Nele & Andrew Around Oz: Gungurul Campsite, Kakadu National Park, NT

Day 142 – 8^th July 2011

Gungurul Campsite, Kakadu National Park, NT

Today we went on a guided 4WD tour to the Jim Jim Falls. On the way in we stopped for a short walk to Budjmi lookout where we had morning tea with great views of the escarpment (1km return). Next we travelled along the 4WD track where we got stuck in a traffic jam - of all places! - as some French tourists managed to get themselves bogged (it was what you would call a soft 4WD and didn't have the required high clearance – not to mention it was a thrifty hire car and we know they don’t allow their vehicles into Jim Jim Falls). Well, that gave the day some excitement as our tour guide together with 2 other guides got their thinking caps on and pulled the stuck car out of the road with one of the tour trucks. From the car park we walked to the plunge pool and admired the 200m high Jim Jim Falls (2km return). In the afternoon the tour usually takes you to Twin Falls but unfortunately this area was still closed – we were hoping it would have opened as we were told is was only a matter of days when we informed at the Bowali visitor centre. Instead we spent the remainder of the day relaxing at the falls, enjoying a couple of refreshing swims in the cold plunge pool. We were back at Gagudju Lodge Cooinda by 5pm and decided to travel on to Gungurul Campsite.

Tip: the road to Garnamarr Campsite is badly corrugated but when taken it slowly it can be done in a 2WD. From there it is another 6km to the Jim Jim Falls day area car park along the 4WD track (the misleading part is the maps show the whole track as 4WD, but the first 50km is not). We enquired at the visitor centre if we could walk this 6km into Jim Jim but were advised not to, however we believe some other people had done it and we think it wouldn’t be very hard if you allow yourself the time - a lot cheaper than paying a guided tour for basically an expensive taxi ride and the tour is suited to the less active and adventurous. If Twin Falls is open it might be worthwhile doing the tour unless you can catch a ride with a fellow camper that has a high clearance 4WD with snorkel as you need to cross a croc infested river with a water level of about 70cm. In hindsight we should have hired a 4WD out of Darwin or Katherine (company called Sargent). Even though you have to back track, extra fuel and leave your vehicle some where you will be surprised how much cheaper this comes out to than doing a tour – this was certainly the case for us when we hired the 4WD for the Bungle Bungles and El Questro trip - and you get to do travel at your own pace. At Jim Jim Falls there is also a 6km Barrk Marlam Bushwalk which we missed out on.