Botanical Top End, Rock Art & Kakadu

You will be met in Darwin and transferred to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a Welcome Dinner and meet your fellow travellers and Botanical Guide.

This morning, enjoy a Darwin sightseeing tour, which includes a visit the Jingili Water Gardens. We then browse the exhibits at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, home to internationally renowned artistic and cultural collections. Our travels then take us to the gardens at Government House (subject to availability), which overlooks Port Darwin. This afternoon, explore the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, noted for their collections of northern Australian and other tropical plant species.

This morning we visit two private gardens in Darwin, including Jenny’s Orchid Garden, home to a vast collection of tropical orchid species. At Berry Springs this afternoon, swim in natural pools or walk through the monsoon forest and wetlands to see a variety of bird species in their natural habitat. More than 100,000 armed forces personnel were based in the area during World War II and remnants of this history can still be found here. Afterwards, we stop in at Anthill Gardens, the Northern Territory’s largest private tropical display garden. Tonight, we make our way to the famous Mindil Beach Sunset Market, where you will have time to browse the many stalls and purchase dinner at your leisure.

Depart Darwin for Kakadu National Park. Visit the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre to see artefacts illustrating the stories of the land’s traditional owners. We next join the Yellow Water cruise along the world-famous Ngurrungurrudjba, or Yellow Water Billabong, where we see an abundance of native plants and birdlife. About one third of Australia’s total bird species are represented here in Kakadu National Park, including Jabirus and Brolgas. This afternoon, we see some of the world’s oldest and most spectacular rock art, along with incredible views across the Arnhem Land escarpment, at Nourlangie and Ubirr. This evening sees us staying within Kakadu overnight.

This morning you have the opportunity to take a scenic flight over Kakadu (at your own expense), before we make our way to Katherine, where the outback meets the tropics. Along the way, we enjoy lunch at Pine Creek Resort and visit the local museum, which is the oldest prefabricated corrugated iron building in Australia. Check into your beautiful hotel, the Cicada Lodge, your home for the next two nights.

Join the NitNit Dreaming 2 Gorge tour this morning and take in the region’s breathtaking landscapes while learning about the plants, animals, culture, and Dreamtime Stories from your cultural guides. See the hanging gardens, a section of the gorge with an almost rainforest-like atmosphere. After lunch, visit Jurassic Cycad Gardens, home to around 200 species of cycads, a hardy evergreen cone-bearing plant. The property also has a range of palms, figs, ferns, cacti and other succulents across its five acres.

Depart Katherine for Litchfield National Park, an ancient landscape shaped by its waterfalls, creeks and rainforest. Enjoy a picnic lunch while exploring this incredible natural wonder. This afternoon, we travel back to Darwin, where we celebrate our journey over a Farewell Dinner.

Today, after breakfast, you will be transferred to the airport as our journey concludes.