Although over
100km south of Park HQ, at the end of a tricky 4WD-only track, these
two falls are definitely worth visiting; allow two hours for the
sixty-kilometre drive from the Kakadu Highway.
Jim
Jim Falls
tip 215m straight off the edge of the escarpment and are best caught
in the early Dry, as soon as the road reopens - they often stop
flowing later and will certainly look less impressive. A rocky,
one-kilometre trail leads alongside the large pool to the base of
the falls.
As Jim Jim Creek begins meandering into the flood plains close to
the Cooinda resort, 50km southwest of Jabiru, it forms the inland
lagoon of Yellow Waters. From the car park here, a short walk
leads along the edge of the billabong, from where popular cruises
(five daily; book in advance on 08/8979 0145) weave through the
lushly vegetated waterways. The early-morning cruise (2hr) catches
the lagoon and wildlife at their best: heat-of-the-day tours are
thirty minutes shorter and a few dollars cheaper.
Yellow Waters
Twin Falls
is a rough ten-kilometre drive from Jim Jim, including the crossing
of Jim Jim Creek, which genuinely does require a 4WD and not just
high clearance. From the car park it's a short walk and then a swim
up the monsoon-forested gorge for another kilometre - an airbed and
waterproof containers help here. This little bit of adventure is
rewarded by the sight of Twin Falls cascading into a pool edged by
an idyllic sandy beach, a beautiful and recently very popular spot
to while away the day. The sure-footed can scramble to the top of
the falls via the overgrown gully to the right - a difficult climb
capped with a view you won't forget in a hurry, but note that fatal
accidents have occurred here. Both falls quickly become inaccessible
after the first big rains.
