Crocodile Rock Red Centre and Top End Adventure with comfort camping

After picking you up from your accommodation in Alice Springs bright and early, we hit the road on our adventure of a lifetime. (For those commencing the tour at Uluru we will collect you from the Outback Pioneer Hotel or meet you from your flight at the airport). Our journey begins heading south to Erldunda travelling through the Waterhouse and James Ranges with a stop at the Camel Farm for refreshments and a Camel ride if you're keen (own expense). We stop at Mount Ebenezer Roadhouse where you can view or purchase Aboriginal artifacts. On the way to Uluru we stop to view Atila (Mount Connor), a mesa tableland and the first significant rock formation of our trip. After a stop for lunch and our arrival at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, we travel to the base of Uluru where your guide will lead you on an interpretive walk, hearing of the Aboriginal law and religion (Tjukurpa). Continuing on, we meet our local Aboriginal Guide who will provide a once in a lifetime authentic Indigenous cultural experience with an interpretive walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole where you will hear the stories of the unique landscapes, art and culture of the local custodians, the Anangu people. We conclude at the Cultural Centre, where you may explore the displays and learn of the flora and fauna of this unique area. Experience the famous changing colours of Uluru at sunset, complete with sparkling wine and nibbles. It's a great time to kick back and contemplate the day and the vastness of the desert. Afterwards settle in at our remote private camp, complete with our signature Endless Star dining experience before retiring to your swag under the amazing night sky or your comfortable safari tent complete with beds. (Note. Clients joining at Ayers Rock airport or resort will do so after lunch and therefore lunch is at own expense.)

Rising early, take a short walk to a lookout close to our campsite to view sunrise over Uluru and Kata Tjuta avoiding the hustle and bustle of the public viewing areas. We then head off to Kata Tjuta, an Aboriginal word for “many heads”. Take a walk through the Valley of the Winds to explore its domes of which there are 36 in total. We walk through creek beds, domes and beautiful wilderness. Afterwards, we're off to Kings Creek Cattle Station for our second nights' private bush camp, complete with bush toilet and shower. With nobody else for miles, this camp has stunning views out over the George Gill Ranges and gives you a real feel for the Outback. Dinner around the campfire makes for a very social time with another night out under the stars. Tonight, listen for the sound of dingoes howling in the distance while watching the desert sky light up above you.

Today we head off to Watarrka (Kings Canyon) for a mind-blowing 6km walk through the towering walls, crevices and plateaus. We'll visit the Amphitheatre, Lost City and the tranquil Garden of Eden. Later we start making our way back to Alice Springs travelling on a typical Outback dirt road. Overnight hostel accommodation is included.

A day at leisure to either relax or explore the Red Centre township of Alice Springs. All activities and meals are at your own expense. Hostel accommodation in Alice Springs is included.

You will be collected from your Alice Springs accommodation at approximately 6.00am and then our adventure through the ‘Territory’ to Darwin begins. Just north of Alice Springs is the Tropic of Capricorn (80% of the Northern Territory lays north of this point). Further along the track is the Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) which are a collection of gigantic granite boulders magically balanced on top of one another. Our day winds to a close just north of Tennant Creek at historic Banka Banka Cattle Station where we camp in swags for the night.

No trip to the ‘Territory’ is complete without a visit to the Daly Waters Pub, an important watering hole for explorers and drovers in days gone by and now a great spot for a cold beer, a bit of history and a ‘fair dinkum Outback experience’! Later in the day you can take a soak in the Mataranka Thermal Pools, a lush oasis fringed by paperbark trees and nearby where we camp overnight.

Your guide will wake you early this morning for the short drive to the Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) National Park which is owned by the Jawoyn Aboriginal people. Ancient sandstone has been carved away by the Katherine River to create a deep and picturesque gorge. You may like to take a boat cruise or paddle a canoe (not available all year due to seasonal conditions) through the peaceful water (both optional and additional cost). In the afternoon, relax and watch the changing landscape as we travel to cosmopolitan Darwin and arrive in the early evening.

Departing from Darwin from 6.00am, we begin the short journey to Litchfield National Park. Explore the waterfalls, spring-fed streams and rugged sandstone escarpments of Litchfield National Park. Discover intriguing cathedral and magnetic termite mounds and swim, hike and explore Florence and Wangi Falls and enjoy a picnic lunch. After lunch we leave the highway behind and hit the dirt travelling along the Marrakai Road before joining the Old Jim Jim Road taking us deep into Kakadu National Park. Travelling past billabongs and traversing water crossings bringing ample opportunity for wildlife spotting. Arrive at our private campsite complete with comfortable permanent tents at Cooinda where we spend the night enjoying dinner and some stargazing.

Awake for breakfast this morning before joining an iconic Yellow Waters Cruise. A must do activity within Kakadu National Park, the award winning Yellow Waters cruise is Aboriginal owned and centres around a spectacular billabong system that is home to some remarkable and diverse wildlife. Spotting crocodiles is only one of the many wildlife viewing opportunities on this unique water system. Departing camp we travel to nearby Nourlangie Rock. Here you can see how local Aboriginal people lived in this area through changing times. Environmental and social changes are reflected in the rock art and in the ground, where archaeologists have uncovered over 20,000 years of Aboriginal occupation. After lunch visit the Bowali Visitor Centre, a Gun-djeihmi name for the local area and creek on land owned by the Mirarr clan. See the audio-visual presentations and Marrawuddi Gallery showcasing Aboriginal art by artists from within Kakadu and the wider region. Later this afternoon we arrive at the culturally significant Aboriginal art site, Ubirr, located within the East Alligator region of the park. Here you will view a wide range of ancient Aboriginal art which will be interpreted by your guide. Learn the story of the Rainbow Serpent and climb the Nadab Lookout for panoramic views over the floodplain and beyond into Arnhem Land. After learning about the area, it’s time to pick out a quiet spot to sit while we watch the sun set over the Kakadu escarpment before making the short journey to our private and permanent campsite for the night.

Today the jewels of Kakadu National Park await. Departing early we travel to Twin and Jim Jim Falls. Explore Twin Falls Gorge which is accessed by 4-wheel drive track, a boat shuttle service and a rocky walking track and boardwalk. Once there relax on the sandy banks and admire the falls. There’s more 4-wheel driving as we make our way to Jim Jim Falls where a walk through monsoon forest and over boulders takes us to the waterfall and plunge pool which are surrounded by 150 metre cliffs. Spend the afternoon taking in the sheer beauty of your spectacular surrounds before we make our way back to Darwin and your accommodation after three magical days of adventure and wildlife, rich in cultural history and natural beauty.