What is Kakadu national park famous for?

Undoubtedly the country’s biggest national park, this wildlife paradise is bursting with unforgettable sites.

With an abundance of cascading waterfalls, native animals, lush bushland, and aboriginal history. Nestled in Australia’s Northern Territory, this world heritage site is cherished by both locals and tourists, as it is the Aussie dreamland for its beautiful biodiversity.

It’s wildlife

One of the main attributes of this national park is the vast amount of biodiversity litter within. Found under every crevasse, in every river, and in every tree, there is a reptile, bird, or mammal roaming about. As it completely protects the park from any development or restriction, these animals flourish, spanning out over the nineteen thousand square kilometres of the park. Kakadu has over two thousand different plant species littered within. Australia’s most beloved animals live within, such as the famous Kangaroo, Koala, Crocodile, and dingo all roaming around. But that isn’t all, with a huge array of animals to choose from, such a bird which range to over two hundred species.

Its cultural heritage

Kakadu has a very strong cultural and historical connection with the local Aboriginal people. The Indigenous community of Kakadu are the Bininj and Mungguy People. The Bininj people are residing in the north of the park, whereas the Mungguy community are within the south. They both have a very strong link with the land, having a kinship with the wildlife living within. Before European invasion, the local Aboriginal lived completely in the park, with no permanent camps due to the changing seasons. Instead, they moved around the park to hunt and gather, setting up stringy-bark and paperbark shelters near billabongs for shelters.

Over the years the land has become significantly important to the country, with the government first proposing the lush bushland to be a national park in 1965. It took an entire decade to make this proposal a reality, but finally, it was confirmed in 1975. The name Kakadu was actually originally from a mispronunciation by Sir Baldwin Spencer, an anthropologist. They actually mean it to be ‘Gagudju’, which was the name of the language of the local community.

Before the European invasion, around about 2,000 people lived in Kakadu, which has now dropped down to 500. Despite this, the current community are proud to share their culture and history, while protecting the environment as their ancestors did. With information centres and even ancient rock art on offer for visitors to marvel at.

Cameron Ward

Managing Director at Sightseeing Tours Australia

Cameron Ward turned his travel passion into a thriving Australian tourism business. Before he co-founded his own business, Sightseeing Tours Australia, he was enjoying being a Melbourne tour guide. Even now, Cameron delights in helping visitors from all around the world get the most out of their incredible Australian trip. You’ll see Cameron leading tours or writing about his favourite Australian places where he shares his local insights.