Kakadu & Top End
Kakadu Highlights
Twin Falls Creek (Gungkurdal)
Twin Falls, known as Gungkurdal to the local Aboriginal people is one of the most widely known icons in Kakadu. Over the course of a year, thousands of people will take a shuttle boat to the base of the falls. A few hundred will hike the marked trail to the top of the falls. Very few will obtain a permit to trek past the end of the walking trail and explore the seven kilometre long gorge that lies upstream of the main falls.
Getting There and the Boat
Getting to Twin Falls is an adventure in itself as the causeway where you cross Jim Jim Creek is almost always under water. Once at the Twin Falls car park, those doing the cruise meet their Aboriginal guide and walk down to the start of the boat ride.
The three photos below show you a bit of what the trip up the gorge is like. The crocodile trap shows why swimming below the falls is no longer permitted.
Hold your cursor over any photo to see a caption. click to see a larger version.
Kakadu - Twin Falls - Gungkurdal is the best and most detailed description of getting there and of the incredible amount of work required to set the cruise and walk up each year.
Twin Falls boat shuttle is an official park short video clip about the journey. It includes some comments by one of the senior Aboriginal traditional owners of the area.
Above the Falls — the Hike
Our Twin Falls Creek hike is one of the easiest treks we do. We follow the marked trail to the top of Gungkurdal and hike upstream past the end of the marked trail. We have our choice of a number of beautiful campsites, two of which are shown here.
This is bushwalking at its best. You share your beach and pool with no one but your walking companions.
The five photos in the section below show you some of the different kinds of terrain you hike across: flat rock, beach, woods, creek crossings and rock scrambles. On our short Twin Falls hikes, you do the more difficult scrambles with only a day pack. On the longer treks like the Kakadu Circle, you carry a full pack over the same terrain.
Unlike its more famous neighbour, Jim Jim, Twin Falls Creek continues flowing throughout the year. It does, however, slow down. The two photos of the Amphitheatre Falls here were taken in May and July. By the time of our last walk here in October, it will be drier still, drier, but still flowing.
Our short Twin Falls walk is always followed by our Jim Jim and Rainforest (Anbadgoran) walk. Together they make a perfect combination.
If you would like to see more photos of the area, please have a look at our original Twin Falls photo gallery. The photos aren't as big, but some go back more than 25 years. We've been running our treks here for a long time. No other tour operator has that kind of experience.
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