Our last tour for this season will be heading out to Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls tomorrow, 7 October 2013.

In the stone country, temperatures have regularly exceeded 40ºC and are predicted to remain high throughout the upcoming build-up season.
The Arnhem Land escarpment is a magnificent place to explore but we’ve certainly been feeling the heat out there at Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls!

If you’re planning to visit Kakadu in coming weeks to experience some of our fabulous sites at your own pace, please make sure you do so well prepared:

• Start your walks early in the day;
• Avoid hiking and other strenuous activities in the heat of the afternoon;
• Wear sturdy footwear, sensible clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and sun protection;
• Carry a little hiker’s first aid kit;
• Make sure you carry plenty of drinking water (minimum 1 litre per hour of activity).

Thinking about visiting the park next year?
We’ll be back with more tours to Ikoymarrwa, Motor Car Falls, Gunlom and Maguk in Kakadu’s early dry season, Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls and Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge)!

Still pondering about a trip to Kakadu? How is this to whet your appetite:

The first episode of this four-part documentary series will screen at 7:30pm on Australia’s ABC 1 tonight, Sunday 6 October 2013.

Unplug the phone, grab the popcorn and enjoy!

The post Kakadu is Hot Right Now! appeared first on Top End Explorer Tours.

Motor Car Falls

Now that wet season floodwaters are receding, road crews can get out there and repair tracks and access roads, particularly in the southern parts of Kakadu where monsoonal rain over the Easter long weekend caused streams to rise dramatically, damaging causeways and parts of the road to Gunlom.

While we can’t get to Gunlom just yet, we do now have access to the walks in the Yurmikmik area again. Steve is heading down there today to explore Boulder Creek and Motor Car Falls before paying Ikoymarrwa a visit as well.

Speaking of Ikoymarrwa —  we’re very pleased with the news that we will be able to regularly access this restricted area for the next 5 years, happy days!

Ikoymarrwa — Access by special permit only

View tour that visits Yurmikmik – Ikoymarrwa & Motor Car Falls

Bobo!
Anja

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There’s not really much else to say at the moment other than as of Saturday 13 April 2013, we will be visiting Ubirr on our ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry‘ tour after hiking into Gubara in the morning.

Ubirr – View from Nadab Lookout

The conditions are currently very similar to what we experienced this time last year, sure to absolutely captivate you:  Monsoonal rainforest, crystal clear creeks, cheeky wildlife, Aboriginal rock art, stunning views, exciting 4 wheel driving — a day that’s got it all!

Read my blog post from last year for more details: Ubirr in Kakadu’s Early Dry

Call us for more information on (08) 8979 3615

Bobo!
Anja

The post Ubirr Again appeared first on Top End Explorer Tours.

And what a great bunch of people we welcomed on board this year!
We met intrepid travellers from all corners of the globe and heard some truly inspiring stories. We were able to pick quite a few experts’ brains on topics such as geology, archaeology, entomology, and Aboriginal Land Rights – and most importantly, we had lots of fun along the way!
Ma gamak!

We’ll be doing it all over again next year, can’t get enough of Kakadu! We will kick off with our regular day tours in April, check out ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry’ for likely destinations. Once park staff have removed any estuarine crocodiles from the Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls area and put infrastructure back in place, we will switch to our ‘Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls’ day tour. Watch this space for updates on seasonal conditions and how they may affect our tour program.

Rainbow Pitta (Pitta iris)

Our exclusive ‘Kakadu Private Charter’ is available year round, just send us an email with your enquiry.

Whether you simply like the luxury of a private tour with your expert guide or you’re travelling with young children, whether you’re planning a trip for a specialist group of birdwatchers or you’d like to visit some of Kakadu’s attractions not incorporated in our scheduled day tours:
Let us provide you with a tailor-made itinerary to suit your interests and needs and make it a day to remember!

We can show you brilliant examples of Aboriginal rock art and take you off the beaten track to pristine gorges and waterfalls that are accessible by special permit only.

Drumroll please, as we’ve got some really exciting news:

Top End Explorer Tours have secured a special permit for 2013 to access the restricted area of Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge) in the southern part of Kakadu National Park!

As of next dry season we will be able to offer small groups of travellers an exclusive ‘Kakadu Private Charter‘ experience in this spectacular sandstone gorge that is as rugged as it is remote. It is a great place for bushwalking (yes, a good level of fitness and agility is required!) and birdwatching, the best for learning about Jawoyn culture and to experience the beauty of the stone country in the southernmost corner of Kakadu!

Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge)

Access depends on seasonal conditions. As estuarine crocodiles regularly move into the lower pools of the gorge during the wet season, mandatory crocodile surveys need to be conducted in the early dry (usually complete by around June/July). Furthermore, we don’t recommend visiting the area beyond September when conditions become progressively inhospitable with the approaching build-up season.

Please note that a trip to Jarrangbarnmi is subject to availability and best booked way (!) in advance. Be flexible with your travel dates too, possibly work out a few alternative days as spots will fill up super fast, particularly during Wurrgeng (cold weather time: July- August).

Jarrangbarnmi is a culturally sensitive area and visitor numbers are strictly limited: Only 40 people are allowed to gain access to this magnificent site at any one time, no exceptions!

Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge)

Parts of Jarrangbarnmi lie within ‘Sickness Country’ (Buladjang country). Bula, a powerful spirit, formed this landscape and then went to live under the ground. Jawoyn (local Aboriginal people) are very respectful when visiting this gorge.  They ask visitors to also respect these important sites while visiting Buladjang country.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year!

Bobo!
Anja

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Locals and visitors alike have been enduring the very hot and humid conditions of Gunumeleng (our pre-monsoon season) over the last few weeks, maximum daytime temperatures regularly exceeding 38°C, while humidity levels are slowly creeping up and up.

Namarrgon, the Lightning Man, threatens with thunder and lightning and violent but localised showers and storms. No widespread rain and flooding as yet — just the feeling of being trapped in a steam bath.

Most of us here in Kakadu can’t wait for the monsoon to arrive (or to spend the holidays in more temperate corners of the world). Others, however, visit Kakadu for precisely these rather challenging conditions: We’re excited to welcome the Melbourne Football Club in Kakadu!
The Dees will spend a couple of days in the park next week, “to test the players’ mettle – both physically and mentally”.
Yep, the players will feel tested when they undertake a 35km bushwalk in the Nourlangie region next Thursday!

Namarrgon, the Lightning Man

To move on to another topic, the Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls region is now closed for the wet season. The closure, roughly four weeks ago, was a necessary move as it was getting way too hot to appreciate these rugged gorges without running the risk of dehydration and other heat-related illnesses.
Also, crocodile traps and infrastructure had to be removed before rising water levels and flooding could hamper the effort.

I would like to thank the awesome team of rangers from the Jim Jim District for the opportunity to tag along for a day and lend a hand with removing the croc traps from the Jim Jim Creek system to store them in a safe place for the wet.
After spending a hot and sweaty day out in the field, the sun relentlessly bearing down, I can truly appreciate the effort Kakadu park rangers put in to keep visitors safe year after year. Trust me, its hard yakka and these guys rock!

And just like Kakadu’s park rangers, we’ll be doing it all over again next year! Our ‘Kakadu’s Early Dry‘ tours will kick off again in April 2013, tours to Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls will commence as soon as the area becomes accessible. Subscribe to our blog to stay in touch with the mob in Kakadu!

Bobo!
Anja

The post Gunumeleng — Sweating it out in Kakadu appeared first on Top End Explorer Tours.

The daytime temperatures have been soaring to over 37°C here in Jabiru. Throughout Kakadu’s sandstone gorges along the Arnhemland escarpment things are certainly heating up as well, shade becoming increasingly sparse.

Life’s a Beach at Jim Jim Falls

While so far this season we’ve been visiting Twin Falls first thing in the morning before spending the afternoon at
Jim Jim Falls,
Steve and I are considering to turn the itinerary around over the next few days.
As of next week, we’ll be heading right up to
Jim Jim Falls plunge pool before the sun hits the bottom of the gorge and it gets too hot and sunny in the afternoon.

As we’ve pointed out many times before, Jim Jim Falls usually stop flowing during the dry season. But don’t despair, the gorge with its awe-inspiring sandstone cliffs and magnificant deep plunge pool is still a worthwhile destination! You won’t regret the hike through monsoonal rainforest, the scramble over rocks and boulders right up to the deep plunge pool. Being surrounded by sheer cliffs more than 200m high is definitely a memorable experience that won’t leave you disappointed.

Little Black Cormorant at Jim Jim Falls

Our boat rides into Twin Falls Gorge have been very interesting of late with sightings of Gumogen, the Freshwater Crocodile and Warradjan, The Pig-nosed Turtle.

More than offering a mere ferry service, Tony, Anthony and Dallas are keen to make the trip unforgettable.
Just the other day we were lucky enough to spot not just 1 but 3 pig-nosed turtles in the gorge! I haven’t managed yet to get at least one good picture of these friendly looking freshwater turtles that have all the characteristics of a marine turtle, I’m working on it though!

Twin Falls Boat Shuttle

The birdlife hasn’t been bad either, a juvenile White-bellied Sea Eagle has been hanging around. A Rufous Night Heron, several Little Black Cormorants and Little Pied Cormorants have taken up residency in the gorge. And I love watching the Banded Fruit-Doves, endemic to the rainforests of the stone country. Unfortunately, when they zip across the gorge at high speed to disappear again in the foliage of Anbinik trees they’re just too fast for my camera…

Last Week at Twin Falls

Hope to see you soon here in kakadu National Park!

Bobo!
Anja

The post Gurrung — Hot Weather Time in Kakadu National Park appeared first on Top End Explorer Tours.

Thommo is a Kunwinjku speaker from West Arnhemland. His home, the Djalama clan country, is in the Goomadeer River region, in the stone country west of Maningrida. Thommo can look back on a long artistic tradition in his family, all members of the Nganjmirra family are outstanding painters and artists.

His paintings tell about his connection with his country, like the story of Likanaya and Marrayka, the two ladies who became Yawk Yawk (freshwater mermaids).

Yawk Yawk

You can find Thommo’s art at Injalak Arts in Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) as well as in Darwin, where Leslie Nawirridj, another senior member of the Kunwinjku family of artists, has added some of Thommo’s work to the portfolio of Kunwinjku Aboriginal Art.

Meet Leslie at the Parap Markets on Saturdays or at Stokes Hill Wharf on Wednesday evenings while you’re in Darwin!

Thommo at Twin Falls

For a few years Thommo has been sharing his time between his Bininj family in Gunbalaya and his Balanda family (us) here in Jabiru, where miraculously he finds the peace and quiet to paint (as our place isn’t necessarily one of calm and tranquillity when we prepare for the next tour).

Curious why people from all over the world come to Kakadu to visit Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls he went along on a tour with Steve a little while ago. Since he liked what he saw he now joins our tours a couple of times a week, teaching us Balanda (non-indigenous people) a thing or two about bush tucker, bush medicine and the Bininj way of looking after country.

In the afternoon, while some of our passengers brave the cold water and enjoy a swim at Jim Jim Falls, he usually gets out a canvas and starts painting, happy to share his stories with those who are intrigued by the intricate details and fine crosshatching that make his art so recognisable.

Celebrating NAIDOC Week at Bowali Visitor Centre
Image courtesy Kakadu National Park

Thommo is a man of many talents and an equal number of commitments!
Last weekend, for example, he treated visitors to Kakadu National Park to a painting demonstration and workshop at Bowali Visitor Centre as part of the NAIDOC week festivities.

If you’d like to meet Thommo on one of our tours, please contact us prior to booking to check his availability. We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Bobo!
Anja

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The crocodile surveys have been completed, the Twin Falls boat shuttle is operational, the floating pontoon boardwalk has been installed once more to allow access to the beach under the falls – it’s all good!

For the last couple of weeks we have been spending the day at Jim Jim Falls only, as of tomorrow our tours will be visiting Jim Jim Falls as well as Twin Falls!

On request and if we (that’s Steve or myself) feel that the entire group is up for a bit of an adventure, we will tackle the Twin Falls Escarpment Walk to enjoy the spectacular views from above the falls. Most days however, we will climb aboard one of the small shuttle boats to enjoy the trip up Twin Falls Creek. Tony and his Indigenous guides will be on the lookout for wildlife and interpret this area of cultural significance for us before we hike further into the gorge.

I’m looking forward to sit on the white sandy beach under the falls again, enjoying a hot cuppa, it’s been a long time since our last visit!

Twin Falls Gorge

Now, there is one thing I really need to get off my chest, a topic that is indeed becoming a bit more than a slight inconvenience for us:
All of our passengers MUST carry valid Kakadu park passes if they want to embark on our tour (exempt are only Territorians and children under 16 years of age).

While a small number of visitors may be totally unaware of the fact that the purchase of a Kakadu park pass prior to entering the park is compulsory, others make the conscious decision not to spend the $25.00 per person.

If stopped by one of the compliance officers who do random checks throughout the park, they will be asked to rectify the situation and purchase a park pass – and they’re free to go on their merry way. For an entire fortnight they can enjoy camping, hiking, fishing, cultural activities, ranger-guided walks and artsite talks, slide shows in campgrounds and more.

On the other hand, if we allowed passengers to join our tour without holding a valid park pass, we’d actually be in breach of one of the permit conditions for commercial tour operators as specified in the EPBC Act 1999. I won’t bore you with any details, it simply means that if picked up by the compliance team, we wouldn’t be getting away with a slap on the wrist, we’d be putting our livelihood at stake!

You may start to wonder why park management don’t make things a whole lot easier for everyone involved by rebuilding the park entry stations that served their purpose just fine up until eight years ago.
Steve and I have actually been wondering ourselves for a while now…
You would be doing us a big favour by forwarding your thoughts in this matter to the Park Manager by emailing kakadunationalpark@environment.gov.au.

The park manager suggested to us in a letter this week that we stop at Bowali Visitor Centre to allow passengers without valid tickets to make their purchase at the brand new E-Ticket Kiosk. Unfortunately this gadget is not operational yet and the front counter is not staffed before 8:00 in the morning.

The other suggestion was to take a detour via the Gagudju Lodge Cooinda where park passes can be purchased. Whenever we pick up passengers from the Gagudju Lodge Cooinda this may very well be an option, however, we’re not prepared to take the detour, drive an extra 30km and waste a good 45min that the group could be spending enjoying the sites in the stone country.

Here and here I have outlined before where park passes can be purchased and what the revenue is used for. By booking our tour, passengers agree to our terms and conditions which also include a clause on Kakadu park passes. All our collateral contains information on the park pass – there really isn’t a reason why anybody should have to turn up for our tour without a valid ticket.

You can also use your smartphone (or similar) to purchase your passes online, Jabiru and Cooinda are areas of range here in the park. Download your ticket onto your iPhone, compliance officers will be able to scan and validate them!

Please do the right thing and purchase your park pass before you meet us in the morning – park management have forced us into a position where we don’t have a choice, we’ll have to leave you behind if you’re not holding a valid ticket. We hope for your kind understanding!

Bobo!
Anja

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Garnamarr campground will be accessible from 16:00 (4:00PM) this afternoon and the gate to the 4WD track to Jim Jim Falls will be unlocked tomorrow morning (Saturday, 9 June 2012), just in time for the long weekend!

The walking track into the gorge will be accessible, giving us the opportunity to check out the plunge pool and the beach pool. The Barrk Marlam walk to the top of the falls could be an option for a very fit and adventurous bunch…

Bobo!

Anja

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