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Won over by the wonder of Kakadu

How does someone from a busy Asian city cope with the remote outdoors in Australia?

Deanne is very clear: if we don’t let her spit water on top of our heads, a safe and trouble-free journey cannot be guaranteed. A strange way to start a walking and camping holiday in Kakadu National Park, but we dare not argue. This is the traditional Welcome to Country ceremony performed by the Limilngan-Wulna Aboriginal people and Deanne has plenty of examples to demonstrate the credibility of her advice.

I am on a World Expeditions Kakadu walking adventure with 13 Aussies, a lone foreigner from Hong Kong and three guides.

I ummed and ahhed for weeks about whether to go on a camping trip to Kakadu. While I love the outdoors, roughing it has never really appealed to me.

This tour features semi-permanent camp sites, with a big common tent for cooking, eating and relaxing, including solar-powered lights, picnic tables and sofas. There is also the ubiquitous camp fire and camper chairs in the open air for those preferring a more authentic experience. The small two-person tents for sleeping have a canvas outer layer that can be removed to provide a view of the spectacular starry nights without succumbing to mosquitoes and other insects. The national park bathroom facilities are nearby, with flushing toilets and solar-heated water (although this can be prone to running out).

It isn’t “glamping” by my definition but it is comfortable, nonetheless. The food is also much better than expected, with barramundi, roast beef and vegies, creamy pasta and butter chicken gracing our plates. Lunches consist mainly of make-your-own wraps with deli meats and salad.

But it is natural and cultural beauty I have come for and Kakadu is the perfect place to experience both, being one of only 20-odd sites in the world to be listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both natural and cultural values.

We start with a sunset cruise on Yellow Water, a billabong at the end of Jim Jim Creek (a tributary of the South Alligator River). It is a birdwatchers’ paradise, with a few crocodiles thrown in for excitement.

I particularly enjoy watching the comb-crested jacanas, also known as the Jesus bird for their ability to seemingly walk on water.

The next day we clamber over boulders to get to the base of Jim Jim Falls. The sandy beach, shady gorge and pure, cold waters of the plunge pool are the perfect spot for a geological history lesson from our lead guide, Dan. Some of the rocks of Kakadu were created more than 2500 million years ago (about half the age of planet Earth), before there was even any plant life. The landscape we see today was created following long periods of uplifts, erosion and subsidence, rises and falls in sea levels, and weathering.

After lunch we undertake some serious four-wheel-driving and hiking to get to the top of Twin Falls, which only just opened for the season the previous day. We are assured the park rangers have multiple methods for deciding when an area is safe from estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles following the end of the wet season, although I still feel a little uneasy as we swim in the calm, dark pools upstream of the falls.

On the long, hot hike back down the scarp, I start to question my choice of holiday. My head is pounding from a mild case of sunstroke, my legs are covered in stinging cuts from the overgrown spinifex and I have inadvertently brushed past a green tree ant nest, resulting in ants all over my head, in my hair and ears.

Luckily, after a sleep-in and a hot breakfast the next day, Dan gives us some easier walking options — and not to anything less than stunning, either. Over the course of the next four days, we do a number of 3-6km walks to secluded water holes, including Gubara pools, Maguk Gorge and Motor Car Falls.

Generally, we arrive at our destination after an hour or two walking. About an hour is spent swimming and taking photos at each spot before lunch is prepared for us. The younger and more active among the group take advantage of the rock- climbing opportunities to discover more pools further up river. Once we have eaten our fill, it is time to pack up and walk back to the bus for the return to camp.

The smell and sight of smoke is a common feature during our walks. In response to our concerns, Dan explains that Kakadu has been subjected to controlled burns by the traditional owners for thousands of years and that these “cold burns” are safe.

Even with that knowledge, it is disconcerting to walk past flames in the bush.

We see more evidence of the traditional owners at Nourlangie, with its multiple Aboriginal rock-art galleries. These are some of world’s best examples of traditional rock art.

Although the rock art cannot be accurately dated, we walk through numerous styles of paintings that clearly cover different eras of habitation. Archaeological digs at one site revealed that Aboriginal people had been using the shelter for at least 20,000 years.

Having spent significant time with the local Aboriginal people, Dan is able to give us an insider’s account of some of the stories of the creation ancestors depicted by the paintings, including Namarndjolg, who broke the kinship laws with his sister, and Namarrgon, the “lightning man” who is responsible for the violent lightning storms during the wet season.

The most scenic spot is saved for last. A short-but-steep hike up a hill next to our second and final camp site is Gunlom, formerly known as Waterfall Creek. Smooth rocks, shallow pools, multiple waterfalls and even a natural infinity pool overlooking the plains, make it the perfect place for swimming, watching the sunset and resting our overworked legs.

I’ve decided this style of camping is not too bad after all: someone else to drive the challenging 4WD tracks, take you to the best swimming spots, pitch your tent and cook dinner for you.

If only it could always be like this.

FACT FILE

World Expeditions’ six-day Kakadu Walking Adventure runs most weeks from May-September for $2195 per person, departing from Darwin. It includes all meals and camping gear (except sleeping bags). worldexpeditions.com.