EXPERIENCES / KAKADU
Gulf Country: Limmen & Lorella
Overview
Two very different sections, either of which can be done on its own.
Section 1: Gulf Area
We drive to Mataranka & spend a bit of time there, then on to Limmen National Park where we do a 7-8 day walk as well as visiting some interesting geological formations before driving out to the Stuart Highway where the section ends.
Section 2: Judbarra/Gregory
We will be exploring a part of the park we've never been to before. Lots of four wheel driving combined with some day walks and possibly an overnight walk or two.
Note. To keep the price as low as possible, we have not included a number of variable expenses. Details in the PDF trip notes. Please do not book until you have read the notes.
TOP END
June 9-29 2024
Section 1: Gulf
We will leave Darwin on the first morning and drive south to Mataranka Hot Springs and/or Elsey National Park for a bit of a look around and a place to spend the night.
There are a number of walks in the area so we may spend two nights there.
From Mataranka, we continue to Roper Bar and take the track south into Limmen National Park. We went there for the first time in July-August 2021. That trip was so good that we had to go back.
Earlier means more water so we’ve set the date much earlier than our 2021 Gulf trip.
We’ll do two walks, a short overnight which takes us to a beautiful pool less than two hours from a popular campsite and a longer one of 7-8 days, partly on Tawallah Creek, partly in Fish Creek, expanding on the walk we did in 2021.
We were pleasantly surprised by how healthy the country looked and how many birds we saw in 2021. Google Earth images show more pools further upstream than we got so it's definitely worth a longer exploration.
In addition to the long walks, we'll visit the southern and western Lost Cities with their amazing rock formations.
If time permits, we'll have a quick look at Lorella Springs where we've been told there are some interesting places to visit, possibly an overnight walk.
Next the tiny town of Borroloola where we hop to visit the local museum. Heading west, we stop at the Caranbirini Nature Reserve on our way to the Stuart Highway where we spend the night at Dunmarra.
See the PDF trip notes for how to connect if doing one section.
Section 2: Judbarra/Gregory
This will be our first trip to the southern section of Judbarra/ Gregory since the 1990s.
One place we expect to visit is the old Bullita homestead where DT Durack carved his name on a boab in 1882.
Eventually we hit the Victoria Highway near the tiny town of Timber Creek. We turn and head for home, stopping for a final night somewhere along the way.
Details
DATES
June 9-29
PRICES
Full price: A$3495
Sec 1: A$2895
Sec 2: A$1995
*discounts available
There will be additional expenses. Details in the trip notes.
GROUP SIZE
4 - 12 guests
CAMP SITES
On the overnight walks, our camps will be on sand, rock ledges or grassy areas depending on water levels at the time. Some campsites will be in managed or unmanaged campgrounds.
ART
There are a number of sites. We are not sure which we will visit and may find others as we will be visiting a number of new places.
SWIMMING
Should be very good on the overnight walks. Some swims will be possible in other areas but there will be a few days where swimming won't be possible.
WILDLIFE
Birds are always present but spread out at this time of year. You are unlikely to see many large animals but there are many small lizards. Tracks in the sand shows that there are a lot of small animals active at night.
CLIMATE
It should get into the high 20s or low 30s most days and mid teens most nights. Temperatures have been known to drop below 5°C so you need to be prepared.
Sleeping bags are essential. Rain is very unlikely but it can happen. You should be prepared for rain.
COOKING
We will have campfires on our overnight walks and in some campgrounds. We will have a stove for those times when camp fires are not possible.
WALK RATING - MODERATE
Terrain
Section 1. Most of the day walks will be on marked trails. The overnight walks are off-trail. Some sections of these walks are fairly flat and straightforward but there are some longish sections of rock scrambling and a couple of short but sharp climbs. If you have never done this before, you may find this fairly difficult.
Section 2. We expect most of the walking on this section to be on marked trails. Some may be off-trail and may include a bit of rock-hopping.
Vegetation
Much of the walking is through relatively flat, open woodland with a grassy understorey. Some short sections of grass may hide a broken rocky surface where you will have to be particularly careful. In 2021, we had one short section of very thick scrub we had to bash our way through. The vegetation can vary from year to year depending on when last burnt.
Distance
Generally 4-6 hours, not including breaks. A few days might be longer.
Pack Weight
You need to carry up to 8 days food on the longest walk. Much less on the shorter ones. Day packs some days.
Itinerary
*This itinerary is subject to change
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