Odyssey Tours & Safaris
5 Day Top End Experience
Departs Katherine Day 1 and Finishes in Darwin Day 5.
This tour is a shortened option of our AOE2 7 Day Top End Explorer safari.

Wednesday from April 18th to November 22nd, 2007

In a small bag, due to space limitations):
Hat and sunscreen
Swim wear
Personal requisites
Camera with plenty of film
Comfortable, sturdy, non-slip walking shoes
Insect repellent
Small Water bottle

• Accommodation - Comfortable safari tents equipped with two single beds. The 'Safari-Tents' are purpose designed and built for our tropical climate.
  Hot showers and composting toilets (shared facilities) are also available.
• Meals - Freshly prepared and campfire cooked - dinner and breakfast -All meals
• Experienced professional guides
• 4WD touring
• Tented safari accommodation (Twin share Only)
• Sunset cruise on Yellow Water wetlands
• Entry to Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre
• Witness spectacular Aboriginal rock

Kakdu National Park and Aboriginal Culture and fold lore

The safari visits the two most popular national parks of the Top End, Kakadu and Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge). It is an “up market” safari that explores the remote areas of Kakadu as well as offering a true cultural experience.

The first night is spent att Manyallaluk Aboriginal community, “the Dreaming Place” where the day is spent learning about Aboriginal lore, bush medicines and tucker.
Camping in Kakadu is in our two permanent camps all equipped with our purpose built “Safari Tents”. They are locally designed for our tropical climate. The walls are of canvas and the windows of insect screen. The floors are of wood and are raised above the ground. You’ll enjoy the comfort of this spacious cool design.
Each tent has 2 single camp beds on to which is rolled a traditional Australian bushman’s swag with high-density mattress, linen, blankets and pillow.
Each camping area is serviced with hot showers and flushing toilets.

Itinerary

Day 1

On arrival at Katherine you will be met and transferred (one hour drive) to Manyallaluk which is bordered by Arnhem Land, Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) and Kakadu National Parks. Here you will join your Odyssey guide and the AOE2 group for a special opportunity to learn about and experience Aboriginal culture. We meet with some of the traditional owners of the area who will share their knowledge of bush tucker and bush medicines and demonstrate their skills in craft work, collection of materials, woven baskets, mats and bark painting. There may also be a chance to try your hand at spear throwing, didgeridoo playing or traditional fire making. Overnight at Manyallaluk Aboriginal Community "the dreaming place" The camping here is in a pre-set mobile camp.

Day 2

This morning we continue to Nitmiluk National Park where we enjoy a cruise on the majestic Katherine Gorge. After the cruise we travel northwards into the spectacular stone country of southern Kakadu. The late afternoon is spent exploring the Gunlom Falls area and perhaps climbing to the top of the escarpment for spectacular views of the surrounding country. Overnight at Gunlom camp.

Day 3

We continue our journey to the beautiful “Maguk”, also known as Barramundi Gorge, where you have the chance for a refreshing swim after a short trek through the surrounding rainforest. From Maguk we travel to our base camp at Mardugal, then we visit the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre, an impressive building built in the shape of the local freshwater turtle. Here you will learn about the traditional Aboriginal owners of the park, their culture, beliefs and lifestyles. This afternoon we take a cruise on the world-renowned Yellow Water wetlands. Here we have a chance to see the teeming bird life and of course, the awesome saltwater crocodile.

Day 4

This morning we travel to along the 4WD track to Jim Jim Falls, where we can explore the gorge at the base of the tallest cascade in the Territory. We will also visit Twin Falls, a little further south of Jim Jim. We return to our camp in the late afternoon.

Day 5

After breaking camp we visit Nourlangie Rock, a large sandstone outlier towering more than 200 metres above the surrounding area, containing 20,000 years of Aboriginal culture depicted in art forms in many galleries. We turn for home along the Jim Jim road, making a short stop at the Bark Hut Inn, then on to Darwin arriving in the late afternoon.

THE ODYSSEY DIFFERENCE

• Scheluded tours operate with a maximum of just 10 -12 people.
• Operating 2 permanently established camps - in Kakadu National Park. All camps have large "airy tents' with raised wooden floors and 2 standard size single beds. Camps are equiped with flushing toilets and insect proof dining shelters. Our Litchfiled camp 'Minjungari' is on an exclusive license.
• Odyssey Tours and Safaris is a Savannah Guide "Master Operator". Odyssey guides are educated professionals. All are naturalist guides with various interests and knowledge who have a passion for the Top End.
• We operate with a number of licenses that give us special access to restricted area ie: Koolpin Gorge, abd Grave side Gorge in Kakadu national Park, Minjungari in Litchfield National Park, Manyallaluk Aboriginal Community south of Katherine.
• Our itineraries are set at a slower pace than most as our philosophy is to offer not just a sightseeing tour but a wilderness experience that will enlighten, educate and enrich our guests.
• Dinner time in camp is a candle lit affair with tablecoths, silerware, wine glasses etc. All diets are catered for - prior advised is required.
• Each of our permanent private camps has it's own "Camp Host" ensuring the highest quality safari hospitality. Solar fridges at all camps and Solar fans in the dinning area if dining inside

Personal luggage is limited to an overnight bag and a day pack. Most Darwin accommodation will be happy to store any excess luggage you may have, some do charge a small fee. We recommend that your store valuables in the safety deposit at your Darwin accommodation.

www.kakaduayersrocktours.com

www.kakaduayersrocktours.com is a division of 'Australia 4 Wheel Drive Rentals' the experienced and friendly Australian safari, tours, sightseeing, charter and selfdrive Specialists based in Darwin, Northern Territory Australia.

Call us now to help you organise your next tour in Australia-
Telephone within Australia 08-89453338 or International +61 8 89453338 24 hours a day.

MISSION STATEMENT

As one of the Northern Territory's leading small group safari specialists "Australia 4 Wheel Drive Rentals (incorporating www.kakaduayersrocktours.com) , we seek out tours to some of Australia's most famous landmarks including Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kakadu National Park. From the sunny tropical Top End in it's dry and spectacular wet season's to the spiritual heart of the sandy Red Centre, from Aboriginal Culture to abundant wildlife and incredable flora - then onto Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide, Brisbane, Sydney and Cairns we have sourced an excellent range of tours for your next vacation in Australia.

Our experienced staff will help you discover the best of these unique and special tours offers across Australia with backpackers camping safaris to one day sight seeing coach trips, ecotourisim adventure camping safaris in Kakadu National Park and Uluru (Ayers Rock) from Alice Springs and Ayers Rock Resort (Uluru) in Northern Territory including learning about Aboriginal culture.