Surrounded by stony cliffs and verdant monsoon forests, the tranquil pool of Maguk Waterfall in Kakadu National Park is a piece of paradise in Australia’s wild Top End. Here’s more on how to get there and what to expect.
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There are a few indelible rules to travel writing. One, of course, is never turn down a lounge pass. Another is that you never call a place ‘breath-taking’.
That is unless you visit Maguk Waterfall in Kakadu National Park.
The moment you emerge from the steaming forest to see the sparkling plunge pool in the rugged hug of the ruddy sandstone cliffs and the spectacle of the cascading waterfall, nothing but that much-maligned cliche will do.
Check out our video of Maguk to see exactly what I mean:
– Here’s a link to our Kakadu library. for more of our stories on this amazing national park.
– We stayed at Cooinda Lodge, the closest accommodation to Maguk. You can find the best deals on Cooinda Lodge here.
– And to book amazing activities and tours in Kakadu, click here.
Maguk Waterfall, Kakadu National Park
We leave our beautiful safari-style Yellow Water Retreat at Cooinda Lodge as the sun peeps above the horizon.
It’s an important trick to travelling in the Northern Territory: get as much done as you can before it gets too hot.
The drive to our turn-off takes just 35 minutes. The road is well-maintained and there’s no traffic this time of day. After that, things take a little longer.
From the turn-off, it’s 10km of unsealed road, which is easy-going for the most part, but there are sections that a two-wheel-drive car might struggle.
The Walk To Maguk
Part of the adventure of this place is the hike to get there. It’s only a 1km walk to the waterfall, but there are parts that are quite rugged where you need to clamber over rocks and tread carefully down to the bottom of the gorge.
And as the heat of the day builds, the call of the waterfall and a swim in its pool gets ever louder.
The path takes you through dramatic monsoon forests of peeling paperbark trees, broad sprawling palms and gigantic anbinik trees, which are only found here in Kakadu and in Arnhem Land.
The hike also runs along a dark stream that a local Bininj guide warned us about.
“We don’t swim in black water,” he told us, and when we see this creek, we understand his point.
The water creeps along slowly, its dark depths unknowable. But if there was ever a spot for a crocodile to hide in wait, it’s here. We stay well clear of the bank.
We carry on to the stony shoals of Barramundi Gorge and its shallow river. Here, we spot all kinds of wildlife like diving birds and bitterns, butterflies and tiny frogs.
We even spy barramundi in some of the deeper pools along the way. In the dry season, this part of the river is safe to walk along, cross and even swim in if you feel the need. Crocodiles can’t travel this far over the rocky terrain.
This is also why Maguk Waterfall and its plunge pool is safe to swim in.
During the wet season, however, roads become impassable, the waterways full of salties and the gentle waterfall a torrent.
Maguk Waterfall
We finally arrive at Maguk. There are already a couple of other visitors here, but that doesn’t take anything alway from the beauty.
Surrounding the pool are high cliffs of the escarpment—part of the plateau that runs for 500km from Nitmiluk (once called Katherine Gorge), through Kakadu to its coast and up to the Coburg Peninsula and Arnhem Land.
The cliffs create a ‘hidden paradise’ feel to the pool and it’s easy to understand why it’s sacred to the Bininj and Mungguy. And although they do not swim here, they allow visitors to do so, respectfully of course.
The cool water washes the dust and heat from our bodies and the sing of the waterfall clears our minds. It’s hard to leave this special place.
Back in the car, we drive the unsealed road until we come to a set of cathedral termite mounds that we spotted on the way in.
These enormous structures are always so impressive, and well worth a photo.
The drive back to Cooinda is relaxing, and we’re quiet as we reflect on what a magical place Maguk is.
