Wild treks along the East Alligator River

Travelling by road in a 4x4 is undoubtedly the best way to get around, not least because you may well find yourself having to fords streams such as Cahills Crossing (you must first obtain a Parks Pass from the Bowali Visitor Centre, which also houses an art gallery called Marrawuddi Arts & Culture). Your first destination could therefore be the East Alligator, the gateway to the mysterious West Arnhem Land – one of the most remote and isolated areas in the whole of Oceania. The rock art at Ubirr is reached via a rocky path that winds its way into the floodplain, where you’ll be watched from a distance by the hopping, friendly wallabies. You can even follow the marked trail through the Manngarre rainforest along the banks of the East Alligator River, until you reach the panoramic viewpoint from which to observe the crocodiles in safety. Meanwhile, the Bardedjilidji Path winds its way through layered sandstone formations, as does the Badbong Wodjmeng loop trail, which crosses Catfish Creek, passing through floodplains and billabongs.