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There are loads of movies filmed in Australia, but arguably, there's no movie more distinctly Aussie than Crocodile Dundee. Putting Australia, but more specifically Kakadu National Park and the Northern Territory, on the world map, Paul Hogan's 1986 masterpiece is personally responsible for every non-Australian dweller asking us in a nervous voice about animals that may or may not kill them. While the lore of Crocodile Dundee has stayed strong in popular culture for what has been 40 years now, it may surprise some to know that you, yes, you, can easily visit multiple locations featured in the film when you travel to the astounding beauty of Kakadu National Park.
To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Kakadu Tourism have pulled out the stops and released a Crocodile Dundee-inspired tour route of Kakadu that you can do entirely on your own. This self-guided tour has been pinned for intrepid fans on Google Maps and takes you on a five-hour loop route to some of the most dramatic landscapes and locations that star in the film. Here's the route, broken down just for you.
1. Ubirr Rock Art Site
Starting off where Mick Dundee famously climbs up to the top of the ridge and says "This is my backyard", pointing across the dramatic sweep of the flood plain, Ubirr is special for more than just this Paul Hogan appearance. Home to ancient rock art that includes a thylacine and a musket from the 1800s, this is an incredibly sacred site for the local Bininj people. Go at sunset for stunning views of Arnhem Land.
2. Road from Jabiru to Gunbalanya, via Cahills Crossing
If you want to stand in the same place Mick and Sue get stopped by a stubborn water buffalo (with Mick consequently hypnotising it), you'll be in luck on the road between Jabiru and Gunbalayna. While Cahills Crossing – widely considered Australia's most dangerous water crossing for its extreme density of saltwater crocs (more than 100 of them in a two-kilometre stretch) – isn't featured in the movie, you'll still have to pass it on this road. So, make sure you've got a car that can handle it.
3. Anbangbang Billabong and Burrungkuy (Nourlangie) Rock Art Site
When Mick and Sue go deep into the bush for their first all-nighter adventure, they stay at Anbangbang Billabong. It's here that Mick pretends to shave with his gigantic knife, where Sue gets attacked by a crocodile (which Mick wrestles off) and where you get a glimpse of the high ridges of Nourlangie Rock in the background. Once the traditional land of the Warramal people, this deeply sacred site is now cared for by neighbouring clans and home to intricate rock art and human artefacts that date back more than 22,000 years.
4. Gunlom Falls
While it goes by 'Echo Lake' in the movie, Gunlom Falls is where Mick shows off his culinary skills, spearing a fish and cooking a goanna. After dinner, Mick and Sue go for a dip in the world-famous Gunlom rock pool, a spectacular swimming spot with wild, sweeping views across Kakadu. After six years of closure, Gunlom's traditional owners have reopened the site to the public, with the 85-metre waterfall and gorgeous swimming pools accessible once again.
5. Bardedjilidji Walk
We're into the sequel now. In Crocodile Dundee II, filming went down around Ubirr and Bardedjilidji, a 2.5-kilometre walking trail that winds near the East Alligator River. It's on this walk that you'll find the cave that Mick holds up drug cartel members – but also an abundance of ancient rock art, paperbark forests, sandstone formations and unique wildlife and habitats.
6. Oenpelli Road
Remember the 'bush telephone' scene in Crocodile Dundee II? It was shot on top of the escarpment, just two kilometres from the Ja Ja camp turn-off on the eastern side of the Oenpelli Road. If you drive north along Oenpelli Road, you'll be able to see it on the right-hand side. This scene featured Mick using an Indigenous 'bullroarer' sound to make a 'bush telephone call', wherein he cries out into the void for help from anybody that can hear him nearby.
So, if you're feeling like you want to do a quirky quest to Kakadu, this year (and every year) you can walk in 'Manly Mick's' intrepid footsteps. Just stay away from the crocs.