Kakadu, Australia's largest national park (20,000 km²), is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for both its natural and cultural values. The park is jointly managed by the government and the Traditional Owners, a group of 19 Aboriginal clans. They are mainly divided into two groups: the Bininj, who speak the Kunwok language (one of two dialects: Gundjeihmi and Kunwinjku), and the Mungguy, who speak Jawoyn. The Bininj and Mungguy have inhabited the area for at least 40,000 years, and probably 65,000, and have produced rock paintings, some of them world-famous, that are one of the park's main attractions today.Kakadu will delight lovers of nature and wide open spaces, with a huge diversity of landscapes, combining mangroves, cliffs, eucalyptus forests and pockets of rainforest. The spectacular cliffs that border the park to the south and east create formidable waterfalls that are not to be missed. Gunlom is the most accessible, Jim Jim the most impressive (but well worth the effort!).The great plain is criss-crossed by three large, winding rivers originally named West, South and East Alligator River by Lieutenant Phillip King in 1820, who thought he recognized alligators, which are not found in Australia. Crocodiles, on the other hand, are everywhere, both freshwater (the not-so-bad freshies) and saltwater (the dreaded salties), which contrary to their names can be found in any waterway. Many sport fishermen also visit these same rivers in search of the barramundi, a true NT icon.The small town of Jabiru is the park's main tourist base and was founded in the late 1970s to house workers from the nearby uranium mine (8 km from Jabiru). Mining activities have gradually ceased and are now limited to a huge clean-up operation, in partnership with the Gundjeihmi Aborigines, to restore the mine to its former appearance.

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Pictures and images Kakadu National Park

Parc national de Kakadu. Henri Conodul - Iconotec
Chauve-souris, Kakadu National Park. EcoView - Fotolia
Parc national de Kakadu. Henri Conodul - Iconotec
Nourlangie Rock. Tourism Northern Territory / Peter Eve

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