Mary River National Park

Mary River National Park protects parts of the vast Mary River floodplain, one of the Top End’s most important wetlands. The area encompasses a patchwork of billabongs, paperbark forests, and savanna that flood annually, creating a haven for wildlife. Corroboree Billabong and Shady Camp are two famed locales within the park: at Corroboree, visitors often take wetland cruises or paddle in hired boats among thousands of water lilies, observing birds like jacanas, egrets, darters and kingfishers up close. Shady Camp, on the tidal part of the Mary, is a popular fishing spot for barramundi and also a notorious crocodile-viewing area – a concrete viewing platform allows relatively safe observation of dozens of large saltwater crocodiles that bask on the banks:contentReference[oaicite:76]{index=76}. The park contains a short boardwalk at Brian Creek Monsoon Forest (a dense pocket of rainforest near Point Stuart Road) and viewing points for the bizarre floating magnetic termite mounds in the inundated plains. There are no formal picnic facilities except at the campground areas (which have basic amenities); however, nearby private roadhouses and lodges offer accommodation, boat hire and tours. During the Wet Season, many tracks become impassable, but the wetlands teem with life and can be seen from the air or via boat. In the Dry Season, dusty 4WD tracks lead to bird hides and deep into the floodplain. Mary River National Park provides an authentic wetlands experience – it’s common to see jabirus stalking the shallows, brolgas dancing, and feral water buffalo grazing in the distance. It is a must-visit for anglers and nature lovers, showcasing the NT’s wild crocodile-filled rivers and billabongs in their raw glory.