With such a big park, we decided to spend a couple of days there and were not disappointed. So much to do and see! It was the beginning of the rainy season so some roads and areas where closed due to raising water but we had nonetheless plenty to see. We first stopped at the Mamukala wetlands and were amazed at the birds' concentration - spoonbills, ibis, jabiru storks, blue kingsfishers, magpie geese and more! We then headed to Ubirr to discover amazing rock art painting and eerie scenery with sandstones rocks overlooking plains and swamps. We saw further delicate rock art painting at Nourlangie, where we did nice walk around. Cruising along the South Alligator River at sunrise gave us great views of even more birds, including eagles, and close up views of big crocodiles - up 4 or 5 meters long! We were not able to see Jim Jim Falls as the 4WD road was closed - but a great trip and certainly highly recommended!

The End of the World, and for sure the end of the Road! Definitely make the extra effort, and cross over the Daintree River to step into Cape Tribulation. The ferry is a breeze and you drive around narrow and windy roads and small little towns. This is a good segway to visit Daintree Forest as well as dipping into the ocean. A nice quiet break for a couple days, away from it all. Just one regret - we did not get to see any cassowary! Very elusive bird, so far more a tale than a reality!

We treated ourselves with a 3-day trip to the Great Barrier Reef, and we had an amazing time! The water is really clear, visibility was about 20 meters, and very warm! A change from the SF Bay Area! Diving was awesome, more fish that I could identify and all more colorful than the others! We were greeted by dolphins swimming along the boat, and had reef sharks circling around at night dive, snaking some of the dozens of fish attracted by the boat light. Definitely a must-do while in Cairns!

Mossman Gorge is an easy day trip from Port Douglas and offers nice refreshing rock pools as well as a nice hike in the rainforest. Do try to walk the whole trail as you go through giants trees and get to hear unusual birds. You will also find a few less crowded rock pools. Worth the detour!

One of the oldest forests in the world, part of the World Heritage, Daintree Rainforest is truly beautiful and will make you feel so young and tiny, compared to majestic Blue Quandongs, giants of the rainforest. Different types of mangroves, amazing wildlife and birds, this is a hiking paradise. You can go day hike or even take an evening night, you'll be thrilled by the species diversity - frogs, sleeping birds, and even two-horned chameleon! A must-do when in Cape Tribulation!

We visited Litchfield National Park on our way from Kakadu back to Darwin. It's an easy day trip and definitely worth it. In the park, we saw 2 different types of termites - the magnetic termite mounds and the cathedral termite mounds. The magnetic termite mounds, for which the park is famous, are pretty amazing! In addition to these, the park is a great place for a swim as there are lots of nice fresh rock pools, and no worry about crocodiles! Just need to check at the park entrance to make sure the 'gators are not sneaking in during rainy season! The Florence Falls were the nicest, not only because you can swim in, but there is a nice walk around that's worth it too.

We visited Kings Canyon en route to Uluru, and were happily surprised by the beauty of the park. We hiked the whole ridge, about 3h hike, but it took us a bit longer as we stopped numerous times for taking photos or just taking in the scenery. Day started with rain but it did not take away the red color of the stones, just a different feeling. As morning progressed, sky cleared up and we had blue sky and sunshine, giving high contrast between the red rocks, the blue sky and the green flora. The Garden of Eden well deserved its name, with singing birds and lush trees. Definitely recommended, and only the first 5-10 minutes are tough, the rest of the hike pretty easy!

We hiked the Valley of the Winds trail and this was SOOO beautiful. We were granted a very nice weather, blue sky and all, and the trail was fantastic. Being an El Nina year, it had rained a lot so it was surprising to see so much green around the valley, but it added to the contrast of the blue sky and red stones. Definitely do the whole trail, it's worth it. You end up being by yourself, it's quiet and peaceful. The Olgas are not as known as Uluru and deserved to be discovered, certainly worth spending a day.

We spent 3 days and 2 nights around Uluru, driving around the different sites and walked around it. The Mala walk is very interesting and covers pretty much the sites with history. We saw Uluru at sunset and sunrise and both are very nice, different lights and feelings. We did not do the hike up as this is not only subject to very changeable weather patterns and risky, but most especially we wanted to respect the wishes of the local tribes who discourage such a hike. There is plenty to do around Uluru in any case and we did not feel like we missed anything.