Tropical Top End

Accommodation: Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel

Cruise on the Adelaide River, home to over 1,600 crocodiles, on the Jumping Crocodile cruise. See these prehistoric creatures up-close as your local guide entices the crocodiles to leap out of the water. Then you’ll travel into Kakadu National Park. Covering more than 20,000 square kilometres, World Heritage listed Kakadu. The combination of mangrove fringed coastal areas, expansive flood plains, lowland hills, and open woodland and forest habitats, make Kakadu one of the most diverse landscapes you’ll ever experience. It’s home to a myriad of animals, hundreds of bird species and thousands of different insects and plants. Enjoy lunch in Kakadu National Park before a stop at the Marrawuddi Art Gallery. Continue to Ubirr, where you’ll climb up through the ancient Aboriginal rock art galleries, believed to be 20,000 years old, to the lookout for a spectacular view over the surrounding wetlands.

Accommodation: Ibis Styles Katherine

Explore awe-inspiring Aboriginal rock art at Nourlangie, then continue to Warradjan Cultural Centre before taking a cruise on the magnificent Yellow Water Billabong to observe saltwater crocodiles and prolific wildlife. Travel via Pine Creek to Katherine.

Accommodation: DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Esplanade Darwin

Cruise through Katherine Gorge, watching for crocodiles basking in the sun. Gain cultural insights at Nitmiluk Visitor Centre before travelling to Edith Falls, whose paperbark and pandanus-fringed natural pool at the base of the falls is safe for swimming most of the year (conditions permitting). Stop at Adelaide River War Cemetery en route to Darwin.

In Litchfield National Park today your first stop is Florence Falls, where you can take a scenic bush and monsoon vine forest walk. After a swim in its pristine plunge pool, travel on to Tolmer Falls for a stunning view of the water cascading down to the deep waterhole below. Wangi Falls, with its large crystal-clear pool, is another relaxing spot for a swim. At Howard Springs Nature Park, you’ll have the opportunity to feed the barramundi and turtles. Return to Darwin, where your Short Break concludes.