Close Encounters of the Bitey Kind "Most of the crocs we see are around the 3 to 4 metre mark. There is a big 6 metre male inhabiting the area, but he’s elsewhere today…" by David Munro

Picture this. You’ve arrived at your luxury campsite after a long day’s touring. It’s been a hot day, and you’ve done plenty of walking, working up quite a sweat. As you sit in a comfy foldout chair on the deck of your permanent tent downing a coldy, you look down at the serenely still waterhole in front of you, and wonder if a quick dip in its cool waters would be just the tonic for you tired muscles. If you indeed intend to make it to tomorrow, this wouldn’t be the best move you’ve ever made.

I was overnighting at the exclusive Connections Safari Camp on a three day tour of Kakadu, with a family from Belgium, and our guide Jerry. Incidentally, Belgium is around 30 thousand square kilometres, and Kakadu is just under 20 thousand. It’s a big national park, biggest in Australia in fact. Now I’m not sure if, like a lot of tourists, they were a bit dubious of our claims that the billabong in front of us was full of man-eating crocs. But a spot lighting tour after dinner certainly put aside any thoughts of a swim. As each pair of eyes was highlighted by Jerry’s torch we were reminded that behind each was someone that classed us as a meal.

Well, what about the fact that these bitey critters are only a good 9 iron from our camp? Should we be taking a big stick with us when we go to the loo in the middle of the night? Jerry assured us we wouldn’t have any crocodiles bothering us at the campground. Salties are a bit lazy, and the thought of dragging their huge bulk across the landscape doesn’t appeal to them. Better to wait for something to come for a drink, or a refreshing swim.

At Adelaide River the crocs are simply jumping to meet you. For a quarter of a century Adelaide River Queen Cruises have been taking visitors for a close encounter of the bitey kind.

As the boat pulls out from the pontoon it doesn’t take long for the first crocodile to approach. Apparently they’ve learnt to associate the sound of the boats engines with an easy feed. This fact makes me think twice about taking a tinnie down there for a spot of fishing. Most of the crocs we see are around the 3 to 4 metre mark. There is a big 6 metre male inhabiting the area, but he’s elsewhere today.

Out the side of the boat the tour operator hangs a pole, with a bit of rope at the end, tied to a piece of wild pig meat. This is gourmet dining for these guys, and boy are they eager. The good ones will get their back legs out of the water. That’s ¾ of their body. Then a loud crack as their massive jaws closes. To keep it interesting the feeder will flick the meat out of the crocs reach a couple of times, before finally letting them have it.

If you want to get so close to a crocodile that you can nearly touch it, then Darwin’s Crocosaurus Cove is where you should go. Located in the Darwin CBD, it’s the cities latest attraction and is rapidly gaining in popularity due to its star attractions. These include Chopper and Snowy, a couple of likely lads around the 15 foot mark who love meeting new friends. You can get up close and personal with these guys in the “Cage of Death”, a clear sided hexagonal box which gets lowered into the water so the crocs can get a better look at you. If that’s too extreme for you, you can swim in a plunge pool with only a clear perspex wall between you and the resident croc.

Crocosaurus Cove seeks to educate people about crocs as well, with displays featuring information about crocodilian species around the world, a real crocodile skeleton and machine that simulates the bite pressure of a salt water crocodile. It also features the largest collection of Territory reptiles in the world, where you get the chance to hold a snake or lizard, or even a baby croc. There’s also a café (not sure if crocodiles are on the menu).

With these and, many other chance to smile at a crocodile, the Territory is certainly the place for an encounter of the bitey kind. Now did I mention the mozzies?

Do you have any holiday ideas for visitors travelling to Kakadu? Comment below to share your Northern Territory holiday ideas!

David Munro | Holiday Consultant