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Home Topics History & Culture From uranium mining to sustainable tourism: How Kakadu is changing post COVID-19

From uranium mining to sustainable tourism: How Kakadu is changing post COVID-19

“Namarrkon has been and gone already,” says Victor Cooper as he observes the densely forested valley that sweeps up to the sheer red face of Nourlangie Rock. Namarrkon, the Lightning Man, is the ancient deity responsible for Kakadu National Park’s famous wet season. He cleaves the sky with his giant stone axe to create flooding rains, lightning and thunder. His work is violent but the results are beautiful.

The valley in front of us is alive with young bird calls, trees are starting to fruit and once dusty floodplains are now swollen and teeming with life. It’s early March and Victor says it will soon be bangkerreng, the ‘knock ‘em down’ season, when the water recedes in readiness for the dry season to come. The air is electric with change in Kakadu but not just for the wildlife and plants.

The World Heritage-listed national park was controversially established in 1979 when the Fraser government struck a raw bargain with Traditional Owners. The government promised to eventually return the land to them, but only on condition they agreed to a uranium mine in the park. Against a backdrop of tense mine protests and land rights disputes, clan elders begrudgingly agreed to the deal, trusting that the government would someday make good on its end of the bargain. The park was established, the mine dug and Jabiru township was constructed to service the mine’s needs, becoming the de facto centre of Kakadu National Park .

Fast forward decades later and the Ranger uranium mine (below) is now in the process of closing. The Australian government has returned vast swathes of land to Traditional Owners, with nearly half of the park back in Aboriginal hands so far. Mostly recently in March 10,000 square kilometres of the Alligator Rivers region, in the northern half of the park, were handed back to local clans .

The mine’s closure is cause for celebration but it also represents a significant economic challenge. For decades the Mirarr clan, whose land the mine was built on, shared mining royalties with the Federal Government estimated at around $6 million annually. The closure means this income will evaporate unless they come up with a plan.

“We’re going from a largely false economy of resources to establishing an economy in its own right,” says Justin O’Brien, chief executive officer of the GunDjeihmi Aboriginal Corporation, which acts on behalf of the Mirarr Traditional Owners.

Justin says the focus is on transitioning away from Jabiru as simply a mining town and instead becoming a leader for Aboriginal-led sustainable tourism in the region.

To achieve this, the Australian Government will invest $216 million over the next 10 years in realising a new vision for Jabiru and the national park. Alongside upgrades to current camping sites and roads, there are plans to build a world-class visitor centre in Jabiru that will combine traditional storytelling with cutting-edge technology. New luxury glamping villas are in development alongside Yellow Water Billabong (below) and there are proposals for new wildlife encounters, mountain bike trails and a multi-day hike that will run through the entire park.

Ben Tyler, a Bininj man who is raising the profile of native foods through Kakadu Kitchen , is planning to bring an alcohol-free distillery to Cooinda. Meanwhile, mother and daughter duo Mandy Muir and Jessie Alderson will expand their Kakadu Billabong Safari Camp , and plan to continue the popular Mayali Mulil Festival , which showcases Kakadu art, food and music. “We’re so excited to be opening up and sharing our knowledge,” says Mandy.

Peter Christopherson, owner of Kakadu Native Plants, is working to rehabilitate the Ranger uranium mine site using traditional knowledge of the park’s plants and wildlife to rebuild a healthy ecosystem. He says historically Aboriginal people were shut out of tourism in the park but have since proven they can use their expertise to improve visitors’ experiences. He tells me in one instance traditional burns were applied to sections of the Yellow Water Billabong , which is home to a third of Australia’s bird species and a popular spot for sunset cruises. Cleansing fires removed the neglected and overgrown foliage, attracting more birds to nest on the waterway.

“We didn’t damage the environment. We enhanced what was there and as a result we could show people what a Kakadu wetland should be,” says Peter Christopherson, owner of Kakadu Native Plants.

The first step in realising the new vision for Kakadu is the Marrawuddi Arts and Culture Centre , housed inside a rejuvenated former bakery just outside Jabiru. The space is light and modern, equal parts cafe, gallery and art store. The centre is also a lively open plan co-working space for Bininj artists from Kakadu and the wider West Arnhem region. On any given day, different artists will take a seat and work on their latest creation, taking inspiration from animals and stories to create new works ranging from bark paintings to didgeridoos and screen prints.

On the day I visit, a cluster of carved mimih spirits (below, top right) watch on as I browse a collection of fashion tees and pandanus weavings (below, bottom right). I hover over resident artist, Graham Rostron, as he starts a new painting of a barramundi. He warmly welcomes the opportunity for a chat, telling me stories about the yawkyawk mermaids from his country while he works.

“I learned how to paint from my grandfather and then my father when I was seven years old,” Graham tells me. “My father taught me how to cut the bark from a tree and whittle paint brushes from plants. My art is important because I want to teach my sons and my little cousins. When I paint, I’m sharing my knowledge and passing it on.”

Graham’s son is 14 years old and keen to be a painter like his father. We joke that the next time I visit, I’ll find him and his son painting together. He says sometimes guests are nervous to come talk to him but they shouldn’t be. The artists are always happy to talk while they work and the Centre is a special opportunity for interaction and cultural exchange.

Back at Nourlangie Rock, Victor (above) is showing me an ochre handprint on the honey-hued rock that has faded considerably. He laments the changing seasons and erosion will eventually see these ancient works disappear completely. “This art is disappearing, but at least it’s now on canvas,” Victor says. Thankfully there are current and emerging elders that are helping to preserve their culture and traditions, in places like the Marrawuddi Arts & Culture Centre, while embracing a new era for Kakadu National Park.

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• Kakadu National Park
• Description

This unique archaeological and ethnological reserve, located in the Northern Territory, has been inhabited continuously for more than 40,000 years. The cave paintings, rock carvings and archaeological sites record the skills and way of life of the region’s inhabitants, from the hunter-gatherers of prehistoric times to the Aboriginal people still living there. It is a unique example of a complex of ecosystems, including tidal flats, floodplains, lowlands and plateaux, and provides a habitat for a wide range of rare or endemic species of plants and animals.

Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

Parc national de Kakadu

Le parc constitue une réserve archéologique et ethnologique unique au monde car les terres sur lesquelles il s’étend ont été habitées en permanence depuis 40 000 ans. Des vestiges provenant des chasseurs et des pêcheurs du néolithique jusqu’aux aborigènes qui l’habitent encore au XXe siècle, il présente une histoire des techniques et des comportements illustrée par des peintures et des pictogrammes. C’est le meilleur exemple d’un ensemble d’écosystèmes, depuis les laisses intertidales jusqu’aux plateaux, en passant par les plaines inondées et les basses terres, habitats d’un grand nombre d’espèces rares ou endémiques de la flore et de la faune.

منتزه كاكادو الوطني

يشكّل المنتزه هذا محمية أثرية وإثنولوجية فريدة من نوعها في العالم لأن الأراضي التي يمتد عليها لطالما كانت مسكونة منذ 40000 عام. ويعرض المنتزه، بالآثار الباقية من صيادي الطيور والأسماك والتي تعود إلى العصر الحجري الحديث مروراً بالسكان الأصليين الذين بقوا يقطنونه حتى القرن العشرين، قصة تقنيات وسلوكيات انكبّ عليها الرسامون واختصاصيو الرسوم التصويرية. إنه أفضل مثال على مجموعة الأنظمة البيئية الممتدة من أراضي المد والجزر إلى السفوح مروراً بالسهول الفائضة والأراضي الواطئة وهي مساكن عدد كبير من الأجناس النادرة أو المستوطنة من النبات والحيوان.

source: UNESCO/CPE Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO 3.0

这是独一无二的考古和人种保护区，位于澳大利亚北领地州，四万多年以来，一直有人类在此居住。这里的石洞壁画、石刻以及考古遗址完整记录了该地区人民的生活技能和生活方式，包括从史前狩猎采集者到如今仍在此生息的土著居民。这里还是各种生态系统共存的一个特例，包括潮坪、漫滩、低地和高原，为当地大量的珍稀动植物提供了栖息之地。

Parque Nacional de Kakadu

Ubicado en el territorio norte de Australia, este parque es una reserva arqueológica y etnológica única en el mundo, porque su territorio ha sido habitado por el hombre durante más de 40.000 años sin interrupción. Las pinturas y pictogramas hallados en este sitio ilustran la historia de las técnicas y del género de vida de sus sucesivas poblaciones, desde los cazadores-recolectores del Neolítico hasta los aborígenes que aún lo pueblan actualmente. Además, el parque es también un ejemplo único en su género por el conjunto de ecosistemas –costas bajas arenosas, mesetas, planicies inundadas y tierras bajas– que son el hábitat de un gran número de especies endémicas de plantas y animales.

source: NFUAJ

Nationaal Park Kakadu

Het Noordelijk Territorium van Australië wordt al meer dan 40.000 jaar continu bewoond. De grotschilderingen, rotstekeningen en archeologische vindplaatsen laten de vaardigheden en de manier van leven zien van de bewoners in de regio's van het park. Van de jagers-verzamelaars uit de prehistorie tot de Aboriginals die er vandaag de dag nog steeds wonen. Het Nationaal park Kakadu is een uniek voorbeeld van een stelsel van verschillende ecosystemen bestaand uit wadden, uiterwaarden, laaglanden en plateaus. Het park is daarnaast de habitat voor een groot aantal zeldzame of inheemse plant- en diersoorten.

Source: unesco.nl

Outstanding Universal Value

Brief synthesis

Kakadu National Park is a living cultural landscape with exceptional natural and cultural values. Kakadu has been home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years, and many of the park’s extensive rock art sites date back thousands of years. Kakadu’s rock art provides a window into human civilisation in the days before the last ice age. Detailed paintings reveal insights into hunting and gathering practices, social structure and ritual ceremonies of Indigenous societies from the Pleistocene Epoch until the present.

The largest national park in Australia and one of the largest in the world’s tropics, Kakadu preserves the greatest variety of ecosystems on the Australian continent including extensive areas of savanna woodlands, open forest, floodplains, mangroves, tidal mudflats, coastal areas and monsoon forests. The park also has a huge diversity of flora and is one of the least impacted areas of the northern part of the Australian continent. Its spectacular scenery includes landscapes of arresting beauty, with escarpments up to 330 metres high extending in a jagged and unbroken line for hundreds of kilometres.

The hunting-and-gathering tradition demonstrated in the art and archaeological record is a living anthropological tradition that continues today, which is rare for hunting-and-gathering societies worldwide. Australian and global comparisons indicate that the large number and diversity of features of anthropological, art and archaeological sites (many of which include all three site types), and the quality of preservation, is exceptional.

Many of the art and archaeological sites of the park are thousands of years old, showing a continuous temporal span of the hunting and gathering tradition from the Pleistocene Era until the present. While these sites exhibit great diversity, both in space and through time, the overwhelming picture is also one of a continuous cultural development.

Criterion (i) : Kakadu’s art sites represent a unique artistic achievement because of the wide range of styles used, the large number and density of sites and the delicate and detailed depiction of a wide range of human figures and identifiable animal species, including animals long-extinct.

Criterion (vi) : The rock art and archaeological record is an exceptional source of evidence for social and ritual activities associated with hunting and gathering traditions of Aboriginal people from the Pleistocene era until the present day.

Criterion (vii) : Kakadu National Park contains a remarkable contrast between the internationally recognised Ramsar–listed wetlands and the spectacular rocky escarpment and its outliers. The vast expanse of wetlands to the north of the park extends over tens of kilometres and provides habitat for millions of waterbirds. The escarpment consists of vertical and stepped cliff faces up to 330 metres high and extends in a jagged and unbroken line for hundreds of kilometres. The plateau areas behind the escarpment are inaccessible by vehicle and contain large areas with no human infrastructure and limited public access. The views from the plateau are breathtaking.

Criterion (ix) : The property incorporates significant elements of four major river systems of tropical Australia. Kakadu’s ancient escarpment and stone country span more than two billion years of geological history, whereas the floodplains are recent, dynamic environments, shaped by changing sea levels and big floods every wet season. These floodplains illustrate the ecological and geomorphological effects that have accompanied Holocene climate change and sea level rise.

The Kakadu region has had relatively little impact from European settlement, in comparison with much of the Australian continent. With extensive and relatively unmodified natural vegetation and largely intact faunal composition, the park provides a unique opportunity to investigate large-scale evolutionary processes in a relatively intact landscape.

Kakadu’s indigenous communities and their myriad rock art and archaeological sites represent an outstanding example of humankind’s interaction with the natural environment.

Criterion (x) : The park is unique in protecting almost the entire catchment of a large tropical river and has one of the widest ranges of habitats and greatest number of species documented of any comparable area in tropical northern Australia. Kakadu’s large size, diversity of habitats and limited impact from European settlement has resulted in the protection and conservation of many significant habitats and species.

The property protects an extraordinary number of plant and animal species including over one third of Australia’s bird species, one quarter of Australia’s land mammals and an exceptionally high number of reptile, frog and fish species. Huge concentrations of waterbirds make seasonal use of the park’s extensive coastal floodplains.

The property encompasses all the natural and cultural attributes necessary to convey its outstanding universal value. The joint management regime in place with Kakadu’s Indigenous owners, including consideration of grazing and the development of a controlled burning and management policy, significant research and monitoring activities, and a strong visitor education programme are essential to the maintenance of the integrity of the property. The rock art and archaeological sites are not under threat.

The natural attributes of the property are in good condition, with pressures from adjacent land uses, invasive species and tourism needing ongoing attention.  Some past land degradation from small-scale mining and over-stocking that occurred in the area that was included in the property in 1992 has been addressed through restoration measures.

As is the case for many protected areas, the straight-line boundaries of Kakadu are artificial ones.  They relate to a long history of administrative land use decisions with the Northern Territory Government and the Arnhem Land aboriginal reservation.  Although the South Alligator River drainage basin is contained within the park, headwaters of other rivers lie outside.  The boundaries are adequate, although in an ideal world, ecological/hydrological criteria would allow a different configuration and might also include the drainage basin of the East Alligator River in Arnhem Land which would add additional values and integrity to Kakadu.  There are also important natural values in the Cobourg Peninsula and in some of the coastal wetlands to the west of the park.

There are mining interests adjacent to the property, and the long-term aspects of waste disposal and eventual recovery required ongoing attention and scrutiny.  In addition to the uranium mine at Ranger, which is excised from the property, there is one other excised lease at Jabiluka which is located close to an important floodplain inside the park.  A third previously excised area at Koongarra was incorporated into the property in 2011, at the request of the State Party and the Traditional Owner. 

Authenticity

Large areas of Kakadu are virtually inaccessible to people other than the Indigenous traditional owners, and the Indigenous and non-Indigenous national park managers. Cultural sites are therefore subject to little interference. The Indigenous community, in conjunction with the national park managers, has developed a range of programs to manage any possible threats from weathering and/or damage to anthropological, art and archaeological sites.

Protection and management requirements

The property is well protected by legislation and is co-managed with the Aboriginal traditional owners, which is an essential aspect of the management system. The Director of National Parks performs functions and exercises powers under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (the Act) in accordance with the park’s management plan and relevant decisions of the Kakadu National Park Board of Management. A majority of Board members represent the park’s traditional owners. These arrangements ensure that the park has effective legal protection, a sound planning framework and that management issues are addressed.

The Act protects all World Heritage properties in Australia and is the statutory instrument for implementing Australia’s obligations under the World Heritage Convention. It aims to protect the values of the World Heritage properties, including from impacts originating outside the property. By law, any action that has, will have, or is likely to have, a significant impact on the values of the World Heritage property, must be referred to the responsible Minister for consideration. Penalties apply for taking such an action without approval, and the Act has been tested in court in relation to protection of the values of World Heritage properties. Once a heritage place is listed, the Act provides for the preparation of management plans which set out the significant heritage aspects of the place and how the values of the site will be managed. In 2007, Kakadu was added to the National Heritage List, in recognition of its national heritage significance under the Act.

The quality of the park’s management and protection has been widely recognised. Key management issues that have been identified include:

Tourism – significant increase in visitation as a result of its World Heritage inscription. Visitors are encouraged to enjoy the park in ways that do not adversely affect its natural and cultural values;

Mining – management of abandoned small-scale uranium mining sites and monitoring the existing Ranger mine lease. A rehabilitation program has been completed to reduce the physical and radiological hazards of old mine sites. The future potential effects on the park of current uranium mining will require ongoing scrutiny;

Cultural sites – work to conserve rock art sites in the face of natural and chemical weathering from increasing age and damage from water, vegetation, mud-building wasps, termites, feral animals and humans;

Introduced flora – ongoing management to control and prevent the spread of introduced weeds (particularly Mimosa pigra and Salvinia molesta); and

Introduced fauna – removal of Asian water buffalo and the resulting restoration of affected ecosystems.

Since the 1991 nomination, additional threats to World Heritage values have emerged, including:

Climate change – saltwater incursions into freshwater ecosystems, changing fire seasons and regimes and an increased potential for spread of exotic flora and fauna. Park managers are implementing a climate change strategy for the park that recommends a range of adaptation, mitigation and communication actions to manage the anticipated consequences of climate change;

Decline of small mammals across northern Australia – the causes of decline are unclear however initial theories suggest fire management regimes, feral cats and introduction of disease as the likely causes; and

Cane Toads – rapid colonisation by cane toads. Monitoring programmes are in place to determine cane toad distribution and the impacts on native wildlife within different habitats of the park. There are no known methods to manage populations of cane toads over large areas; however the Australian Government is undertaking research into potential control and adaptation options.

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Gunlom Falls, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory

Guide to Kakadu National Park

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• Getting to Kakadu National Park
• When to visit

Experience the magic of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park on an outback adventure that defies expectation.

In Australia's biggest national park you'll find rugged escarpments, lush rainforest and rock art galleries up to 20,000 years old. Learn about Aboriginal culture from Traditional Owners, the Bininj/Mungguy people, take in thundering waterfalls and witness millions of migratory birds among the wetlands. Experience Kakadu's magic in six dramatically different seasons.

International flights arrive directly into Darwin International Airport (DRW) from many global hubs. Follow the Nature's Way route from Darwin for a scenic adventure through the Top End.

• Darwin International Airport (DRW) is located a three-hour drive outside of Kakadu National Park
• Car hire options are readily available from Darwin Airport or in Darwin city, though it’s best to book ahead
• Or leave the driving up to someone else and join a coach or small group tours from Darwin to Kakadu National Park

While it is not required, it is recommended to hire a 4WD if you are self-driving in the national park. Be sure to refuel your vehicle as frequently as possible on your way. Unleaded and leaded petrol and diesel fuel are available at Jabiru and Cooinda .

Because of the remote location of Kakadu National Park, there is no public transport available to get to, or around the park.

The dry season (May - September) or the transitional periods between the dry and wet season (April/May and September/October) are considered the best time to travel to Kakadu National Park.

• High season: Dry season (May-September)
• Low season: Wet season (October - April)
• Don’t miss: the annual ‘Taste of Kakadu’ festival (May)

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Acknowledgement of Country

We acknowledge the Traditional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Owners of the land, sea and waters of the Australian continent, and recognise their custodianship of culture and Country for over 60,000 years.

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National Visitor Survey methodology

Learn more about how we measure the contribution of domestic tourism to Australia’s economy.

Main content

The National Visitor Survey commenced in 1998 to provide an official measure of travel by Australian residents.

The method of interviews

Each year, interviews are conducted with 120,000 residents aged 15 years and over. COVID-19 has impacted the target sample size. See history of changes below for more information.

Respondents are interviewed through a Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) system with phone numbers selected using random digit dialling.

The survey runs continuously with interviews taking place on each weekday and on weekends (excluding national public holidays). Residents classified as ‘in scope’ for interviewing include those who:

• are aged 15 years and over who have their usual address in Australia
• have lived at their contact address for at least three months
• live in a private dwelling.

Respondents interviewed in the NVS are randomly sampled to be representative of the Australian population.

Survey design and definitions

The survey uses specific recall periods to collect information on recent travel experiences. This includes details on:

• overseas trips returned from in the last three months
• overnight trips returned from in the last four weeks
• day trips returned from in the last seven days.

Overnight trips must include at least one night away from home and be a minimum of 40 kilometres from the respondent’s usual place of residence.

Day trips must have a round trip distance of at least 50 kilometres from the respondent’s usual place of residence and a minimum duration of four hours. Day trips taken as part of an overnight trip, or those that are routine (for example, from home to work/school, or an intrinsic part of a person’s job), are not collected.

The survey contains over 70 questions related to:

• destination
• travel package
• sources to obtain information about the trip
• accommodation
• travel party
• demographics.

NVS definitions are based on those provided by the  United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) .

Interviews are conducted with people who have travelled for purposes including holiday, visiting friends and relatives (VFR), business, education and employment. To be included, travellers must not have been away from home continuously for more than 364 days, or 365 days in a leap year.

The NVS is co-funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments under the auspices of the Australian Standing Committee on Tourism (ASCOT).

Results from the NVS are  published quarterly .

Weighting and benchmarking

Weights for the NVS are calculated on an individual trip basis. They take into account:

• age of the respondent
• sex of the respondent
• month of travel
• place of origin
• recall period applicable to the trip (for example, seven days for day trips, 28 days for overnight trips and three months for overseas trips)
• the number of interviews with a return date in this recall period.

The NVS is benchmarked to population estimates of those aged 15 years and over.

Determining domestic visitor spend in regional Australia

The NVS provides information on travel activity and spend by domestic visitors. Spend is only collected for the respondent’s entire journey, not for individual stops.

In order to determine the impact that the visitor activity is having on a particular region, Tourism Research Australia uses a model-based approach to allocate visitors’ spend to Australia’s tourism regions.

History of changes

We revised estimates for August to November 2022. This was due to the Integrated Public Number Data (IPND) frame being unavailable in the period.

The NVS Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing (CATI) approach has evolved in response to changes in the use of telecommunications and respondent behaviour.

A history of changes and impacts to be aware of when using the NVS data is outlined below.

COVID-19 has had a wide range of impacts across the Australian economy, increasing labour market competition, changing respondent behaviour, and increasing absenteeism within the workforce. The collection of National Visitor Survey data is being impacted by these unprecedented changes in the economy. Under normal circumstances, the National Visitor Survey targets a sample size of 120,000 interviews annually. Current estimates indicate that 90,000 interviews will be collected in the 2022 calendar year. This sample size still ensures reliable tourism estimates will be produced at the National, State and tourism region levels.

LGA area profiles are currently based on an average of four years of data to reduce variability and improve reliability. As such, LGA profiles are not expected to be significantly impacted. Users of more granular spatial data may see impacts in the reportability of data due to smaller sample sizes. Austrade recommends using caution when reporting estimates at this level and seeking guidance if required.

The NVS moved to a 100% mobile phone sample. The review conducted by TRA showed 97% of the Australian population aged 15 or more owned a mobile phone. The change improved the accuracy of national, state and territory estimates. However, the change in collection resulted in a series break between 2018 and 2019. Comparison between these years should be made with caution.

2014 to 2018

Interviews were evenly split across calls made to household landlines (50%) and mobile phones (50%) using a dual-frame sample design.

The sample size increased from 80,000 to 120,000.

All interviews were made through calls to household landlines.

More information

• Quarterly National Visitor Survey results
• Monthly snapshot of the National Visitor Survey

Email  tourism.research@tra.gov.au

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Welcome to Kakadu Tourism

Kakadu Tourism is an Indigenous owned collection of Kakadu tours, cultural experiences and Kakadu accommodation. It is the largest collection of facilities catering to tourism in Kakadu and is focused on positive indigenous outcomes.

As stewards of this ancient land for over 65,000 years, the local Bininj/Mungguy (Aboriginal) people have crafted a rich and diverse cultural heritage, manifested in the sacred country of Kakadu. The park holds some of the oldest rock art on the planet, sheltered in rock formations that have been protected for thousands of years - opening a window into Australia’s distant past, and stories across the millennia.

Kakadu is perhaps known best for its wildlife as one of the largest National Parks in the world and the largest in Australia. Famous for its crocodiles from their appearance in Crocodile Dundee , there are thousands of plant and animal species existing in the park. The lush wetlands filled with abundant fish create an ideal setting for unforgettable fishing adventures, while attracting hundreds of rare bird species, forming a paradise for bird enthusiasts. Very few National Parks offer such an authentic and diverse natural heritage.

This website is not just a guide; it's a companion to your Kakadu journey. Explore trip ideas, including seamless travel from Darwin, and discover the essence of Kakadu through its waterfalls, wetlands, and Indigenous culture. Our blog unravels insights into 'the real Australia,' while our photography selection captures the year-round beauty of Kakadu, leaving you with an awe-inspiring appreciation of this ancient landscape. With Kakadu Tourism, your adventure is more than a trip—it's a personal odyssey into the heart and soul of Australia's remarkable heritage.

How the Crocodile Hunter & His ‘English Rose’ Pioneered Kakadu Tourism

Kakadu’s modern tourism origins owe a vast amount to former Crocodile Hunter, Tom Opitz, and his ‘English Rose’ wife, Judy Opitz, who opened a store on the banks of Jim Jim Creek in 1964.

Little did Tom and Judy know that their relatively modest foray into Kakadu would evolve into one of the Northern Territory’s most important and renowned tourism enterprises.

Crocodile hunter, Tom Opitz pioneered Cooinda and Kakadu Tourism

It started with a ‘tent store’, where people would stop by at for a cup of tea, fill up with fuel and buy necessities. Tom added the name ‘Cooinda’ because it was Aboriginal for ‘Happy Meeting Place’ but visitors weren’t convinced.

“Why don’t you just call it the Jim Jim Store? The name Cooinda will never catch on,” they were told.

Tom, however, was adamant: “We might call this the Jim Jim Store, but we’ll put the name Cooinda on the map and Cooinda Motel will become known worldwide.” Tom may have said it in jest, but the couple were thrilled when, indeed, Cooinda became the official name for the area and the home of Kakadu Tourism.

Back in 1964, the Opitzs had anything but ‘mod cons’. This was the outback and it was still very wild. Judy had emigrated from England in 1958 and, two years later, met Tom, who worked at the Nourlangie Safari Camp as a guide, leading hunting and shooting parties for well-heeled American tourists. The ‘English Rose’ fell for the hard-as-nails bushie and in 1964 the couple built the store on Jim Jim Creek, which, in turn, led to the construction of the Cooinda Lodge.

The early days were perilous and they barely managed to navigate their first year, especially when Jim Jim Creek was in full flood, cutting them off for weeks at a time, but they remained resilient and the seeds of organised Kakadu tourism had been successfully sown.

Judy’s story was the inspiration for Nicole Kidman’s character, Lady Sarah Ashley, in Baz Luhrman’s Australia…the genteel English woman who turns up in the territory with a look of horror on her face and ends up loving it.

Husband Tom died in 1982, but it didn’t stop Judy’s love for Kakadu. At the age of 72, she entered University and wrote a thesis on the archaeological significance of two Australian heritage sites – Port Arthur Penal Colony (in Tasmania) and, naturally, Kakadu National Park – and examines the different ways each site’s archaeological history is presented for visitors.

How it all started – the original tented Jim Jim Creek ‘store’gave birth to the Cooinda name and tourism business

She not only received a PhD (at 84) but went on to write her autobiography ‘An English Rose in Kakadu’, which can be purchased from the Cooinda Lodge and Warradjan stores.

The exploits of Tom & Judy Opitz were instrumental in opening up Kakadu to the international market. Today, roads carry visitors to the heart of Kakadu to see the wonders of the National Park.

Cooinda Lodge General Manager, Brett Skinner, says that it was lucky that Judy was able to document the early days of Cooinda, because it was not only a great story, but an inspiration for anyone involved in Kakadu tourism.

“Kakadu can still be a tough place in the middle of the wet, but today we have full communications, air conditioning, great facilities and roads that are passable most times of the year,” said Mr Skinner.

“While conditions are obviously far better than they were 50 years ago, we still can offer visitors a remarkably authentic experience. In the middle of Yellow Water Billabong or a 4WD adventure tour they will be the only humans in the midst of a pristine and spectacular landscape.

“It is one of the greatest satisfactions in my job to talk to visitors who are seeing Kakadu for the first time and are just blown away by what they’ve experienced.

“We owe Tom & Judy a huge debt of gratitude for their pioneering efforts.”

Judy had to return to the UK, where she lives in a nursing home in Cambridge, but her heart is still very much in Kakadu, and – at the age of 90 – is still busy writing, with a book called ‘Kakadu to Kurdistan: A Journey to Peace’ underway. The idea is that a message of peace could be passed on by travellers as they tread the globe.

For Judy, Kakadu opened up a new world for her, and she hopes that more travellers from around the world will follow in her footsteps and discover the magic and grandeur of this ancient land.

SHORT CHRONOLOGY OF THE COOINDA HOTEL

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Tourism and gold in Kakadu

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Knapman, Bruce ; Stanley, Owen ; Lea, John

Description

This monograph is a revised version of two reports presented in late 1990 to the Commonwealth Government’s Resource Assessment Commission Inquiry into the Kakadu Conservation Zone, and includes a literature review undertaken by the authors for the same inquiry (Knapman et al 1990; Stanley & Knapman 1990). <...> Kakadu National Park is recognised nationally and internationally as a place possessing outstanding natural and cultural values. Largely because of this, it is one of Australia's major ... [Show more] tourist magnets. Rapidly increasing numbers of visitors from overseas, interstate and within the Northern Territory (NT) have come to the Park since the declaration of Stage 1 in 1979. From an economics perspective, it provides onsite services to these people, while simultaneously providing offsite benefits to non-visitors who gain satisfaction from knowing that the environmental and cultural resources of the Park are protected. The latter group may exhibit willingness to pay for the right to use Kakadu at a later date (so-called option value), or they may have no intention of visiting but be willing to pay just to know that Kak:adu is preserved (so-called existence value). The total economic value of the Park, then, consists of actual use value derived from visiting plus option value plus existence value (Pearce et a/1989). A cost-benefit analysis of the Park as a national environmental resource would seek to estimate these values. Additionally, use of Kakadu by visitors generates secondary or regional economic impacts. Expenditures by tourists and tourism-associated expenditure within the private and public sectors become gains to the regional suppliers of the relevant goods and services, so that another major aspect of the economic significance of the Park is its contribution to the economic development of the Northern Territory. It is this aspect which is addressed here. Chapter 2 presents quantitative estimates of the regional economic impact of Kakadu National Park generated by the use of newly acquired expenditure data and a model of the NT economy known as ORANI-NT. The chapter goes on to examine past, present and prospective tourism and recreation use of the 1986 Stage 3 extension of the Park, focusing on the regional economic impact of alternative development plans, and utilising qualitative data gained from interviews with operators in the tourist industry as well as other interested parties. An outline of the broader debate concerning tourism and recreation use in Kakadu is found in an up-to-date literature review in Appendix 1. Kakadu's natural resources also include non-renewable stocks of minerals. Uranium has been mined at Ranger since 1980; and there is an on-going controversy over, and a Commonwealth inquiry into, a proposal to mine gold, platinum and palladium at Coronation Hill in the so-called Conservation Zone, a 47.5 km2 area of Crown land within Stage 3 but presently excluded from the Park (RAC 1990). A cost-benefit analysis of the Coronation Hill project would be the standard means for establishing its worth from a national perspective: if every social benefit and social cost associated with the project were identified and appropriately evaluated, and if there were an excess of benefits over costs, then the project would make society as a whole better off in the sense that it would be possible to increase every individual's welfare. <...>

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'We've had a gutful': Traditional owners threaten to close parts of Kakadu National Park

A bitter tale of mistrust and mismanagement inside Australia's largest national park.

After months of build-up, the wet season has finally arrived in Kakadu.

Rain fills the billabongs and floods the creeks, freeing Kakadu's crocodiles to spread across the park.

The ancient land is awash with colour and life.

But beneath the majestic rock outcrops and across the vast floodplains, another storm is playing out.

For years, Kakadu's natural environment has been degrading and popular tourist sites have been closed with little warning.

Kakadu — billed as a jewel in Australia's tourism crown — is falling into disrepair, and traditional owners say the federal body that runs the park is to blame.

Things are so bad some traditional owners are threatening to close down parts of Kakadu.

Jonathan Nadji is a traditional owner, a member of the board that oversees Kakadu and a former park ranger. He says he is prepared to shut off one of the park's biggest tourist attractions, the famous lookout and rock art of Ubirr.

"It's about time we started making an impact by basically shutting down the park. And I will shut down Ubirr," he said.

"We should start looking ahead, start sorting this place out, but we will close it to make our point."

Mick Markham, one of the senior traditional owners for another key destination, Gunlom Falls, says he is also prepared to close down that site.

"We've had a gutful. The only way we can show some strength is to close something at the peak of the tourist season," he said.

Local Murrumburr woman and senior cultural tour guide, Mandy Muir, says Kakadu is in crisis.

"The unhappiness has come to a point that if we don't sit at the table very soon, things will be taken into our own hands," she said.

Kakadu is globally significant. It's on the UNESCO World Heritage list for both its spectacular environment and its cultural importance.

But international visitors have for years been abandoning the park.

International tourists once made up more than half of those coming to Kakadu, but in 2019 — before the COVID pandemic — they accounted for just 17 per cent of visitors.

General manager of Tourism Top End Glen Hingley says traditionally, overseas visitors spend more and stay longer — but they won't come unless there's some certainty about what they'll be able to see.

"International tourism, sadly, to Kakadu has been on the decline, and not because Kakadu is any less of a destination," he said.

"But part of it was the uncertainty and the irregularity that would happen for tour operators around access announcements and closures of certain parts of the park."

With international borders still closed, tourism operators are now banking on a domestic boom, but they say action is needed to make Kakadu a destination worth visiting.

Each year, parts of Kakadu are closed because of extreme heat, and then the wet season rains make river crossings and dirt roads impassable.

Even before this year's wet season closures began, many of the park's most popular attractions were closed.

The spectacular Twin Falls has been inaccessible since 2018 because a crucial creek crossing has not been maintained.

The popular Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Yellow Water was closed for refurbishment for a year.

This rockpool above the waterfall at Maguk closed in 2019 after a tourist drowned — but the site did not open during 2020 and remained closed.

And the natural infinity pools above Gunlom Falls — another top tourist site — have been closed for nearly 18 months.

Veteran tour operator Sab Lord says visitors have been disappointed at how little they can see in the park.

"I had some clients that actually complained because they couldn't get to the destinations that were promised," he said.

"I had to refund some people because there were areas they specifically wanted to go to that should've been open and [they weren't] open."

Kakadu is home to about 300 Aboriginal people from about 19 clans that share custodianship of particular parts of the park.

The land is managed together by Kakadu's traditional owners and the federal government agency Parks Australia. But their relationship has been fractured, and traditional owners say joint management is in dire shape.

In one stunning example of how the relationship has been damaged, Parks Australia built a walking track near Gunlom Falls that exposed a sensitive part of a sacred site, against the wishes of traditional owners.

In July last year, a group of Aboriginal park rangers outlined their concerns with Parks Australia in a letter that detailed problems with site closures, maintenance, staff cuts, lack of jobs for local Indigenous people and a series of uncontrolled fires in the park.

In the letter, the rangers said that due to staff cuts there were no rangers available to fight a 2019 fire that caused more than $1 million in damages to houses and equipment.

And in December, the gravity of the threats facing Kakadu were outlined by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, the body that monitors World Heritage sites.

It said Kakadu was deteriorating and under "very high threat" from feral animals and weeds, and "high threat" from fires.

Curtin University botanist and land rehabilitation expert Professor Kingsley Dixon says Kakadu's World Heritage status is at risk.

"If we continue to alter landscapes and not manage it, we may find ourselves with a weed-infested and pest-ridden park," he said.

Jonathan Nadji says more staff are urgently needed in the park.

"We're understaffed here and that's what we really need, we need more staffing," he said.

"Management is making their own decisions without talking to traditional owners."

Tour guide Mandy Muir agrees too many decisions are being made from afar.

"Experts are telling us that the park has been deteriorating probably [for] a number of years now," she said.

"It seems like it's being run from far and beyond, meaning Canberra. We need people on the ground, at the grassroots level, dealing, talking with our people."

In a briefing note sent to Environment Minister Sussan Ley, a top bureaucrat found "a relationship breakdown on many levels" and "widespread feelings of despair" in Kakadu.

Soon after the letter was sent, the director of National Parks quit and two other executives were transferred out of the agency.

The federal government has promised to spend $276 million over 10 years for upgrades across Kakadu, including remediation work in the town of Jabiru.

In a statement to Four Corners, Parks Australia said Ms Ley was listening to traditional owners and significant changes were underway, including shifting a key position to Darwin, hiring a training officer, and investing in programs that aim to help local Indigenous people find work and advance their careers.

Amid these tensions, there are huge changes coming to Kakadu.

Processing of ore at the Ranger uranium mine, which sits within the park, finished last month, and the mine's vast pits will be filled in over the next five years.

The future for the town of Jabiru, built in the 1980s to service the mine, is uncertain.

Each month its population of 1,000 shrinks further as miners and their families leave for good.

To survive, Jabiru must reinvent itself.

There are plans to transform the town into a tourism hub to help replace the $8.5 million in annual royalties from the mine, though it will be no small task.

With its empty shops and ageing facilities, Jabiru is rundown and dated.

The makeover would cost an estimated $446 million and it would be funded by the Federal and Northern Territory governments, as well as private enterprise.

It would redesign Jabiru into an attraction in its own right, with eco lodges, glamping, a new visitor centre and even a beach for swimming — as long as locals can work out a way to keep the crocs out of the lake.

But there's scepticism about the plan from some senior community members, including John Christophersen.

"I would not be putting all my eggs in the tourism basket," he said.

"A lot more effort needs to be put into the health of our people, the education of our people, employment of our people."

Not far from Ranger and Jabiru, on the banks of Magela creek, families fish and hunt like they've been doing for generations.

Mirarr traditional owner May Nango wants to preserve this way of life for her grandchildren.

She's worried about the long-term impacts from the uranium mine.

Speaking in Kunwinjku language, she fears for Kakadu's future and says the impact of the mine on the park must be monitored.

"They should look after the land. They should communicate with us what's happening," she said.

Glen Hingley says Kakadu deserves better.

"This is a place that needs to be funded for future generations, not just the folk whose land it is and whose families and future families are on there," he said.

Mandy Muir is calling on the federal government to return to Kakadu to work with the traditional owners.

"We're waiting, the table's set up already, waiting for the people to sit in it. Not in that office up there. On country."

Photography: Harriet Tatham

Cinematography: Louie Eroglu ACS

Digital Producer: Brigid Andersen

Research: Naomi Selvaratnam

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Kakadu National Park: Tourism in Australia Report

Although tourism has been an economic factor in Australia for a very long time, nowadays it has expanded to the level that it is acknowledged as the main source of employment and economic activity. In the past decades, the country has witnessed a substantial growth in the number of international tourists. With this growth, the need for sustainable development in tourism industry has been a concern.

Sustainable development is defined as a growth that satisfies peoples’ wants without compromising on the future generation’s wants (Rogers & Jalal 2008, p. 42). Based on this definition, sustainable development should be able to satisfy the economic and social needs of the people with the regenerative capacity of the natural environment. Through sustainable development initiatives, the tourism industry has been encouraged to reduce their negative impacts on the environment and the local cultures.

This report focuses on Kakadu National Park. Through the report, social, economic, and environmental impacts that will result from an increased in the number of tourists visiting the area in the future are highlighted. The report identifies tourism stakeholders in the region, their attitudes towards the growth, and recommends ways for ensuring the sustainability in the industry.

Kakadu National Park is situated in northern Australia. The national park was established in the early 1960s. For the last few decades, tourism has created a significant disadvantage for the Aboriginal people in the area.

From the time it was created, Kakadu has been a centre of attention between environmentalists, tourism stakeholders, and the miners situated in the region. In the last decade, the number of domestic and international tourists has significantly increased. As the number of tourists increases, the need for adoption of sustainable tourism policies in the region increases.

With the increase in the number of tourists, more economic activities and employment opportunities will be created in the region. More Australians will be employed to work in the booming tourism industry. Notably, the indigenous Aboriginal people will benefit financially from the influx of tourists in the area. As such, they will be employed by the tourism industry to work as guides and informants.

Equally, some entrepreneurs among this minority community will get an opportunity to open their own tourism enterprises. The community’s produce such as paintings, carvings, and other artefacts will be sold in large quantities increasing their revenues. Not only will the local community benefits from the increase in the number of tourists, but the government also will benefit because international tourists destined for the region will enhance foreign exchange.

In the last three decades, cultural changes have been witnessed in the region because of the establishment of a national park. Throughout this period, the deaths of traditional owners of the region and the rise on new owners with at little educational backgrounds have been witnessed. Notably, these individuals remember little of their historical background. Therefore, in the future when the number of tourists increases the Aboriginal culture will be at risk of being extinct (Nile 2008, p. 45).

With the increased number of tourists, social amenities, new technologies, schools, and hospitals will be created. This will aid in the degradation of Aboriginal culture. Currently, most Aboriginal individuals employed in the tourism industry live around the parks, travel using vehicles, shop, and ride in the same boats as their white counterparts. This is a clear indication that in the near future, when the number of tourists will have increased, these individuals will adopt their white counterpart’s culture.

According to the Aboriginal history, it is alleged that the ancestors of the modern Aborigines used to lit fires in the region during the cooler months as a way of appreciating the ownership of their land (Keen 2010, p. 174). Because of the collapse of Aboriginal culture, the habit has now become extinct. Backed by the western science, park managers have been simulating these fire regimes with the use of helicopters dropping small fires as they fly across the park during the cooler months.

More often, some Aboriginal people have tried to mimic or rebel these simulations during the hot seasons resulting in huge fires that burn for several weeks. With the increase in the number of tourists in the future, more simulations will be carried out. In return, more people that are indigenous will set up more fires as a revolt to the simulations.

These fires will cause huge environmental losses as they have done in the past. Vegetation cover will be destroyed as well as the animals that depend on them. By building social amenities in the region, land animals and migratory paths will be destroyed endangering their future survival.

The main stakeholders in the region are the Aboriginal community, tourism investors, and the government. Tourism investors are excited about the projected growth. The growth will see an increased number of tourists visiting the region, increased in number of investments, increased business opportunities, and increased returns.

With the projected growth, the Aboriginal landowners and authorities are worried about their traditional clan estates and their cultures. Some of them have foreseen the effects and the conflicts that will result from the expected growth of tourism in the region.

Currently, the Aboriginal share of the tourism economy is very small. This implies that ownership issues will increase in the near future. On the other hand, the government has admitted that in the future the Aboriginal share in the tourism industry in the region must be recognized. This implies that in the upcoming years the government will fight for the Aboriginal community to be part of the park’s plans.

For sustainable tourism development in the region, the stakeholders must ensure that the needs of the indigenous communities, their culture, and their history are given the top priority in the growth of the sector (Newsome 2002, p. 241).

If the Aborigines are taught on the need to preserve their culture and be made to feel that they are part of the industry, more conflicts and cultural losses will be avoided in the future. Therefore, the stakeholders must be ready to enhance cultural reinforcement and environmental preservation policies in the region. Equally, the stakeholders should increase the Aboriginal community’s shares in the industry.

On the other hand, the government should enforce a law that will mandate the tourism industry in the region to adopt renewable sources of energy in the park. Through this, pollution will be curbed. Tourists visiting the region should be given brochures encouraging them to conserve the environment in and outside the park.

When the indigenous Aboriginal community will be able to manage the development process, preserve their culture, preserve their environment and economy, sustainable tourism development will be achieved in the region for the benefit of all the stakeholders and the future generation.

Keen, I, 2010, Indigenous participation in Australian economies: historical and anthropological perspectives, ANU E Press, Acton, A.C.T.

Newsome, D, 2002, Natural area tourism ecology, impacts, and management , Channel View Publications, Clevedon.

Nile, R, 2008, Australian Aborigines , Wayland, London.

Rogers, P, P, & Jalal, K, F, 2008, An introduction to sustainable development : Earthscan, London.

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IvyPanda. (2022, March 31). Kakadu National Park: Tourism in Australia. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tourism-in-australia/

"Kakadu National Park: Tourism in Australia." IvyPanda , 31 Mar. 2022, ivypanda.com/essays/tourism-in-australia/.

IvyPanda . (2022) 'Kakadu National Park: Tourism in Australia'. 31 March.

IvyPanda . 2022. "Kakadu National Park: Tourism in Australia." March 31, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tourism-in-australia/.

1. IvyPanda . "Kakadu National Park: Tourism in Australia." March 31, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tourism-in-australia/.

Bibliography

IvyPanda . "Kakadu National Park: Tourism in Australia." March 31, 2022. https://ivypanda.com/essays/tourism-in-australia/.

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Amazing facts

Kakadu is an amazing place, full of delightful surprises. Discover who owns Kakadu, how many crocs live here and how tall a termite mound can grow!

Amazing facts about Kakadu

Do you know the answer to the following questions about Kakadu? See how many you can guess correctly!

How big is Kakadu?

How long have aboriginal people lived in kakadu, how old is kakadu’s rock art, who owns kakadu, how many crocs live at kakadu, how many bird species live in kakadu, how much rain does kakadu get, do aboriginal people still live traditionally, how many plant species grow in kakadu, how big do kakadu’s termite mounds get, how tall does speargrass grow, when did kakadu become a national park.

Kakadu is almost 20,000 square kilometres – that’s about half the size of Switzerland.

More than 65,000 years – we are the oldest living culture on earth.

Our oldest paintings are up to 20,000 years old. You can see some fascinating records of more recent events too – look out for the ‘first contact’ paintings at Nanguluwurr , showing the tall ships that first brought Europeans to our land.

More than half the park is Aboriginal land, and all of Kakadu is special to its Traditional Owners. Kakadu’s Traditional Owners manage the park in partnership with Parks Australia, playing a key role in everything from Board decisions to hands-on management of weeds and feral animals.

We’re home to more than 10,000 crocodiles – a tenth of all the crocs in the Northern Territory! That’s one croc every two square kilometres on average … although if you look carefully at places such as Cahills Crossing and Yellow Water wetlands , you can see up to seven crocs in the one stretch of water.

We are home to around 280 different types of birds – around a third of all the bird species in Australia.

Over three months every tropical summer , we get drenched by up to 1.5 metres of rain. That’s enough to blanket roughly one third of the park in flood waters, stretching out on either side of the highways as far as the eye can see. It’s a beautiful sight!

Life has changed over recent decades, but our traditions have stayed strong. Some of us live in the towns and settlements in Kakadu, but we still spend lots of time out on our country – hunting, fishing and caring for the land, just as our ancestors did.

We are home to around 2,000 different types of plants . The plant life changes dramatically as you drive from one part of Kakadu to another. Our coast is lined with mangroves, which make way for monsoon rainforest, waterlily-covered billabongs and open woodland as you head further south.

Up to and over six metres tall! Look out for them along the Maguk Road and in the southern part of the park in general.

By the end of each tropical summer, the speargrass lining our roads has grown over three metres high. Then along comes Bangkerreng or ‘knock em down storm season’ – a time recognised by Aboriginal people for the big winds that blow all the speargrass flat.

Kakadu was declared a national park in three stages, between 1979 and 1991.

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We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of country throughout Australia and recognise their continuing connection to land, waters and culture. We pay our respects to their Elders past, present and emerging.