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Darwin Coach Charter for Top End Trips

In Darwin the season sets the plan. Expect dry weather from about April to October. In the wet, from about November to March, floods close parts of Kakadu and access changes from day to day.

Wet or dry

Kakadu publishes a daily access report, and it should be checked before every trip, not only when you book. In the wet, be ready to swap a stop at short notice.

Mindil Beach Sunset Market is a dry-season event, held on Thursday and Sunday evenings from late April to late October. It is under 3 km from the city, which makes it an easy evening run.

Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 49-seat coach, exterior
Mercedes-Benz Tourismo 49-seat coach, exterior

Kakadu takes a full day or more

The road to Jabiru follows the Stuart Highway and then the Arnhem Highway, about three hours each way. Fuel stops are at Jabiru itself and at Cooinda. Visitors who are not Territory residents need a park pass, valid seven days, and the tour needs a Kakadu permit or licence.

The NT has not adopted the national heavy-vehicle law and runs its own fatigue scheme. Six hours of driving plus time in the park makes a very long day, so a night in the park is often the better plan.

Airports serving Darwin

Stadiums and arenas

  • TIO Stadium — AFL and NRL matches, NTFL, cricket; Marrara
  • Darwin Entertainment Centre — Theatre and touring shows; CBD

Day trips and transfers from Darwin

  • Territory Wildlife Park (Berry Springs) — about 60 km, about 45 min
  • Adelaide River crocodile cruises (Arnhem Highway) — about 65 km, about 50 min
  • Litchfield National Park (via Batchelor) — about 100-120 km, about 1.5 h
  • Kakadu National Park (Jabiru) — about 250 km, about 3 h
  • Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge) — about 330 km, about 3.5 h

Coach rules in Darwin

  • Darwin International Airport (DRW) is about 11 km by road to Smith Street Mall, about 15 min in light traffic; it shares its runway with RAAF Base Darwin, and the airport publishes no coach pick-up regime.
  • The Northern Territory has no toll roads.
  • Kakadu National Park: everyone except Northern Territory residents needs a park pass (valid 7 days), and tour operators and guides need a Kakadu permit or licence to run tours in the park. Kakadu is about 3 h from Darwin via the Stuart and Arnhem highways; fuel is available at Jabiru and Cooinda.
  • Kakadu's dry season runs about April to October and the tropical summer (wet) about November to March; flooding closes some areas in the wet, so check the park's daily access report before each trip.
  • Saltwater crocodiles live in most waterways in the Top End, including billabongs, creeks, rivers and floodplains: keep groups well back from the water's edge and never enter the water unless it is signed as safe.
  • In the heat, Kakadu rangers advise walking only in the cooler parts of the day (avoiding about 2.30 pm to 6.30 pm) and drinking at least one litre of water per person per hour.
  • Litchfield National Park is about 100 km south-west of Darwin near Batchelor; its main falls (Wangi, Florence, Buley Rockhole) are reached by two-wheel-drive roads.
  • Mindil Beach Sunset Market runs on Thursdays and Sundays from 4 pm to 9 pm, from the last Thursday of April to the last Thursday of October; it is under 3 km from the city centre, with free parking off Gilruth Avenue.

Heat, water and crocodiles

Park rangers suggest walking in the cooler times of day and staying off the tracks from roughly 2.30 until 6.30 in the afternoon. Each person should drink a litre of water or more every hour. Put the walks early, and keep the hot afternoon for driving and indoor stops.

Assume any creek, river, billabong or floodplain up here holds saltwater crocodiles. Groups stay well back from the edge, and nobody swims unless a sign says the spot is safe.

Airport and shorter days

Smith Street Mall is about 11 km from the terminal, 15 minutes in light traffic. The airport sets aside no coach bay. Its pick-up zones give any vehicle a two-minute limit, and the driver has to stay with it. Have the group ready at the kerb before the coach pulls in. Nothing in the NT is tolled.

Litchfield is about 1.5 hours away and its main falls are on two-wheel-drive roads, so it suits a shorter day than Kakadu.

Questions

Can we run Kakadu as a day trip?

It is possible in the dry season but very long. An overnight gives time to see the park and keeps the driving within the Territory's rules.

Where do the jumping crocodile cruises leave from?

The Adelaide River, on the Arnhem Highway about 50 minutes from Darwin, so they fit on the way to Kakadu.

Where does the coach meet us at the airport?

The airport names no coach point, so the operator confirms the spot. Be through baggage and at the kerb before the coach pulls in.

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