Frommer's Australia from $50 a Day 13th Edition - To Parent Directory

KAKADU NATIONAL PARK 413
Tips Glowing Attraction?
Not all of Kakadu’s attractions are natural. Tours of the Ranger Uranium
Mine, 13km (8 miles) east of the Bowali Visitor Centre, reveal how this
extremely controversial material is extracted from a large open-cut mine
and turned into yellowcake to fire nuclear power plants around the world.
Ninety-minute tours depart daily May through October at 10:30am and
1:30pm and cost A$20 (US$13) adults, A$10 (US$6.50) kids ages 4 to 14. The
tours depart by bus from Jabiru Airport, which is near the mine. Book
through Kakadu Tours (& 1800/089 113 in Australia, or 08/8979 2411).
31km (19 miles) southeast of the Bowali Visitor Centre, features “x-ray” style
paintings of animals and a vivid striped Dreamtime figure of Namarrgon, the
“Lightning Man,” alongside more recent depictions of a white man in cowboy
boots, a rifle, and a sailing ship. You’ll also find rock paintings at Nanguluwur, near
Nourlangie, and at Ubirr Rock, which is worth the 250m (800 ft.) steep climb for
the great views of the floodplain at sunset. Access to Ubirr can be limited in the
Wet, but the views of afternoon fork lightning storms up here at that time are
breathtaking. Unlike most sites in Kakadu, Ubirr is not open 24 hours—it opens
at 8:30am April through November and at 2pm December through March, and
closes at sunset. There is a 1.5km (1-mile) signposted trail past Nourlangie’s paintings
(short trails into the art sites shoot off it), an easy 1.7km (1-mile) trail from
the parking lot into Nanguluwur, and a 1km ( 1 ⁄2-mile) circuit at Ubirr. Access to
the sites is free.
Displays and videos of the bush tucker, Dreamtime creation myths, and
lifestyles of the local Bininj Aborigines are on show at the Warradjan Aboriginal
Cultural Centre (& 08/8979 0051) at Cooinda. This building was built
in the shape of a pig-nose turtle at the direction of the Aboriginal owners. There
is also a quality gift shop selling items like didgeridoos, bark paintings by local
artists, and baskets woven from pandanus fronds. The center is open daily from
9am to 5pm, and admission is free. It is connected to Gagudju Lodge Cooinda
and the Yellow Water Billabong by a 1km ( 1 ⁄2-mile) long trail.
SWIMMING, FISHING & BUSHWALKING
In the eastern section of the park rises a massive red sandstone escarpment that
sets the stage for two magnificent waterfalls, Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls. In
the Dry, the volume of water may not be all that impressive, but their settings
are magical. Both are accessible by 4WD only, and neither is open in the Wet.
A 1km (.5-mile) walk over rocks and through rainforest leads to a deep green
plunge pool at Jim Jim Falls, 103km (64 miles) from the Bowali Visitor Centre.
The water is wrapped by an almost perfectly circular 150m (490-ft.) cliff. The
road may be upgraded by the time you read this, but if not, allow 2 hours to
drive the final 60 unpaved kilometers (37 1 ⁄2 miles) off the highway. Due to
floodwaters, Jim Jim Falls may not open until as late as June.
The falls descend into a natural pool edged by a sandy beach and surrounded
by bush and high cliffs. Kakadu Gorge and Waterfall Tours (book through
Gagudju Lodge Cooinda; & 08/8979 0145) run an excellent small-group day
trip for active people. You bushwalk into Jim Jim Falls for a swim and morning
tea, 4WD through the bush, and then paddle a canoe to Twin Falls for lunch.
Tours depart daily from Jabiru and Cooinda May through November and cost