Kakadu's six seasons

The Bininj and Mungguy calendar for Kakadu divides the year into six seasons, and three of them fall inside the dry. Yegge, from May to mid-June, is cooler but still humid, with the floodplains drying out. Wurrgeng, from mid-June to mid-August, is the cold-weather time: low humidity and nights down to 17 degrees. Gurrung, from mid-August to mid-October, is hot and dry, with the first storms arriving at its end. That is why a trip in June and one in September feel like different places.

Roads and parks

Opening dates depend on how much water is left and how long the repairs take. Main Roads WA publishes the Gibb River Road's status; Parks Australia the Kakadu tracks; the Queensland government the Peninsula Developmental Road, which is usually open from June. Campers are allowed on these roads in the dry season only, and a camper's window can be shorter than the road's, so the dates and side trips go on the booking.

The surfaces deteriorate through the season. By September the Gibb and its side tracks are corrugated and dusty, driving is slower, and the fuel stops are still more than 300 kilometers apart. Creek crossings get easier as the water drops.

Rangers and pastoralists burn off from the early dry, so smoke and closed walks are part of the season, most of all in the Kimberley from August.

Cold nights inland

The dry season is winter. Alice Springs drops below freezing on June and July nights, and the Kimberley interior and the Gulf country reach single figures. A roof tent is colder than a bed inside the vehicle. Each camper's page lists the bedding included; for a trip that continues south from the tropics, allow for the change.

The campers in the dry season

The 4WD fleet is in the north: the Apollo, Britz and Mighty 4WDs leave Sydney and Melbourne at the end of March, and the Broome, Darwin and Alice Springs depots that closed for the wet open again on 1 April. The one-way trips between Perth and Darwin run in both directions.

The campers with inside beds or a toilet, such as the Hilux motorhome, the Landcruiser 2 berth and the Hilux 4 berth, are counted in single figures and are booked eight to ten months ahead for July and August. The availability page shows which models are fully booked for now.