Kakadu & Top End
Top End Areas
Kakadu Highlights
Kakadu National Park
This page contains general information about Kakadu which has not yet been uploaded to our new website.
For up to date information about specific trips, see our new mobile-friendly website.
Kakadu is huge. At 20 000 sq km, Australia's largest national park is about the size of the state of New Jersey in the USA, about half the size of Switzerland. It is also one of the few places which has been declared a world heritage area for both natural and cultural reasons. To quote the original world heritage evaluation report, "Combined with the overlay of its cultural values, there is simply no other protected area on earth like Kakadu."
Kakadu contains one of the world's greatest collections of prehistoric art, unique in representing the history of a still living culture. Many of Kakadu's birds, small animals and plants are found nowhere else.
As large as it is, there are only a few sealed roads and gravel tracks in the park. This means that most of the park can only be reached on foot. As there are no marked, overnight hiking trails, any group doing an overnight bushwalk must contain at least one member able to use a map and compass for cross country navigation. In addition, they must obtain a bushwalking permit well before their trip.
Although dozens of tour operators can take you to Kakadu, Willis's Walkabouts is the only one who offers treks where you hike far into the back country on dozens of different walks, ranging from three days to three weeks. Unlike other operators who run the same trip again and again, no two of our trips are alike. This means
- you can see the best that Kakadu has to offer in each of its six seasons.
- you can choose an appropriate length and level of difficulty.
- the land can recover between visits so that it will remain as pristine in 50 years as it is today.
Russell Willis, owner of Willis's Walkabouts, has been hiking in Kakadu since 1974. No one knows it better. Every one of our guides has the benefit of that experience. They know the best Aboriginal art sites, the best trekking routes, the best camp sites and the best places to swim. Our bushwalking trips take you into places like the escarpment country and the upper South Alligator Valley, far beyond where any vehicle can go. They let you experience the wilderness on its own terms.
Our many Kakadu bushwalking trips can be grouped into four types: Circle Trips, Family Trips, Highlights Trips and Light-Pack Trips. If you want to hike, we've got something for you.
The links on the map and in the Kakadu Highlights menu above right contain additional information about the different parts of the park where our treks take place.
General Park Information
The weather. For detailed information about the weather in Kakadu and the rest of the Top End, see our Top End page.
Kakadu is Aboriginal Land. If you would like more information about Kakadu, see the official Kakadu National Park website. It has additional information about all aspects of the park including
- a page of maps, apps and other info.
- a collection of photos with links to more.
- a page about 'the people and the place' including video interviews with Aboriginal traditional owners.
- a 'plan-your-trip' page with links to all sorts of information.
- Bushwalking permits. You can find a link bushwalking permit applications on the official Kakadu Bushwalking and Camping page.
- Park Passes. Everyone who visits Kakadu needs to purchase a park pass. You can do this online by clicking on the links on the Kakadu Passes and Permits page.
- Tours. There are many different tours you can do in Kakadu. You can find almost all of them on the official Kakadu Tours page. Here you will find everything from free ranger tours to tours run by the local Aboriginal people to every other type of tour there is. You can find us by clicking on "Nature & Bushwalking tours".
Want to know more about Kakadu's World Heritage values? See the
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