Allow about two hours to walk the 1.5 km route at Burrungkuy, also known as Nourlangie, in Kakadu National Park, and visit its rock-art galleries and Kunwarddewardde lookout. The main gallery has a flat access path, but stairs lead to other sites and wheelchair access for the full route is unconfirmed.
Check the current Kakadu access report before driving, as gates, tracks and conditions can change. Kakadu’s FAQ says the site is accessible by 2WD.
Walk to Kunwarddewardde lookout
The walk takes in the Anbangbang rock-art gallery and shelter, then climbs to Kunwarddewardde lookout for views towards the escarpment and Lightning Dreaming. Parks Australia describes the current walk as 1.5 km return, Grade 3, and estimates two hours. A visitor brochure updated in January 2021 describes a 1.5 km circuit and calls it easy. Follow the current walk information and allow extra time to look at the galleries.
Bring water, a hat and sturdy footwear. The Burrungkuy visitor brochure advises carrying at least one litre of water per person for each hour of walking. Stay on the marked track and follow ranger directions.
Nawurlandja lookout and Anbangbang Billabong are nearby alternatives for another short stop; check the access report for their status alongside Burrungkuy’s. Ranger walks and talks are offered during the dry season. The published information does not give fixed dates or times; call Bowali Visitor Centre on (08) 8938 1120.
Anbangbang rock art
Anbangbang is the main public gallery. Its paintings show animals and fish alongside creation beings such as Namarrkon. They also include European sailing ships associated with first contact. The lookout faces the escarpment and Lightning Dreaming, which Kakadu’s cultural information connects with Namarrkon.
The galleries reflect continuing Bininj/Mungguy culture and connection to Country. Paintings may sit over older images, and the age of one artwork should not be inferred from evidence of long-term human use at the shelter. Kakadu’s visitor brochure says people returned to the shelter for about 6,000 years, with archaeological evidence of occasional earlier use reaching back 20,000 years. It also records that Nayombolmi, known as Barramundi Charlie, returned to repaint works in the Anbangbang gallery and a nearby gallery in 1964.
Visitors can enter selected public galleries. Kakadu’s management plan explains that some paintings are sacred or dangerous and are restricted to senior men or women. Respect barriers and closed areas, and do not assume that public access to one gallery permits access elsewhere.
Respect the site
Do not touch the paintings or interfere with the water-diversion lines installed to protect them. Stay behind fences and barriers and keep to marked tracks. Do not enter prohibited areas or fly a drone. Ask permission before photographing Bininj/Mungguy people. Follow signs about photography at the site; commercial photography requires a permit.
Check access and costs
Check Kakadu’s live access report for closures and road notices before setting out. Barrk sandstone walk and Bubba wetlands walk are separate from the Burrungkuy rock-art site.
Kakadu park-pass costs are separate from access at Burrungkuy. See the Kakadu guide and Parks Australia’s official park-pass information for the current Australian-dollar price and the pass that applies to your visit.
Check mobility access
The path to the main gallery is described by Parks Australia as flat and accessible to disabled visitors. Stairs lead to other art and occupation sites. Official information does not confirm that the lookout or the full walk is wheelchair accessible, and it does not give detailed specifications for gradients, surfaces or the point where step-free access ends.
If you need a particular mobility aid or access arrangement, call Bowali Visitor Centre before travelling and ask about the main-gallery path and facilities. Plan on seeing the main gallery only unless the park confirms that the rest of the route suits your needs.
