you will have no shortage of things to see and do. Bitumen on all those highways. In Litchfield, you will be able to go through Batchelor and out as far as Wangi, but will then need to backtrack the same way back to the Stuart Highway. This is not necessarily a drawback - you get a different view, going the other way. If you hire a 2WD, do not be tempted to stray where you are not supposed to go. You never know who will see you - or what might happen. We were camping at El Questro in the Kimberley, with a family member who worked with a big vehicle hire company. In came two of their big motorhomes - very strictly bitumen variety - having travelled a lot of gravel road and forded quite deep running creeks, to get there. Relative reported what was seen and when the vehicles were returned to base, they were carefully inspected and thousands of dollars forfeited because of the off bitumen use.
cazza said
11:01 PM Jun 25, 2012
Thank you everyone for your input. One of your members 'Evie n Rhys' and I had a great chat this morning and gave me invaluable information. I have now booked fares and a campervan and ready to hit the road. Will report on it when I get back. Cheers, Caz.
Clyde Camel said
12:27 AM Jun 26, 2012
If you don't go anywhere else in Kakadu, you absolutely must go here:
Me again!!!! Sorry for being a serial pest but have a couple of days off and am trying to plan this trip. If we hire a vehicle that is not a 4WD can we travel from Darwin on the Arnhem Highway and then back on the Kakadu Highway through to Litchfield or isn't the latter a sealed road. Any suggestions of must stays would be appreciated especially if they have their own trips out to off-r0ad destinations. Thank you again, Caz
Hey Cazza, and no you are not a serial pest. Everybody here is all willing to help.
As I advised before we are in the Darwin area, and to my full knowledge all the main roads to your desinations are sealed. Although I haven't been to Kakadu yet, all roads are easily accessable as far as I know.
The only part I know that is un sealed is the Berry Springs end of the Litchfield loop. However if you do what i did, and just back track from the Batchelor end.
Check out our blog http://theretroroamers.blogspot and go back a couple of posts and that will tell you about Litchfiled NP.
Happy and safe travels
Cheers & beers
When you hi the van they will tell you where you can't go with it. All 2 wheel vans cannot go on any dirt roads. I did take it to the Douglas hot springs which was a dirt road in which was ok but there a definate areas you can't go. I made no difference to me, all the main rds in Leitchfield and Kakadu etc are sealed and ok. Some of the roads you can't go on a not open at the moment anyway. Jim Jim falls rd etc you can't go on. Not open.... More than enough to see without that anyway. You can go to cooinda, ubirr rocks! Etc. will chat later and fill you in. If you do go on the banned rds you void all your insurance excess with them and are sponsored for all repairs they say. Maybe you don't get your excess back at the end of the hire too. I did get mine paid back into my bank within two days.
Tess
If you hire a 2WD, do not be tempted to stray where you are not supposed to go. You never know who will see you - or what might happen. We were camping at El Questro in the Kimberley, with a family member who worked with a big vehicle hire company. In came two of their big motorhomes - very strictly bitumen variety - having travelled a lot of gravel road and forded quite deep running creeks, to get there. Relative reported what was seen and when the vehicles were returned to base, they were carefully inspected and thousands of dollars forfeited because of the off bitumen use.
If you don't go anywhere else in Kakadu, you absolutely must go here:
http://www.caravancaravan.com.au/entity/urbirr-rock-aboriginal-art-area/NT
Litchfield is excellent. Allow a couple of days, but you can see a lot in one day if that is all you have.
Very best,
Clyde Camel