Kakadu National Park is 1,755,200 hectares in size.

This large Park is leased by the traditional Aboriginal owners to the Australian Nature Conservation Agency. The name Kakadu is derived from one of the languages of the area known as Gagudju. Indeed, this was the main language spoken in the northern section of the park until earlier in this century.

The Aboriginal connections with this part of Australia can clearly be seen in the numerous examples of rock art throughout the park. This art and the many other sites associated with Aborigines in the park indicate the richness of their culture.

The magnificent scenery of the Arnhem Land sandstone Plateau dominates the area. This is a stunning 600 kilometres long. As long ago as 140 million years, the area of Kakadu was covered by a sea, and cliffs formed at its shore line, and today they form what we know as the escarpment.

The park stretches from the coast and takes in woodland, rainforest, the southern hills, wetlands and waterways, and of course the aforementioned plateau. It is these various wonderful features that support a very wide range of wildlife.

In the months from November to March, during the wet season, waterfalls crop up everywhere, pouring over the top of the escarpment. Viewing the Aboriginal art, boat cruises through the wetlands, bushwalking and scenic photography are all popular activities for visitors to Kakadu. You can reach the Park via the Arnhem Highway from Darwin, the Kakadu Highway from the south or by air to Jabiru.

The park is in fact Australia's largest national park and takes in the entire drainage basin area of the South Alligator River. It is in this fabulous park that you will easily come across any one of the large varieties of flora and fauna that exist in the Top End.

There are frogs, crocodiles, lizards, turtles, many types of fish, goannas, skinks, snakes, marsupials, bats, dingos and mice and rats. It is estimated that up to three million waterbirds use Kakadu, the vast majority of which are Magpie Geese.

Crocodiles are the world's largest reptiles and they too happily reside within the boundaries of the park. Earlier in this century, crocodiles were hunted very close to the point of extinction, and today they are a protected species. There are two types, the saltwater (Crocodylus Porosus) and the freshwater (Crocodylus johnstoni).

They can remain underwater for as long as one hour, with their heart beats being reduced to a mere two or three per minute so as to conserve energy. It is the temperature in the nest that will determine the sex of the baby crocodile. Many young crocs fail to make it to fill maturity because they fall prey to other crocs, feral pigs and other animals.

Ubirr is certainly one of the main features of the park. Here you will encounter some truly amazing examples of rock art, which you will discover are of the x-ray style. It is not exactly sure how old this art is, although it is believed that some of it could be as old as 20,000 years.

From the carpark there is a 1 kilometre circular walking track which will take you past this art work. There is also a lookout point, from where you will be treated to some spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, the Arnhem escarpment and the Nardab wetlands - quite breathtaking.

Apart from Nardab, the other wetlands of the park include Yellow Waters and Mamukala. A water cruise of the Yellow Waters wetlands is something that should not be missed, particularly if you get the chance to enjoy one just at the end of the day, as the sun is beginning to set. The cruise will involve an encounter or two with crocodiles and countless numbers of birds. It truly is an area rich in wildlife.

At Nourlangie you will come across a variety of art sites and the Gunwarrdehwarrde Lookout. A 1.5 kilometre circuit will take you past the Anbangbang Gallery, Shelter and the Lookout. Amongst the art figures that you will see are Namondjok, a dangerous spirit, Namarrgon, the lightning man, and his wife, Barrginj.

The Bubba Wetlands Walk will take you past creekbeds, forest and woodland and onto the Bubba. Here you will encounter billabongs and swamps and a whole host of natural features. Long necked turtles, countless numbers of birds, ghost gums, bloodwoods and paperbark trees are but some of the wonderful sights to behold here. The walk is near the Muirella Park Camping Area.

Iligajarr Wetlands Walk is a small area of the South Alligator River wetlands. You will pass by forests, billabongs and along a grassy floodplain. From Iligadjarr Point you will be treated to a fabulous view of the Mt Brockman massif. Burdulba Billabong forms a part of the Burdulba Creek and flow on to the South Alligator River.

The Rock Holes is a backwater of the East Alligator River and there is a 6.5 kilometre walk from the Bardedjilidji. It will take you past all sorts of flora - waterlilies, screw palm, bombax and paperbark trees, as well as of course, a whole host of birdlife - pied heron, magpie goose, jabiru and countless others.

Like many other areas in the Top End, Kakadu has a fire programme. This may seem strange to visitors to the area for the first time, however, a little explanation should clarify things somewhat.

When you hear the word 'fire', the image of destruction immediately enters the mind, and in wilderness areas, bush fires can indeed cause havoc, leaving behind them a trail of destroyed flora and fauna. In the Top End though, not all fire that you may see is bad.

For thousands of years the Aborigines have carried out a practise known as burning off. These controlled fires are continued today by the rangers. The idea is to get rid of the mass of undergrowth grass which has developed over the year and dried out. By doing this fresh plants are given a chance to make their way in the world.

Over the many years that the burn offs-have been in use, the trees have become fire dependent in that the arrival of the fire ensures that their hard seed capsules are opened and the ground is broken up, thereby guaranteeing the continuance of the species.

Also, the removal of what would become very good burning material, reduces the likelihood of a more dangerous bushfire accidentally starting up and destroying many habitats. Fires are lit in the early part of the dry season and fail to get out of control because they are usually on a small scale and the morning dew ensures that they are extinguished.

There are a variety of activities organised by the rangers of the park. These include slide shows, guided walks, art site talks and nature walks. They take place throughout the park and a very useful means of learning many interesting facts about the park and its wildlife from people who are very knowledgable and informative.

For further information on these various activities you should contact the rangers at the Bowali Visitor Centre.

For those interested in a spot of fishing, there are plenty of opportunities.

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