KAKADU National park
There are a few places around the globe that give you seemingly endless opportunities to photograph wildlife. Kakadu National Park is one of those special locations. located in the Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia. Covering 4.89 million acres of billabongs, waterfalls, savanna woodlands, and lowlands Kakadu hosts a large amount of wildlife. Approximately 280 different bird species, 60 mammal species, 25 species of frogs, and 117 species leaves no shortage of wildlife to photograph.
I took a 5 day holiday there in 2018 at the end of October to Kakadu. It has long been on my list to visit as I knew the park had a large amount of wildlife so on a road trip from Alice Springs to Albany I made it a point to spend several days there. In October it is the Dry Season so the waterfalls are not flowing too much but accessibility in the park is good as in the Wet Season roads frequently flood and a lot of the dirt road become inaccessible.
Below is an account of my few days in Kakadu. I highlight a few special places that I was able to get some amazing wildlife shots from. I only spent a few days there but the amount of wildlife I was able to see and photograph was stunning.
FERALS (Gunlom)
I arrived in Kakadu National Park mid-afternoon from the south and stopped at the first visitor center I found to gather information. I reviewed some maps and decided to stay at Gunlom Campsite for the night. I didn’t know what wildlife I would encounter in the area, I just new I was ready for adventure and to photograph some animals. The campsite was located down an app. 36km dirt road that had several spots of flooding and had terrible corrugation making it a slow yet thrilling drive.
I arrived at the campsite and hastily set up my tent and got settled in. I mad a quick lunch and relaxed from the heat of the day and then set out with my camera. The campground is surrounded by thick vegetation and a few open areas that I was able to do some off trail exploring around. It wasn’t long until I found my first subject. A few Sulphur crested cockatoos were in a tree and I was able to sneak up and get an image of one.
I continued onwards deeper into the bush fighting the green tree ants and the heat. I got into some thick forest and stopped when I saw movement ahead. I knew there were water buffalo in the park and I was looking forward to be able to photograph them. The animal I saw moving resembled a buffalo as I only saw its back. I snuck a bit closer in order to get a clear shot. It heard me coming and turned its head. It was not a water buffalo but rather a feral bull. It gave me a startle as I was not expecting to see such wildlife in a place as remote as Kakadu. I slowly backed away as the bull seemed quite bothered by my presence and I know that such an animal can be quite dangerous. As I made my distance between us, the bull went back to grazing and I went back into the clearing.
When I reached the clearing it wasn’t long until I saw my next large mammal. Out of the bush about 50 yards away emerged a beautiful black stallion. Feral horses, or brumbies, can be found all over Australia and there is a large population in Kakadu. I took a few images, then he stepped back into the bush. I wandered back to my campsite, ate dinner, and prepared for a restless sleep in The Territory heat.
I awoke for sunrise and returned to the same open area in the bush looking for the wild horses. I found a herd of them. They were running all around and were chasing each other. It appeared the large male was trying to mate with a few of the females. A few times they got uncomfortably close to where I was taking pictures. Brumbies can be very aggressive but luckily I did not get attacked. I then broke camp in early afternoon and set off to a new spot in the park.
Anbangbang Billabong
I decided to camp at Mardukal Campground. Being close to Yellow water, where I signed up for a morning and evening boat cruise, it was a convienient location to stay. I set up camp and decided to go explore the park and look for more wildlife to photograph. I decided to try my luck at Anbangbang Billabong. Located in the Burrungkuy region of Kakadu is Anbangbang Billabong. I went there in the afternoon to find wildlife to photograph and the location did not disappoint. I walked around the billabong taking pictures as I went looking for interesting wildlife to photograph. Everywhere I turned there was a new type of bird and I even managed to see a group of wallabies grazing in the carpark. After a successful shoot with an abundance of wildlife I headed back to camp excited for tomorrows cruise and hopefully being able to see crocodiles.
Yellow Water
I awoke early and headed to the port where I would board for the boat cruise. Part of the South Alligator River floodplain Yellow Water Billabong provide unmatched wildlife viewing and photography opportunities. The best way to view wildlife is to take one of the cruises. I booked 2 tours, sunrise and sunset, as I wanted as many possible opportunities to get pictures as possible. I specifically wanted to photograph water buffalo and crocodiles. I had plenty of opportunities to photograph both.
The 2 hour boat cruise was very much a success. I saw countless numbers of interesting birds, several water buffalo that were right by the banks and heaps of crocodiles. The crocs swam very close to the boat and it was amazing to be able to witness such prehistoric animals traversing the waterways so effortlessly. The tour guide was very knowledgeable on the area and the surrounds. The sides of the boat were perfect for me to rest my long lens on to be able to capture some extraordinary images.
There was no outlier in the sunrise or sunset cruise. On both I was able to see an astonishing amount of wildlife. I cannot recommend a Yellow Water Cruise enough. Though I normally stray away from tours It was one of the best experiences I have ever had for wildlife photography. It is almost guaranteed that you will be able to come away with some amazing images of the wildlife Australia’s Top End.
Mamukala wetlands
I awoke, broke camp yet again and headed into Jabiru, where I stayed at a campground with more services as I needed to do laundry and take a much needed shower. The heat and humidity in The Territory’s Top End is very extreme. During the day it would reach 110’F and at night not much lower than 80”F. This is definitely not ideal camping weather and each night I found it very uncomfortable to sleep. But I took it as a challenge. Being in a foreign land, in a new ecosystem I gladly endured the conditions for the reward of being able to experience such natural beauty was worth it to me.
After a morning and early afternoon of relaxing and cleaning, I got restless and decided to go out again to take some images. I headed east on the Arnhem Highway to another wet lands; Mamukala. I read of this location and decided to visit because it has a large variety of birds, as well as a viewing platform that works perfectly as a photography blind. I arrived a few hours before sunset, set up my camera and started shooting.
There was wildlife everywhere. All kinds of birds I didn’t know existed let alone knew their names. My 150mm-600mm lens had a perfect amount of reach and I was able to come away with several good images of Magpie Geese. I was also able to spot some agile wallabies on the bank with a few young joeys as well.
Two Mile Hole
So not really a recommended spot to do wildlife photography, I still went there and had an awesome experience.
Two Mile Hole is a secluded campground about 12km down a rough single land dirt road, north off the Arnhem Highway. I heard of this place by a ranger said a brumby was attacked by a crocs a few days prior. Also hearing it was free camping and no one goes there, I thought it would be a great place to try my luck with some wildlife photography there.
I arrived at the campground and sure enough, I was the only one there. The heat was almost unbearable. It was in a wooded area but the tree didn’t completely block out the sun and the humidity was terrible. I set up camp, relaxed for awhile, then gabbed my camera gear and set off in search of wildlife. The campground is right by the Branch Wildman River and I followed it for a few miles looking for crocs sunning on the banks. I traversed through the very thick vegetation being very attentive to where I was stepping as to be mindful of stumbling on a croc or stepping on a venomous snake. I encountered neither.
I found a clearing and sat for awhile waiting for any wildlife to emerge from the thick forest. As I sat I fought off the stings of the green tree ants and I did end up seeing a wallaby, but nothing else.
I headed back to camp and no one else had joined me in staying at the campsite. I prepared for a restless night of sleep in the heat. I awoke the next day and broke camp, then headed to Darwin putting an end to my time in Kakadu.
Kakadu National Park is an unmatched place to see some of Australia’s most iconic wildlife. Only a few hour drive from Darwin it is well worth planning a visit for photography. I got several portfolio shots by only spending a few days in the park. Though the conditions may be a bit of a challenge, the wildlife you will be able to see is more than worth any shortcomings of the park. (The park also hosts a lot of cultural significance and rock art that I did not mention)