You may have heard something about Kakadu National Park, a unique area in the Northern Territory of Australia. Lots of people have been talking about this interesting park, but just what makes Kakadu so unique?



It might be Nourlangie Rock - a mysterious example of Aboriginal art, the park's enormous size, its amazing variety of plants and animals, or something else. This is definitely one of the best known parks in the world - thousands of people come to see it from around the world every year.

The park is considered the gateway to Arnhem Land, and is made of up almost twenty thousand square kilometers of beautiful country. The park is so big that you could fit all of a country like Ireland or Denmark inside the borders.

There are many different environments in Kakadu National park, from the inundated floodplains to the Stone Country. There are also monsoon forests, tidal flats and more located in this fascinating location.

Famous Nourlangie Rock is the highlight of many visits to the park. This example of Aboriginal artwork has some incredible carvings and drawings that you won't see anywhere else. Expect to spend several hours at this site - you'll need them to explore it!

There are also plenty of great animal watching opportunities here. Crocodiles, goannas, dingoes, wallabies, and others inhabit the park, including twenty-five different species of frogs, one hundred seventeen different reptiles, and almost a third of Australia's bird species. Plan a trip in the summer, between May and November, to see some of the fantastic plant life this park has to offer, too. Kakadu has some of the richest flora in northern Australia - over seventeen hundred plant species have been recorded, and few of them are invasive weeds.

You'll see eucalyptus, sedge, spear grass, and amazing wildflowers, mangroves, paper bark trees, water lilies, succulants and the spreading banyan fig, as well as the spiny kapok tree. If you love plants, Kakadu has some fantastic opportunities for you.

There's an entire tropical river in this park, as well as a sand stone plateau and escarpment, river banks, mud flats, savannah woodlands, open forests, flood plains and many other environments.

The park's spectacular waterfalls are also a sight to be seen, though tourists should remember that these don't run all year. Two of the most famous are Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls, both amazing in the wet season. Roads to the falls may sometimes be closed, making them visible only from the air.

Some of the park's attractions are available on foot, while others can only be reached by a ride in a four wheel drive vehicle. That means it's a good idea to determine what you want to see and do before you set out, so you'll know what kinds of transportation you'll need and whether you want a tour.

Since the park itself is so big, and there's a lot to see, you might want to think about booking a tour to help you do it right. There are all kinds of trips available, so you'll be able to pick the one that's right for you. Check out companies like Western Xposure to find out more.