Cairns to Darwin

Day 1

The tour will pick you up from the Reef Hotel Casino in Cairns at 7:30am.  Our first stop is a swim in the cool waters of Josephine Falls, before making our way up the mountains and into the tropical rainforest to Millaa Millaa Falls.  We’ll then make our way west to Kalkani Crater where you’ll have great views of the surrounding volcanic regions.  Tonight, we’ll Camp at Undara. (Breakfast not included on this day)

Day 2

This morning we’ll explore the Undara Lava Tubes on a 2-hour tour with a local guide. We’ll then make our way to Georgetown and visit one of Australia’s best mineral collections, the Ted Elliott Collection.  Our next stop is the Cumberland chimney, a remnant from the gold rush days, where there’s a large waterhole with plenty of birdlife.  Our last stop for the day will be at Lake Belmore for a swim before settling at our camp in Croydon.

Day 3

Today we continue west and make a stop in Normanton to visit Krys Crocodile, a replica of the largest (8.63 metres) crocodile ever captured.  Afterwards, we’ll stop at Camp 119, the last camp on the ill-fated Burke and Wills expedition.  We’ll continue our journey on to Leichhardt Falls, a wide-open set of falls on the Leichhardt River, before arriving at our campsite at Adels Grove.  You’ll enjoy peaceful clear swimming holes next to our camp and we’ll spend two nights here.

Day 4

Today we’ll spend the day in Boodjamulla (Lawn Hill) National Park, which is one of Queensland's most significant geological parks, with interesting rocks and landscapes spanning hundreds of millions of years. In the park we’ll visit Lawn Hill Gorge, which is surrounded by red sandstone and a beautiful rainforest.  You’ll be able to take a refreshing swim in the spring-fed clear, cool water.  We will also visit Upper Gorge and Indarri Falls, as well as complete the Island Stack walk. There will be plenty of opportunities to swim throughout the day.

Day 5

Today we visit the world heritage listed Riversleigh Fossil Fields where you will find the remains of the largest known Freshwater crocodile, as well as gizzard stones from ancient flightless birds.  Afterwards, our journey continues as we cross the Nicholas River and observe the giant causeway beneath us.  We take station trails to Hells Gate to explore the sandstone formations before making a stop at the lesser-known Echo Gorge to explore the area.  Tonight, we’ll camp near the Northern Territory / Queensland border.

Day 6

This morning we’ll pass over many pristine rivers and creeks as we continue our journey west. It’s a great opportunity to observe the savannah bushland and see the giant ancient cycads growing around the region. We’ll make a stop in Borroloola, a remote Aboriginal town, to restock before making our way towards Limmen National Park.

Day 7

Today, we travel along the Savannah Way crossing many pristine creeks and rivers before arriving at the bizarre and fascinating Southern Lost City. We will take a walk among the giant ancient pillars and observe their unique rock formations.

We’ll make our way to Butterfly Gorge, a waterfall where you can swim and relax after the morning’s walk. We will make a stop at the Nathan River Ranger Station and Information Centre in Limmen National Park before continuing on to the picturesque Lomarieum Lagoon to spot local birdlife. We’ll spend the night camping in Limmen National Park.

Day 8

We visit Roper Bar, a river crossing which allows access to southern Arnhem Land. Here, we’ll wander through the ruins of a historic police station from the early pioneering days.

Afterwards, we’ll continue our adventure along the Roper River to Mataranka, where we’ll take a dip in the crystal-clear thermal springs (either Mataranka Hot Springs or Bitter Springs). Tonight’s camp will be in Elsey National Park.

Day 9

This morning, we enter the Aboriginal lands of the UNESCO World-heritage Kakadu National Park. We’ll enjoy Gunlom Falls, a natural infinity pool with both upper and lower pools offering breathtaking views whilst we swim.

After our dip, we will make a stop Maguk, here it’s like a natural aquarium and home to some of the 54 spices of freshwater fish found in Kakadu.

Day 10

This morning we will visit Yellow Waters; one of Kakadu's best-known billabongs and home to a variety of wildlife.  We'll learn about the importance of the billabong and take a moment to watch the wildlife as it plays around the water. 

Our next stop will be the Warradjan Aboriginal Culture Centre.  At the centre we will discover stories about Kakadu's traditional owners; known locally as the Bining.  This is a chance to learn about one of the longest continuous cultures on our planet, and an opportunity to read about their practices and traditions.  

Later in the day we'll lock the hubs into 4-wheel drive and take the dirt track into Jim Jim Falls, where we can cool off under Kakadu’s highest waterfall before making our way to camp for the night.

Day 11

We’ll make tracks towards the East Alligator River to embark on the Guluyambi Cultural Cruise. An Aboriginal guide provides guests with an insight into their culture and local mythology, the river’s abundant food chain, traditional uses for many plants and animals as well as bush survival skills.  Disembark on the Arnhem Land side of the river for a display of traditional hunting and gathering implements. 

From the cruise we’ll go to Cahills Crossing, the famous vehicle crossing connecting Kakadu with Arnhem Land, where Saltwater Crocodiles congregate as they wait for fish to flow over the low-lying road.

We continue to explore Kakadu National Park as we arrive at the rock shelters of Ubirr Rock. Your guide will take you through some of the galleries to view a range of different ancient art styles with new paintings super-imposed over older ones. There are stories of law and behaviour, as well as great examples of Rarrk paintings and the thylacine.

We’ll walk to Ubirr rock’s spectacular viewing platform carved by nature and you can take in the 360 degree views. You’ll be able to see across the Nadab floodplain and the East Alligator floodplains all the way to Arnhem Land.

As we begin the final leg to Darwin we’ll make a stop at the lesser-known site of Mitsuaki Tanabe’s granite carvings. They pay homage to the native grass which produces a wild rice once harvested in the Top End. We go for a short bush walk to locate some of the carvings depicting various images including the native wild rice. The site is on the edge of the Mt. Bundy Range which is also a great location to see Gouldian finches.

We ‘ll arrive back in Darwin around 6pm. 

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Kapalga Travel reserves the right to alter the route or itinerary schedule to adapt to seasonal changes or if one of our stops becomes closed.