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Wildlife of Australia's Northern Territory
Tour Code: AUS06A 13-day holiday focusing on the best wildlife sites of Australia's Northern Territory, amongst them the unrivalled wetlands of Kakadu and the spectacular Katherine Gorge.
£6,995 (land only)
Highlights
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Summary
This is a unique wildlife holiday to the remote and ancient lands of Australia’s Northern Territory, a region rich in scenery, natural history and indigenous culture. From Darwin we look for such colourful birds as Red-headed Honeyeater, Rainbow Pitta and Azure Kingfisher, plus a dazzling array of waterbirds at Fogg Dam. In Litchfield National Park, a sandstone plateau dotted with woodland, patches of monsoon rainforest and attractive waterfalls, a good variety of mammals may be seen. At Pine Creek we’ll look for the rare Hooded Parrot and then cruise up the magnificent Katherine Gorge. Finally, we'll enjoy Kakadu National Park, the wetland wildlife spectacle during a cruise on the Yellow Water billabong and the world's greatest concentration of pre-historic rock art in a landscape that is 2,000 million years old!
- Enjoy wildlife in spectacular landscapes over 2,000 million years old
- Visit Litchfield National Park, Pine Creek & Katherine Gorge
- Explore Kakadu’s wetlands
- Cruise on the Yellow Water billabong & through Katherine Gorge
- Numerous ‘Top-end’ and other endemic birds: Banded Fruit-dove, Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon, White-throated Grasswren, etc
- Johnston River Crocodiles & giant Estuarine Crocodiles
- Indigenous culture & pre-historic Aboriginal rock art
- Learn from our expert local naturalist guides
Grading
Day walks only.The Northern Territory, known affectionately as ‘the Top End’, holds within its wide range of habitats a truly staggering abundance of wildlife. This spectrum of habitats stretches from the capital, Darwin, fringed with mangroves and rainforest and set against a backdrop of the sparkling waters of the Timor and Arafura Seas, east to the steep escarpments, jagged gorges and tranquil billabongs of Kakadu, then south to the red desert outback of the heartland. It is believed that Australia’s first inhabitants entered the continent through this bountiful land and the Northern Territory contains some of the continent’s oldest evidence of occupation. The rock walls of Kakadu, for example, are decorated with 20,000-year-old rock art, including the X-ray paintings of local wildlife, as well as more recent depictions of the arrival of the Europeans.
We commence with a flight to Darwin via Singapore, where a colourful array of species awaits us, amongst them such specialities as the stunning Red-headed Honeyeater, Rainbow Pitta, Azure Kingfisher and Rose-crowned Fruit-dove. Travelling south, we begin our explorations with a 2-night stay in Litchfield National Park. Here, a sandstone plateau in the centre of the park supports a rich woodland flora and patches of monsoon rainforest which thrive in the deep, narrow gorges created over thousands of years by waterfalls that cascade from, and carve into, the plateau during the rainy season. The park also holds intriguing ‘magnetic’ termite mounds, a range of historical sites, some bizarre weathered sandstone pillars and a good range of wildlife including Antilopine Wallaroo, Agile Wallaby, Sugar Glider, Northern Brushtail Possum, both black and Little Red Flying Foxes, Dingo and abundant birdlife.
Further south lies Pine Creek and, as we journey towards it through open woodland and stony hills, we will keep our eyes open for the rare and attractive Hooded Parrot which nests in termite mounds. Pine Creek was founded in 1870 during the installation of the overland telegraph line from Adelaide to Darwin. Gold was then discovered in 1871, and echoes of the gold rush days are still evident. Today, however, Pine Creek is best known for its birdlife, as the town is located at the junction of temperate and tropical zones and a wide range of species may be found here.
Next, we base ourselves for two nights in the town of Katherine. From here we will explore the 300,000-hectare Katherine Gorge (or Nitmiluk) National Park, where we will take a cruise on the wide and sparkling waters of the Katherine River which lie within this ancient and spectacular sandstone gorge. On the overhanging rock walls, that hold mysterious galleries of Aboriginal art, we will look for rock wallabies, whilst Johnston River Crocodiles may sometimes be seen basking on the sandy river banks.
Kakadu, a World Heritage Site and one of the largest national parks in the world, contains a wealth of scenery and wildlife, including many endangered species, plus one of the world’s greatest concentrations of prehistoric rock art. So ancient is the landscape in this part of the world that rocks such as those in the vicinity of the Alligator River, being around 2,000 million years old, would have witnessed the beginnings of life on Earth! It is, however, the sheer abundance of waterbirds — watched by immense Saltwater Crocodiles and overhead raptors — on which we will focus primarily as we visit the park’s vast floodplains and take a wildlife cruise on the Yellow Water billabong. The most spectacular landform here is the massive Arnhem Land escarpment. This rises dramatically from the plains and contains stunning waterfalls, gorges and pristine rock pools which may best be enjoyed by taking an optional — locally organised — scenic flight over the escarpment. ‘Top End’ endemic birds of this area include Banded Fruit-dove, Chestnut-quilled Rock-pigeon, White-lined Honeyeater, Sandstone Shrike-thrush, White-throated Grasswren and Silver-crowned Friarbird. We may also catch sight of a marsupial or two, perhaps an Agile or Antilopine Wallaby.
Making our way back to Fogg Dam and other nearby wetland oases, a final dazzling selection of waterbirds awaits us before our holiday ends back in Darwin. From here, a holiday extension is thoroughly recommended within Australia, or for those wishing to enjoy an extended break in Australasia, the dates of this holiday tie in nicely with our 'New Zealand's Natural History' group departure for a back-to-back tour.
Outline Itinerary
What's Included?
- Accommodation: A variety of comfortable lodges, hotels and motels (all rooms with private facilities).
- Food: All included in the price.
Dates & Prices
2025
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The majority of our wildlife tours focus primarily on birds, allowing us to offer a huge choice of bird holidays. On most of our birdwatching tours we aim to see a wide variety of species, while taking time to enjoy other wildlife as well as cultural highlights and architecture.
Naturetrek Birdwatching Tours
We have one of the largest selections of professionally organised, small group birdwatching holidays around the world and all of our birdwatching tours are accompanied by at least one professional ornithologist leader with detailed knowledge of the area.
The majority of our bird tours have a relaxed, flexible approach which allows more time for photography, detailed wildlife exploration, leisure time and the region’s people, culture, history and architecture, while allowing the group to see a wide range of bird species.
Here is a small selection of our many bird holidays:
- Southern Morocco – an exploration of the birdlife in Morocco’s southern deserts, oases and mountains
- The Camargue in Spring – a short break to enjoy the spring birds of the Rhône Delta and Camargue wetland
- Wallcreepers & Cranes in Northern Spain – a 2-centre holiday focusing on Lammergeier, Wallcreepers, raptors, Cranes, bustards, sandgrouse and more!
- Madeira & Desertas Islands – A Seabird Extravaganza! – a short break focusing on special breeding seabirds, including a night on the remote Destertas Islands
- Peru – Macaws & Machu Picchu – searches for boobies, macaws and Inca Terns
- Spain & Morocco: Birding on Two Continents! – watch the spectacular spring bird migration from both sides of the Straits of Gibraltar
Our Bargain Birdwatching Selection
Our Bargain Bird Tours are intensive birdwatching holidays suitable for the serious birder. They are led by expert English-speaking local guides (and not accompanied from the UK by a tour leader). You can expect a higher-paced tour and to spend long hours in the field.
Our specialist recommends...
Byron Palacios - Tour Leader
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Mammal Watching Holidays
Many of the world’s mammals are instantly recognisable to us. Animals such as Lions, Tigers, elephants and bears capture our imaginations from an early age. At Naturetrek, we take great pleasure and pride in helping people to fulfil their lifelong dreams of seeing these iconic species in the wild. We also enjoy introducing our clients to some of the world’s more unusual mammals, many of which are just as fascinating.
Naturetrek Mammal Watching Tours
Many of our tours have a primary focus on mammals and we offer the widest choices of mammal-watching holidays across the globe, from the poles to the tropics. Our holidays are guided by at least one professional naturalist tour leader and usually benefit from additional guiding by expert local naturalist guides. We have holidays to see an incredible range of the world’s most sought-after mammals, such as orangutans, lemurs, bats, polar mammals, big cats, and mammals of the African savannah. A significant number of tours also targets some of the planet’s more unusual and elusive species, from pottos and pangolins to slender lorises and obscure cetaceans.
Here’s a selection of our mammal tours:
- India’s Kanha and Pench Tiger Reserves
- A cruise to Spitsbergen in search of Polar Bears
- A chance to see the ‘Big Five’ and much more in South Africa’s Kruger National Park
- Search for Blue, Fin and Sperm Whales in the Azores
- Close-up views of Brown Bear and Wolverine in Finland
- Enjoy the mammals of Kenya’s Masai Mara, while staying in luxury camps
- Search for elusive nocturnal mammals, such as Aardvark, Black-footed Cat and Aardwolf, in the Kalahari Desert
Bargain mammal selection
We offer a range of action-packed bargain holidays for the dedicated mammal enthusiast, which are exceptional value for money, from Belize to Zambia.
Our specialist recommends...
Paul Stanbury - Operations Manager
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Why Naturetrek?
At Naturetrek we craft expertly-guided group and tailor-made wildlife holidays and cruises to all seven continents. On one of our holidays, you can be assured that our passionate team will enable you to experience and enjoy the best of the world's wildlife and natural spectacles in as comfortable and rewarding a manner as possible, caring as best we can for the environment in the process. We are proud to provide:
- The widest choice of wildlife holidays worldwide
- Tours managed and led by naturalists, for naturalists
- Outstanding value and exceptional customer service
Furthermore, as a Naturetrek client, our office team are always to on hand to help you – so if you have any queries about your holiday, whether before or after you have booked, we will be delighted to answer them on the phone. Please just give our team a call!
