Accessible and inclusive tourism

  Want to swim in pristine Kakadu waterholes with only one or two other people and then towel off for a picnic lunch served on a colourful cloth with Indigenous designs?... read more Then Hamish Clark from Sugarbag Safaris is the guide for you. My husband and I had waited until our sixties to see Kakadu and I was worried that the volume of people at each attraction would leave me underwhelmed, besides which our trip was at short notice and left little time for planning. Enter Hamish. He took care of everything for our four-day trip including permits to Jarrangbarnmi and Bilkbilkmi Gorges, places most visitors don’t get to see. We got to sit back and enjoy the beauty of the landscape as Hamish drove us for up to two hours down 4WD tracks closer to the heart of Kakadu. We saw dingoes, antilopine wallabies, agile wallabies, brumbies, a wide variety of birds and even a python, lazing in the sun. When we reached the end of the car access, we took to our feet and hiked alongside rivers and through bushland, Hamish finding the track when none seemed visible. Along the way, he answered our many questions and proved himself incredibly knowledgeable on just about every aspect of Kakadu you could imagine—flora, fauna, geography and history, both Indigenous and non-Indigenous. The gorges themselves were spectacular, and few things can beat swimming the length of the safe pools in Jarrangbarnmi or floating on your back at Bilkbilkmi and looking up through towering cliffs to a blue, blue sky. Hamish had the safety aspect covered too, making sure we stayed clear of water that might contain crocodiles and carrying a pack with a sat phone and a first aid kit. As for the level of fitness required for the walks we undertook, a certain degree of stamina is required to walk a few kilometres in the heat, but while I can clamber over boulders, I would describe my level of fitness as only mild to moderate. I’m sure Hamish was adjusting his pace down to accommodate. We spent a magical few days in Kakadu thanks to Hamish, and thoroughly recommend his services. …

  Our four day trip to Kakadu, Katherine Gorge and Lichfield was amazing. One of the most beautiful and interesting places in the world. Hamish's profound knowledge of the area,... read more wildlife, local culture, art and history is impressive. We relied on him to decide the itinerary and it was a good decision. We visited all the well-known sites but in addition he took us to some great private spots. His organisation was impeccable and everything was taken care of, from tasty lunches to ice cold water on tap. His vehicle is very comfortable. Hamish was very flexible and was happy to accomodate our specific requirements. Hamish was great fun to talk to and he is a truly outstanding guide. …

  An absolutely wonderful way to experience the Kakadu. Hamish meet us at our hotels in Darwin before taking us towards Kakadu. We didn’t have any firm plans but Hamish had... read more organised 3 days to sites to visit, and walks. As we headed out of Darwin we mentioned we had permits to fly drones in a number of parks (but no Kakadu), Hamish took an unexpected turn off the Hwy, stopping at Knuckey Lagoons and letting us fly our drones before we entered Kakadu where we couldn’t. This was the flexibility that having a private tour was fantastic for. On the second day we were heading out to our first walk of the day and we spotted a dingo just off the road. Hamish was able to pull over, and drive back to allow us to get some amazing photos. This happened a few times where there was an opportunity to stop and get some photos that we never would have been able to in a larger group in a bus. Hamish was a fantastic, knowledgeable guide. He was able to adapt the tour to our wishes and our abilities. He prepared a great lunch each day, and had the coldest water to fill our water bottles. I have no idea how it was still cold on the third day, but it was. If you do visit I Kakadu make sure you take the opportunity to do the Yellow River cruise, it was a real highlight. …