One very important reason is the Aboriginal ownership of the Park. Not only do the original Indigenous inhabitants of the region continue to live on their traditional lands but they are also a guiding force in its management. They achieve this by jointly managing Kakadu with the Commonwealth Government’s Parks Australia.

At 20,000 square kilometres Kakadu is one of the world’s great National parks. Its grand size coupled with its World Heritage status make it a ‘must see’ on any travellers schedule. So large is Kakadu that its weather pattern varies from the coast in the north to the sandstone valleys of the south. No less than six major landforms are found within the Park’s borders. Overlying this spectacular landscape with its wealth of exotic plants and animals is an ancient and dynamic human culture.

The Park contains some of the planet's oldest landscapes. The bedrock underlying the sandstone plateau and gorges is 1.6 billion years old - too old to contain fossils.

In Kakadu, wildlife comes with bewildering variety. The Park is home to more than 1,600 species of plants and 290 species of birds. Many animals and plants are unique to the Kakadu area. This is particularly true for the vast sandstone landscape. Amongst the towering cliffs and narrow rainforest clad ravines some remarkable animals have escaped the attention of scientists until recently.

The Oenpelli Python which grows to 4 metres and the secretive Black-banded Pigeon are just two of more than ten animal species found exclusively in the stone country of the north. This unique collection of animals is complemented by an impressive list of endemic plants. Some, such as the Sandstone Pandanus and the giant Allosyncarpia trees are easily seen about the Park.

The Park is not a static place like a museum. Scientists continue to work in Kakadu. Their studies are revealing interesting new information on many issues such as environmental impacts of Cane Toads and benefits to wetlands of traditional Aboriginal burning patterns. This new information is usually made available to the visiting public via the Park Visitor Centre and through well trained tourism guides.