There is an even more compelling reason to visit Kakadu National Park in 2026, with lovers of the Australian outback urged to follow in the footsteps of Mick Dundee, who put Kakadu on the international tourism map forty years ago.
On April 30, 1986, Crocodile Dundee premiered in Sydney, and by the end of the year, it had become Australia’s most successful and influential film. It not only made Paul Hogan a star way beyond Australia’s shores, but it also brought the rugged beauty of Kakadu to a vast new audience.
The film was set in both Kakadu and New York, making this year’s inclusion of the Top End and Kakadu in the New York Times’ 52 Places to Go in 2026 even more appropriate.
Crocodiles became intrinsically linked to Kakadu following Crocodile Dundee, so much so that the first major hotel developed was built uniquely in the shape of a crocodile. Today, the Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel is the only croc anyone would want to end up inside when visiting Kakadu.
Crocodiles certainly took centre stage in Crocodile Dundee. They feature in the film almost from the start as American journalist Sue Charlton comes to Kakadu in search of an outback bushman called Mick Dundee, who was reported to have lost half a leg to a saltwater crocodile. While discovering that not all the stories were literal, Mick’s outback swagger was enough for Sue (played by Linda Kozlowski, who went on to marry Hogan in real life) to follow him to “his country”, where Mick showcases many of Kakadu’s spectacular tourism ‘jewels’.
Forty years on, visitors can now follow in their footsteps, with Kakadu Tourism developing a self-guided touring program, along with guided tours, showcasing many of the most famous locations:
- Nourlangie (Burrungkuy) and Anbangbang Billabong are where Mick shows Sue his outback ‘skills’, including supposedly shaving with his hunting knife. The imposing Nourlangie Rock is the site of important Aboriginal rock-art galleries, and the entire area is archaeologically significant, as it is believed that this is where the earliest tropical settlement of Australia occurred.
- Ubirr, the rock formation in Kakadu National Park where Mick Dundee climbs to the top, points toward the horizon, and says “This is my backyard and over there is the Never Never,” while the camera pans across the flood plain. One of the icons of Kakadu, Ubirr’s rock art galleries contain a panoramic sweep of history with drawings ranging from the thylacine to the arrival of Europeans.
- Gunlom Falls is where Mick Dundee spears a fish and cooks bush tucker, and the pair then swim in the cooling waters of the lower pool. One of Kakadu’s premier attractions, Gunlom’s upper pools enjoy panoramic views over Jawoyn stone country from the infinity pool. Recently reopened, a new walkway has enhanced accessibility to the upper pools.
Kakadu also features in the second Crocodile Dundee film. Filming took place in areas around the Bardedjilidji Walk, named after the Aboriginal word for “walking”, with a rocky outcrop the site of the famous bullroarer scene.
Kakadu’s major adventure operator, Kakadu Adventure Tours, enables visitors to experience the icons of the National Park in off-road 4WD tours from May through to October. The tours will focus on Gunlom, but may also feature Maguk Falls, Jim Jim Falls, the Kubara Pools, Jarrangbarnmi (Koolpin Gorge), and more.
The tours take place in specially designed off-road vehicles that maximise visibility and comfort while withstanding the rugged Kakadu landscape. Accommodation is available at the Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel or Cooinda Lodge, where there is a choice of hotel rooms, air-conditioned Outback Retreat glamping tents with ensuites, luxe Yellow Water Villas and extensive shaded camping grounds.
Kakadu Adventure Tours and Yellow Water Cruises operate out of Cooinda, which is open all year round, with restaurants, swimming pools, a service station and shop to provide travelling necessities.
