Hooked: Yellow Water fishing in Kakadu. This is millionaire territory as Australia’s richest fishing competition kicked off on 1 October in the Northern Territory. The 12th annual Million Dollar Fish competition ends in March 2026. Photos: Supplied.
Kakadu National Park in Australia’s tropical Northern Territory is a living cultural landscape. Immersive. Deeply rooted. Primal. It offers a significant connection to nature, culture and timeless sceneries.
About 240 kilometres east of Darwin, and covering nearly 20,000 square kilometres, it is Australia’s largest national park and a World Heritage Site, celebrated for its meaningful ethnographic topography and rich biodiversity.
Attractions include its ancient Aboriginal rock art, stunning waterfalls and swimming holes such as Gunlom Falls and Jim Jim Falls, scenic billabongs like Yellow Water, opportunities for wildlife spotting, and four-wheel-driving adventures.
Looking for incentives to book? Kakadu Tourism has launched a range of special discounted cruise, accommodation and touring packages for visitors to enjoy Kakadu National Park. Part of Tourism NT’s ”Best Kept Season” promotion, there are attractive discounts and added inclusions being offered for stays at Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel and Cooinda Lodge.
The deals, subject to availability and not combinable with other offers, are available until the end of March 2026.
Besides the substantial savings, there are great reasons to visit Kakadu during summer as the season offers remarkably rich experiences for everyone. Almost nightly light shows provide a spectacle as thunder and lightning roll in, waterfalls are at their most dramatic, the dry land turns green, streams begin to flow, and tagged million-dollar barramundi fill the streams and billabongs.
Picturesque: Kakadu’s remarkable landscape can be admired from above on a scenic flight with Kakadu Air.
With the savings made, you can appreciate the stunning panorama, seeing Kakadu’s remarkable landscape from above on a scenic flight with Kakadu Air. Sealed roads make most of Kakadu’s prime attractions accessible throughout the summer.
Spectacular rock art can be viewed at Nourlangie, cooling swims can be enjoyed in waterholes such as Motor Car Falls, hundreds of bird species along with crocodiles and other wildlife are active on Yellow Water Billabong, and Indigenous art and culture can be experienced at Warradjan Cultural Centre, the Bowali Centre and local art galleries.
Australia’s richest fishing competition kicked off on 1 October, promising another blockbuster season in the Northern Territory. The 12th annual Million Dollar Fish competition goes through to the end of March 2026. In addition, this year there are 11 $1 million-tagged barramundi waiting to be caught, along with 100 $10,000 tagged barras, many of which have been caught in Kakadu’s Yellow Water Billabong.
As well, Kakadu’s iconic Gunlom Falls has reopened, reviving the spirit of Crocodile Dundee, which put Kakadu on the international tourism map. Gunlom Falls was known as ”Echo Lake” in the film. It’s where Mick Dundee (Paul Hogan) aims to impress visiting American journalist Sue Charlton (played by Linda Kozlowski) by spearing a barramundi and then displaying his bush-tucker skills by barbecuing fish and goanna for dinner. They also take a swim in the cool waters.
The falls feature a lower pool and an upper set of rock pools that offer panoramic views across the park. I was told: “The new walkway has been a revelation — it is still a reasonable climb, but much easier, and you are rewarded with a magical experience at the top. I say it is Australia’s best natural infinity pool!”
Kakadu Tourism chair Lauren Ganley said the reopening of Gunlom Falls represented an important new era in Kakadu’s tourism future.
Spectacular: Thr reopening of the iconic Gunlom Falls in Kakadu National Park revives the spirit of Crocodile Dundee.
“There is no destination in Australia more culturally unique than Kakadu, and so it is essential that we respect the heritage and beliefs of Traditional Owners in the way the park is presented to visitors,” Ms Ganley said.
“The reopening of Gunlom Falls is part of a wider program to upgrade infrastructure to allow visitors to better appreciate Kakadu’s natural wonders … It is an exciting future for the region.”
Another major attraction — Twin Falls — is scheduled to reopen in 2026 after a major infrastructure upgrade.
Here are details of the special package holiday deals:
- Cooinda Lodge: Book from now until 31 March, 2026, stay three nights and receive a free Kakadu Parks pass (value up to $65) along with a discounted $50 fuel voucher. Use promo code NTBKS when booking directly to collect passes at check-in. Valid for up to two adults and two children. Rates start from $179 per night.
- Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel: Book from now until 31 March, 2026, stay two nights and receive a free Kakadu Parks pass (value up to $65). Use promo code NTBKS when booking directly to pick up passes at check-in. Valid for up to two adults and two children. Rates start from $189 per night.
Visit special Kakadu deals to make bookings and for details of packages, accommodation, suggested itineraries and activities.
