Paradise Valley – Location

Paradise Valley near Licola is a farm that also serves as a campground. Our family (plus a few more) have gone there every easter since before I was born. I was first there at 3 months old, and I’ve only missed a couple since. It has showers, a creek to swim in, daily rubbish collection, and it allows dogs. Fireplaces are welcome. We regularly do canoe trips down there, I see a lot of people fishing but they rarely catch anything.

Email me if you want to find it… I don’t know where it is exactly but I know how to drive there!

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Garnamarr – Kakadu

Great camping site, running water, access to wood, $10pp per night. All great except for two things:

Take your rubbish with you
This is pretty annoying. Most people don’t want to have to bring their stinky rubbish back with them. Worse, if you are there for a few nights, you need to put it into your car. Make sure you what you need to do deal with this, we didn’t and it was annoying. Why do you need to lock your rubbish up? Well that brings me to:

The Crows
Faaark! They love calling out all day long. Not so bad. But they get into your rubbish. And I mean, REALLY GET IN! The only time I ignored a rangers advice, as I didn’t want food scrapes in my car for the day we there out exploring, I put them in a bag, in the fireplace (with 3 walls and a roof), with two large rocks either side. I thought I crow proofed it… I was wrong!

Twin Falls – Kakadu

Twin Falls is one of the prettiest places you can imagine. You used to be able to swim here, but that has now closed permanently. It would have been classified as “The Best!” if you could have. They say it is for crocodiles, but the guide we had said it was also because the indigenous owners decided it was inappropriate. An amazing beach, massive gorge, two waterfalls cascading down (very seasonal and somewhat dry when we there) it is paradise. What is the downside?

Well apart from the lack of swimming, the answer is the drive there! It is strictly 4WD only, plus a creek crossing. When we did it it was 700mm, but it gets deeper. Snorkels are a must, and raised vehicles even better. I saw a lot of people driving over there without a snorkel, get some water in there and your car could easily stall in the water… full of crocs… insanity.

Even with a snorkel 700mm is my personal absolute limit, be prepared to get your carpet wet.

Crossing the creek:

 

 

Jim Jim Falls – Kakadu

Jim Jim falls is best known as the massive waterfall in Kakadu.

However this is the wet season Jim Jim, that is also closed to visit. When you can visit and swim there, Jim Jim is either a trickle or has no water coming down. But it’s still a great place to visit. It is one interesting walk… not that far but very difficult, as walking from large stone to large stone for 800m is pretty exhausting. The water is quite cold too, especially at the base. But if you’ve got the car to make it (strictly 4WD only) you won’t be disappointed.