4 Day Kakadu Tours & Beyond
Green Season Jan-Apr

DAY 1- DEPART DARWIN 7AM – WETLAND CRUISE, BOWALI, NOURLANGIE ROCK

As we head directly towards Kakadu this morning, our first adventure today is the iconic Jumping Crocodile cruise (in April, a more tranquil wetland nature cruise is also available). We board our skippered craft and venture out onto the Adelaide River, with an extremely high density of saltwater crocodiles. Watch these amazing creatures as they leap out of the water to get their morning snack. After our cruise we continue travelling, stopping en-route for some lunch, and soon enter Kakadu where we visit Bowali. We spend some time here having a brief look around, as your first real introduction to Kakadu National Park. This afternoon we travel to one Kakadu’s most renowned cultural sites, Nourlangie Rock. While at Nourlangie we lead you on an amazing cultural expedition through ancient occupational shelters, and view rock art that documents an Indigenous culture and lifestyles spanning tens of thousands of years. After our cultural journey through time, we climb to the stunning Gunwardiwardi Lookout to witness a typically inspiring Kakadu panorama over the expansive stone country. Soon afterwards we head to your chosen Kakadu character accommodation.

DAY 2- KAKADU SOUTHERN WATERFALLS; HIKING & SWIMMING

After breakfast we travel to the far south of Kakadu and venture into the South Alligator volcanic valley. A short 4WD adventure delivers us to Kakadu’s southern hills and basins, which spring to life after our wet season rains, displaying tall seasonal waterfalls, lush vegetation and an abundance of wildlife. We have an opportunity to explore two of the southern waterfalls today; Gunlom Falls with the now famous infinity pool and Boulder Creek, our easy to reach secret gem of the south. (If Gunlom is still under seasonal closure, we will visit Motor Car Falls) Motorcar Falls is a tall waterfall with a large plunge pool nestled in lush tropical forest against Kakadu’s stone country. Motor Car Falls is a little more remote and reached via a 7km return hike, offering a refreshing swim in this extremely healthy eco- system. Afterwards we visit the smaller more secluded Boulder Creek for another quick freshen up before our travel to the Katherine area, where we will overnight in preparation for our Nitmiluk visit in the morning.

DAY 3- KATHERINE GORGE (NITMILUK NP)

This morning, immediately after breakfast we head directly into the gorge and board our boat for a 2-3 hour cruise through this complex system. Katherine Gorge comprises of 13 gorges in all, defined and separated by small rock bars. Our boat cruise allows us to explore the first 2-3 gorges. With an average height of around 180 meters, this gorge system makes for a spectacular journey as we cruise upstream. Each gorge is different in shape and atmosphere and overall it is an exhilarating and tranquil experience. There are clean sandy beaches, white and calm waters, with an abundance of bird life, fish and freshwater crocodiles. After exploring the gorge by watercraft, you also have the option of taking a scenic helicopter flight to gain an aerial perspective of the total gorge complex. After our Nitmiluk experience and some much appreciated lunch, we travel north along the Stuart Highway to the Litchfield area and tonight’s air conditioned accommodation in readiness and close proximity for tomorrow’s full day in Litchfield National Park.

DAY 4- FULL DAY EXPLORING LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK; WATERFALLS, SWIMMING, SHORT HIKES & TERMITE ECOLOGY

Today is a full day of enjoying the aquatic playground for which Litchfield National Park is renowned for. After last night’s accommodation close to the “Litchfield Gateway” we have the added advantage of an early entry, giving us a genuine full fun day of hiking, swimming and snorkelling this absolute tropical paradise. We visit and indulge ourselves in all of Litchfield’s big name attractions and features such as Wangi Falls, Tolmer Falls, Buley Rockholes, Florence Falls. And of course, lets not forget our fascinating termite supported ecology with their striking and unusually designed and built structures.

Late in the afternoon we “hit the road” for the last time and head for Darwin. Only 1.5 hours drive from Litchfield, we arrive back in town around 5pm and return you to your accommodation with time to reflect on your Charter North Tour Experience.

At Charter North 4WD Safaris, we know how important a healthy, balanced diet is for your well-being, and just because our tours are remote that does not mean that you will have to compromise your diet for the duration of your trip. Many of our tour guests still attribute camping to sausages and bread, but thankfully these days are over. At Charter North, we provide freshly prepared meals incorporating all food groups at breakfast, lunch & dinner. In between meals, there will be plenty of healthy snacks to top up energy levels during our activity packed tour days. Ample cool storage space in our tour trailers allows us to carry lots of fresh vegetables & fruits along with all other ingredients for our wholesome meals. All of our guides are great camp fire cooks and you will be surprised at the variety of meals they prepare for you. We cater for a range of diets (vegetarian, gluten free etc.).

Please note: On our accommodated tours, if staying in hotel style accommodation, we may not be able to prepare breakfasts and dinners for you which will be available on site. If this is the case, we will let you know through the booking process.

What our tour guests say about our food:

“The day was always started with a fresh cup of percolated coffee and a spread of cereals, breads, fresh fruit and when time permitted damper, eggs and bacon, often with an open fire. We were all surprised at the quality and variety of food prepared; Fresh, organic, delicious and plenty thereof, always thinking of the environment in our use of the camping area, roads and bush.”

“We fully expected 3 nights of BBQ sausage in rolls so it was fantastic to get a really delicious home-cooked meal every evening, from stir fries to homemade pasta sauces. Plenty of snacks and a hearty breakfast (and espresso coffee… no international roast here!) set us up for the day.”

“I was expecting 8 nights of BBQ’ed sausages, but we ended up with everything from stir fries to tacos to pasta, all cooked on an open fire. So the dinners were great, and it would be remiss of me not to mention Alina’s muesli and GT’s coffee, which got the mornings off to a great start.”

“The food was great & all meals other than lunch were cooked over the fire. We enjoyed freshly brewed coffee and cooked breakfasts (eggs and bacon; jaffles); bread cooked in the camp oven (including damper; multigrain and a banana bread); Bbqs, curries, pasta and stir fries for dinner and plenty of chocolate and marshmallows for toasting over the fire while star gazing.”

(Quotes from our 2017/18 TripAdvisor reviews)

At Charter North 4WD Safaris, our guests’ safety, comfort and well-being always comes first. Through a number of mechanism, we ensure that you are well looked after, well informed and getting the most out of your valuable holiday at all times. After all, a holiday should be relaxing and enjoyable, and you are in the right hands with Charter North.

Our Tour Guides

All of our tour guides have many years of experience and comprehensive knowledge of our tour destinations. They are personable, responsible and approachable and will ensure that you truly experience and learn about your chosen destination, not just see it. Our guides are accredited, trained in remote first aid and most importantly passionate about their work, people and the environment.

Our tour vehicles & trailers

Charter North’s tour vehicles and trailers are suited to the sometimes rough and often challenging conditions characteristic of our tour destinations, and are equipped with the latest safety features and emergency communications. Our modern luxury 4wds are the most comfortable available in the market, and fitted with upgraded suspension to “smoothen out the ride” even further. They are fitted with air-conditioning and curtain airbags throughout, and designed for quiet acoustics allowing you to converse freely. All vehicles and trailers are serviced and maintained to the highest standards and beyond recommended service intervals to minimise any risk of mechanical issues on tour.

For further tour information, please visit our FAQs.