Darwin’s hospitality workers get a ‘snappy’ introduction to Kakadu

Darwin’s hotel and hospitality workers were given the chance to experience “Kakadu in a day”, thanks to a collaborative familiarisation tour led by AAT Kings, Kakadu Air, Parks Australia Hospitality NT and Kakadu Tourism.

While Kakadu sits just a three-hour drive from Darwin, many hospitality workers in the Top End are recent arrivals. The aim of the tour was simple: introduce frontline staff to the scale and diversity of experiences within the national park, equipping them to confidently recommend Kakadu to visitors.

The latest print edition of AccomNews is out now. Read it HERE

Twenty-four participants packed a remarkable amount into a single day. Travelling aboard an AAT Kings coach, the group began with a scenic flight over Kakadu’s escarpment and surrounding bushland, transformed into lush green by the summer rains.

Lunch followed at Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel, sponsored by Parks Australia. Guests sampled local produce including barramundi and kangaroo while exploring Aboriginal artworks displayed in the hotel’s Ochre Gallery.

At the Warradjan Cultural Centre, the group explored exhibitions highlighting 65,000 years of continuous Indigenous culture, recognised as the oldest living culture in the world. The experience then shifted from history to wildlife with a cruise on Yellow Water Billabong, where participants encountered saltwater crocodiles in their natural habitat.

The day concluded with a “Taste of Kakadu” afternoon tea at Cooinda Lodge before the group returned to Darwin in air-conditioned comfort.

Kakadu Tourism’s Sam Waldron said the initiative was designed to demonstrate that Kakadu is an essential Top End experience.

“It was an action-packed tour of Kakadu, and the idea was to show these hospitality workers that Kakadu is an absolute ‘must’ for any visitor to the Top End,” Waldron said.

“We are so close to Darwin and yet perceived as being so far – a myth that AAT Kings was able to dispel with their seamless tour to Kakadu.

“We also wanted to show that even during the wet season, Kakadu is an amazing destination to view. Seeing Kakadu from the air, on the ground and from the water highlighted how easy it is to gain a real sense of the landscape, even in a short period of time.

“While we always recommend visitors stay two or three nights to fully immerse themselves in Kakadu’s culture, introducing hospitality workers to the park is a powerful way to spread the message that Kakadu is open, accessible and welcoming – even the crocodiles.”

Read: ‘Crocodile Dundee’ moment for mega Chinese famil in Kakadu