By Maureen Jones

Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory of Australia is a place like no other.

Simply getting there is an achievement, and the best time to visit is between May and September, the dry season.

Australia is the world’s largest island and the driest continent. Monsoon rains during the wet season make the area impossible to get to because of flooding. In the dry season, the aboriginal tribes set fire to the sharp, tall spinifix grass, which makes it easier to walk.

The park is impressive from the ground, but an aerial perspective offers a view of the escarpment, the sweeping floodplains and the thundering waterfalls. Kakadu boasts teeming rivers, and the weather is hot and humid.

When the park was established, the Northern Territory government wanted to develop tourism, mining companies wanted to work the mineral deposits, conservationists wanted the wilderness preserved and the Aborigines wanted their land back.

Kakadu is home to abundant and diverse plants and animals, magnificent landscapes and climate extremes. I have never seen so many birds - the park plays host to more than 300 species. I always chuckle when people see the Jacana, which is nicknamed the Jesus Christ bird, because it looks like it is walking on water as it runs across the lily pads. Windows on the Wetlands and the Yellow Waters cruise are two great places to see thousands of birds.

Arnhemland was virtually unknown until “Crocodile Dundee” was filmed there. The aboriginal rock art in ancient galleries at Ubirr and Noulangie is a must-see. It is estimated that some of the art is more than 60,000 years old.

Many of the park’s treasures unfold when viewed by foot. No two walks are alike, and a hat, strong shoes and a backpack to carry your water in are required. You have to be reasonably fit to cover the area, though I take more 60-year-olds in my groups than younger people.

Kakadu is a great place for adventure. You can take a deluxe camping safari with experienced guides. You need a permit to enter the area, and going on a tour is a must. If you don’t want to rough it, however, you can stay at the Gadjudu Hotel, which is built in the shape of a crocodile.

Kakadu National Park is a land where an ancient culture thrives, and a corroboree (aboriginal gathering) performance of dance accompanied by didgeridoo - a wooden pipe that emits a droning sound - and clapsticks is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Maureen Jones is president of Los Altos-based All Horizons Travel. For more information call 941-5810.