Jatbula Trail
Jatbula Trail
5
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Rob Woodall
3 contributions
Jul 2022
We recently completed ,a fantastic guided 5 day Jatbula Trail multiday hike with Gecko Tours . Our guides Travis and Brin provided a wealth of information that a solo hiker would never have and their knowledge of the country, flora an fauna and indigenous significance was sensational. Walk delivered a great experience with great camp spots and at a pace to suit all. Waterfall are to be seen to be believed and only accessible on the hidden gem of a walk. Great crew of hikers and all needs catered for professionally By Gecko .I would recommend this hike to any looking for a winter adventure across the winter season .
Written July 31, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Lea F
Melbourne, Australia20 contributions
Jun 2023
Great hike with beautiful scenery and rock art. Our added bonus was Gecko Trekking and our guides Mick and Noah. Mick has walked this hike approx 50 times and his love of the country was evident.
He had a wonderful balance of giving us his knowledge of art, wildlife and history but also gave us space and solitude.
Beautiful country with great swimming holes and waterfalls.
He had a wonderful balance of giving us his knowledge of art, wildlife and history but also gave us space and solitude.
Beautiful country with great swimming holes and waterfalls.
Written July 17, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sally P
Adelaide, Australia29 contributions
Aug 2020 • Couples
This five day hike is a must do. It’s a moderately challenging hike with a full pack, doable by any able adult but best enjoyed if you have a good level of fitness, even better if you’ve practiced carrying a full pack.
The terrain is varied, beautiful and wild. The campsites each have a good composting toilet and an emergency call box, other than that you are completely in nature. Each campsite is pretty, with a permanent waterhole suitable for swimming and fresh water.
We chose to do the guided walk with Gecko tours, mainly because we couldn’t get one of the rare tickets to walk independently. Nevertheless, it was well worth it!
Our guide Travis was absolutely awesome. His knowledge and passion about geology, the vegetation, fauna, art sites, stars and especially spiders added another level of enjoyment to the walk. He was good company and very calm, and cheerfully carried all of the cooking gear and most of the food for the group! Gecko provide whatever sleeping equipment you need, and the catering is very good for such a hike, even including fresh salad veg every day! Their advice about what to bring (and what not to bring) was spot on too.
Although this walk would be amazing whichever way you do it, Gecko tours took it to next level. I would go again in a heart beat.
The terrain is varied, beautiful and wild. The campsites each have a good composting toilet and an emergency call box, other than that you are completely in nature. Each campsite is pretty, with a permanent waterhole suitable for swimming and fresh water.
We chose to do the guided walk with Gecko tours, mainly because we couldn’t get one of the rare tickets to walk independently. Nevertheless, it was well worth it!
Our guide Travis was absolutely awesome. His knowledge and passion about geology, the vegetation, fauna, art sites, stars and especially spiders added another level of enjoyment to the walk. He was good company and very calm, and cheerfully carried all of the cooking gear and most of the food for the group! Gecko provide whatever sleeping equipment you need, and the catering is very good for such a hike, even including fresh salad veg every day! Their advice about what to bring (and what not to bring) was spot on too.
Although this walk would be amazing whichever way you do it, Gecko tours took it to next level. I would go again in a heart beat.
Written August 23, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
America F
Darwin, Australia11 contributions
Jul 2020 • Family
Seeing the stars and planets away from city lights was brilliant. Our guide, Travis from Gecko Tours, was thorough in his knowledge and I felt safe trekking with him. We definitely saw lots we would have missed if we'd done the trail independently.
Written July 19, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Rachel P
1 contribution
Jun 2021
The trail is spectacular, an awesome experience. I did this with a friend and found navigating the trail reasonably easy although we are experienced bushwalkers. I loved being in the wilderness, and immersing myself fully in this experience however this was challenged on the first three days by the tourist helicopter flights doing circles over each camp. On the first day I wondered if the group behind us had had an accident and the chopper was coming in to land but then realised it was a tourist flight just having a 'look' at the falls, the camp and in fact us. It felt like we were on display, like a zoo exhibit. This also diminished the idea we were out in the wilderness. I understand if there is a problem it may be the commercial chopper pilots who are called on to help evacuate, it would be polite if they could respect the walkers on the trail and try to understand how these tourist flights impact the beauty and pristine nature of the trail. That said, it was otherwise a trip of a life time & I'll be doing it again!
Written June 26, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
TravelBunnyO
Melbourne, Australia147 contributions
Jun 2019 • Couples
We actually hiked 2018.
We hiked on our own carrying all of our gear & supplies. The terrain was easy for experienced hikers like ourselves & during June the weather was perfect. Trail is a little more challenging than most as you need to follow the blue arrows attracted to trees & rocks rather than follow a clear path. Highly recommend to experience the beauty of the Australian bush with no crowds.
Arriving at each site after a number of hours hiking was like heaven - pitch the tent, throw on the swimmers & spend the afternoon lolling about in the water & beside the tent.
Each camp site had drop toilet facilities that were a delight considering I’d expected to be digging my own pit. Fresh water from the creeks readily available each day.
Friendly folks at the checkin point & boat across the Katherine river at the beginning. Camped in the Nitmiluk caravan park the night before starting the hike - one last beer & burger to fuel the hike :-)
Finished the hike with one last swim at Edith Falls and a well earned burger at the kiosk (no beer here due to alcohol bans but plenty of other cold drinks to complement the burger).
Recommend using geckocanoeing for transport to and from the trail.
We hiked on our own carrying all of our gear & supplies. The terrain was easy for experienced hikers like ourselves & during June the weather was perfect. Trail is a little more challenging than most as you need to follow the blue arrows attracted to trees & rocks rather than follow a clear path. Highly recommend to experience the beauty of the Australian bush with no crowds.
Arriving at each site after a number of hours hiking was like heaven - pitch the tent, throw on the swimmers & spend the afternoon lolling about in the water & beside the tent.
Each camp site had drop toilet facilities that were a delight considering I’d expected to be digging my own pit. Fresh water from the creeks readily available each day.
Friendly folks at the checkin point & boat across the Katherine river at the beginning. Camped in the Nitmiluk caravan park the night before starting the hike - one last beer & burger to fuel the hike :-)
Finished the hike with one last swim at Edith Falls and a well earned burger at the kiosk (no beer here due to alcohol bans but plenty of other cold drinks to complement the burger).
Recommend using geckocanoeing for transport to and from the trail.
Written March 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Louise S
9 contributions
Aug 2022 • Friends
We’re just back from 5 days on the Jatbula Trail with Mick from Gecko Canoeing and Trekking and it was fabulous. Mick is an excellent guide- there when we needed him, creating space when we didn’t. His knowledge of the trail, its flora and fauna, and local Jawoyn culture (very respectful, didn’t try to speak for them, just passing on what he knows) was exceptional, and his cooking was delicious! Would highly recommend.
Written August 12, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Colleen H
Deniliquin, Australia2 contributions
Jul 2022
In late July I was part of a group walking Jatbula. We had 2 fantastic guides - Travis and Bryn who took guiding to another level in every aspect. The walk was always going to be good but they made sure it was going to be excellent so thank you and all the best with your future endeavours
Written August 9, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Sue C
Perth, Australia47 contributions
Aug 2021 • Friends
We just finished this 6 day adventure and it was absolutely amazing. Mick and Tim were the most incredible hosts. Mick has such a passion for the country and animals and his knowledge and good humor was never ending.
The heat makes it harder but the reward is the incredible waterholes at the end of each day.
Mick and Tim kept drawing supplies from their never ending packs.
The bird life and stargazing was unforgettable.
The fact that the trail only has 15-20 hikers makes it so special.
Definitely worth every minute.
The heat makes it harder but the reward is the incredible waterholes at the end of each day.
Mick and Tim kept drawing supplies from their never ending packs.
The bird life and stargazing was unforgettable.
The fact that the trail only has 15-20 hikers makes it so special.
Definitely worth every minute.
Written July 31, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Neptuntravellers
Zurich, Switzerland114 contributions
Aug 2013 • Couples
We have just completed this walk with Australian Wilderness Adventures. What an amazing trek!
It is a true wilderness walk and our small group of 4 people only saw other people on track on our last day. We slept in mozzie domes under the brilliant starry sky and camped by the most amazing waterfalls and water holes every night. The trek is reasonably hard as you need to carry a heavy pack with all your supplies. While the distances covered each day are not huge, you must be fit enough to carry a pack in the Aussie heat. At the beginning of August it was 36 degrees in the shade by early afternoon. You need to get up early and walk before the heat gets too intense. Having said that its absolutely worth it. The remoteness and the beauty of the the bush is hard to capture in words. We saw fabulous aboriginal cave drawings that were over 20,000 years old. Swimming in such pure, sweet water every day was also wonderful. The waterfalls are just beautiful.
If you are looking for peace, quiet and a sense of remoteness, then this is the trek for you! Our guide Dan ( with Australian Wilderness Adventures) was just fantastic. He was completely at home in this landscape and looked after us brilliantly. We will never forget this incredible adventure!
It is a true wilderness walk and our small group of 4 people only saw other people on track on our last day. We slept in mozzie domes under the brilliant starry sky and camped by the most amazing waterfalls and water holes every night. The trek is reasonably hard as you need to carry a heavy pack with all your supplies. While the distances covered each day are not huge, you must be fit enough to carry a pack in the Aussie heat. At the beginning of August it was 36 degrees in the shade by early afternoon. You need to get up early and walk before the heat gets too intense. Having said that its absolutely worth it. The remoteness and the beauty of the the bush is hard to capture in words. We saw fabulous aboriginal cave drawings that were over 20,000 years old. Swimming in such pure, sweet water every day was also wonderful. The waterfalls are just beautiful.
If you are looking for peace, quiet and a sense of remoteness, then this is the trek for you! Our guide Dan ( with Australian Wilderness Adventures) was just fantastic. He was completely at home in this landscape and looked after us brilliantly. We will never forget this incredible adventure!
Written August 17, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Unfortunately the only month in 2023 that I can get to NT is May and I do understand official season for Jatbula starts on 1 July although it can be done, with NP approval, outside the official season.
I’m not quite experienced enough to do it by myself unsupported (although I have done Larapinta in 12 days, supported) also the problem of individuals getting the limited tickets.
The commercial trekking sites for Jatbula do not commence until 1 July.
Any recommendations of how to the trek in May with a guide who can get tickets?
Written March 26, 2022
Hi - I’m doing Jatbula later this year. I have good quality trail shoes that I’ve done many hikes in. Do you think it is necessary to have boots for Jatbula or would trail shoes (maybe with gaiters) suffice?
Written January 15, 2021
Hi, . We used hiking boots but some in our group actually wore running shoes. A good quality hiking shoe would be fine I think. Some places do require rock hopping, also there are creek crossings so we had TEVA hiking sandals in our packs. Cheers Sally and Francis
Written January 16, 2021
Hi I’m a 30 year old female and love hiking solo. Done quite a bit of it. Just want to know if anyone has done this hike solo and any feedback, comments or advice ?
Written March 10, 2020
Hi, what company would you recommend to book transport from darwin to Jatbula trail (to the start and return as well).
Thank you.
Lenka
Written October 21, 2018
Hi there
I'm not sure if they go from Darwin, but Gecko Canoeing Katherine definitely do Katherine and are pretty helpful so worth a try. If they don't do it they will probably have a suggestion.
Written October 22, 2018
I noticed from photos having to cross many creeks. Did you find taking boots off for this was preferable to crossing in boots then walking with wet boots. Should light sandles be taken for creek crossing, or is bare feet ok.
thanks
Written July 15, 2018
I went barefoot and it was fine. Save the weight
Written October 22, 2018
Hello, has anyone walked this trail in late April? Or have any advice on the conditions? I have emailed one of the rangers and the weather looks good for that time of year and apart from more vegetation, possible buffalo and some higher water levels I cannot see any reason why (pending permit) it would be a bad time of year? Can anyone help out, thanks in advance.
Written October 11, 2016
Hi Daniel, my name is Andrea and I’m responding on behalf of the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT. It is possible to walk the trail starting at the end of April, however it is subject to Wet Season conditions. Please be aware that the trail or park may be still be closed at this time for public safety reasons. Saltwater crocodiles are a higher risk during the wet season in the Katherine Gorge and Leliyn/Edith Falls bottom plunge pool, both of which may be closed to swimming. Northern Rockhole which is connected to the Katherine River along the trail and is not regularly monitored over the wet season, therefore entry may not be permitted.
Some of the other issues that you may face walking the Jatbula trail at this time of year may include:
• Missing track markers due to storm damage,
• Increased vegetation growth making certain sections of the trail more difficult to find as well as potential high humidity, both of these factors can make the experience quite trying for those not acclimatised to Northern Australia
• Storm damage to radio repeaters affecting the reliability of the emergency call devices hence their reliability cannot be guaranteed
• Presence of buffalo along the trail after the wet season, particularly along the Edith River section
• Deeper creek crossings and flash flooding in some sections, such as Crystal Creek and Sandy Camp. N.B Flash flooding can occur along the Katherine, 17 Mile and Edith Rivers due to heavy rainfall up the catchment which you may not be aware of. This impacts the safety of river crossings whilst walking the Jatbula trail.
Rangers begin walking patrols in May to identify and repair the issues related to signage, track markers, emergency control devises and other facilities. For these reasons we recommend the best time to walk the Jatbula Trail is from 1 June to 30 September.
As you are aware, you are required to complete a by-law 8 application and forward to the permits office via: pwpermits@nt.gov.au to walk the trail in April or May. A permit application form can be obtained by emailing jatbula.trail@nt.gov.au
More information about walking the Jatbula Trail , can be obtained via the Parks and Wildlife NT website.
Written October 25, 2016
Hi, we're doing the Jatbula trail end of June 2016, arriving in Darwin by plane. What's the best transport option from Darwin/Katherine to Nitmiluk and from Edith Falls back to Katherine/Darwin? Any info is much appreciated!! Thanks, Ann
Written February 22, 2016
Hello Anne, Not many options from Darwin to Katherine other than Greyhound bus service which goes up and down the Stuart Hwy every day. Cost is about $65ea and trip time is around 4hrs. Another Katherine bus service available is the Bodhi Bus which does Darwin-Katherine 4 days a week for about $50ea. Taxi from Katherine to the Gorge (Nitmiluk National Park) where you start the Jatbula trail is only flexible option. NOT CHEAP. For a main tourist town in the NT, Katherine is not well serviced unfortunately. As for getting out of Edith Falls after your hike, best bet is to contact Nitmiluk Tours who may be able to arrange a pickup. This service from them is off and on so not sure what they are doing this season.
Written May 18, 2016
Hi Simon!
How were you able to keep your pack weight down?
We are doing the walk in August - how cool will the nights be?
Sharon
Written July 26, 2015
We did the walk in July 2016 and it was awesome! Tips to keep weight down - weigh Everything and really make sure you need it if you are carrying it. Get rid of all packaging. Put things in zip lock bags and only take as much as you will use in the few days - including deodorant, toothpaste etc. Clothing as above - you rinse your clothes each day after walking so it's easy to keep wearing the same thing. We carried water according to the length of walk that day. If it was a long walking day, we took 3 ltrs. pp. but on the shorter days only needed 1.5 - 2 ltrs water. Share cooking burners & gas cans if possible. A lot of people leave the fly to the tent behind and sleep under the stars. We had forecasts of rain on our walk (very unusual for that time of year) so we took ours and used it most nights because of the cool temperatures.But if the forecast is clear and the temps look high enough, you could save a bit there. Have a great time! We absolutely loved it. The water holes each day are such a treat!
Written January 27, 2017
Thinking of doing The Jatbula trail in august but are water holes pretty stagnant by then?
Written March 11, 2015
Hey, We did the Jatbula Trail this time last year and there is water, water everywhere. One of the highlights of the trip is arriving at the camp site each afternoon and being able to have a swim in gorgeous waterholes and parts of the Edith River, just divine. One tip i would recommend is to have some old runners or aquatic shoes to wear in the water as there are many rocks ect and its slippery getting in and out, other than that you will love it, enjoy! :)
Written July 27, 2015
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