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Katie Woolf spoke with Kakadu Park Manager Operations Sean Barclay · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Three sixty with Katie Wolf. Join the conversation with Katie Wolf.
• 0:04
  Speaker 1: You are our eyes and ears in the territory mixed
• 0:07
  Speaker 1: one oh four point nine.
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  Speaker 2: Well, a lot of you wondering exactly what is opened
• 0:11
  Speaker 2: out at Kakadoo, a lot of you wanting to head
• 0:13
  Speaker 2: out that way but worried that things are going to
• 0:16
  Speaker 2: be closed. And joining us on the line right now
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  Speaker 2: is the Kackadoo Park Manager of Operation, Sean Barclay.
• 0:24
  Speaker 1: Good morning to you, Jarning Katie. Thanks for the opportunity
• 0:28
  Speaker 1: to speak with you this morning.
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  Speaker 2: Oh great to have you on the show, Sean. We
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  Speaker 2: really appreciate it and I know that you're able to
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  Speaker 2: give us a bit more of an overview about some
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  Speaker 2: of these sites that are starting to reopen ahead of
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  Speaker 2: the dry.
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  Speaker 1: That's right, So Kackadoo is really looking forward to welcoming
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  Speaker 1: a large number of visitors out at the park this
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  Speaker 1: year after a big wet season. Our sites are all
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  Speaker 1: opening as we prepare them for visitors, so as water
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  Speaker 1: levels drop, we clear them some crocodiles and all of
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  Speaker 1: the latest updates on where everything's up to is available
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  Speaker 1: from our website. So we have an access site that
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  Speaker 1: is the best source of information of what's open in
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  Speaker 1: the park.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Sean. I know that over the last couple of
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  Speaker 2: weeks we'd had a lot of people get in contact
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  Speaker 2: with us saying, you know, I had a friend visit
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  Speaker 2: from interstate. There wasn't very much open. We've been sent
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  Speaker 2: some photos as well of the different things that were
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  Speaker 2: and weren't opened. You know, like on a whole what
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  Speaker 2: percentage of some of those you know, bigger sites or
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  Speaker 2: bigger locations are now opened out there at Kakadu. Would
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  Speaker 2: you say that we've sort of got eighty percent of
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  Speaker 2: them opened at this point or how are we looking.
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  Speaker 1: For this time of year. I think we're looking We're
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  Speaker 1: pretty much on track and it's the same as previous years.
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  Speaker 1: There's two sites that are currently closed at the request
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  Speaker 1: of traditional owners, and that's Umber and Gunlaan. Other sites
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  Speaker 1: are progressing with being opened as we would normally do.
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  Speaker 2: So can you talk us through some of those ones
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  Speaker 2: that are And I guess if there are people listening
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  Speaker 2: right now, and I know you might not be able
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  Speaker 2: to go through all of them, but talk us through
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  Speaker 2: some of the ones that are open that are maybe
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  Speaker 2: well worth a visit.
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  Speaker 1: So Nalangi Rocks open. It's a fantastic all weather site
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  Speaker 1: that visitors can attend. Many of the lookouts with great
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  Speaker 1: views across the escarpment are open as well. The creeks
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  Speaker 1: and billbongs are slowly opening as water levels drops and
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  Speaker 1: the fish owns can get out there and see what
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  Speaker 1: they can catch. We've also got the taste of Cacutu
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  Speaker 1: Festival here from the twenty eighth to the thirtieth, where
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  Speaker 1: we will be showcasing indigenous inspired cosine and culture for
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  Speaker 1: visitors as well. And the visitor centers of course are
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  Speaker 1: also open to showcase the natural and cultural value that
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  Speaker 1: we have in the park.
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  Speaker 2: Now, I know you did mention that the likes of
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  Speaker 2: a Beer and Gunlam have been closed due to the
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  Speaker 2: requests of traditional owners, and I know that some of
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  Speaker 2: that you're not actually able to go into. But with
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  Speaker 2: some of the other sites that had been previously closed,
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  Speaker 2: is that due to weather or what were some of
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  Speaker 2: the issues in terms of them being closed.
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  Speaker 1: The only other closures in place other than Uber and
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  Speaker 1: good Law, they really just you the seasonal weather. As
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  Speaker 1: I mentioned, we've had a pretty big web season yep.
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  Speaker 1: As water levels reside and we prepare those sites for opening.
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  Speaker 1: The updates are all on our website.
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  Speaker 2: And you said there that some of the some of
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  Speaker 2: the different ways that you've got to prepare is making
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  Speaker 2: sure that you're sort of removing crocodiles and that kind
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  Speaker 2: of thing. Talk us through that.
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  Speaker 1: So obviously we want the public to be safe while
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  Speaker 1: they're experiencing the park, and during the wet season, crocodiles
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  Speaker 1: can sort of move up the waterways into some of
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  Speaker 1: these areas. So before we open a site, we do
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  Speaker 1: everything we can to ensure that crocodiles that we've removed
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  Speaker 1: any crocodiles that have snug up there. We use a
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  Speaker 1: combination of visual spotting, trapping, other detection methods, but as
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  Speaker 1: always it's kind of we try and do our best
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  Speaker 1: to ensure that crocodiles aren't there. Yeah, of course everyone
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  Speaker 1: to swim.
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  Speaker 2: That there act, oh absolutely, and it is you know,
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  Speaker 2: obviously their natural habitat here in the territory, So we've
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  Speaker 2: always got to be careful. How many people are you
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  Speaker 2: expecting to visit Kackadoo over the dry season?
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  Speaker 1: More than we would usually expect. There's a lot of
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  Speaker 1: people out here already accommodation is very tight. I can't
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  Speaker 1: put a number on how many people, but it's definitely
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  Speaker 1: going to be a big season.
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  Speaker 2: And has it been busier out there Sean this year?
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  Speaker 2: I know that last year. Obviously, we're all very worried
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  Speaker 2: about the impacts of COVID in terms of not having travelers.
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  Speaker 2: But are you finding now that we're getting lots of
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  Speaker 2: assies from other states visiting Kackadoo?
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  Speaker 1: Absolutely, said Jebbruy. The town is very full. There's a
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  Speaker 1: lot of caravans and camper trailers on the roads already
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  Speaker 1: and we're seeing it grow week by week.
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  Speaker 2: Well, that's good to hear. And how are you going
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  Speaker 2: staffing wise and stuff? Again? I know that a lot
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  Speaker 2: of locations around the terr you have been struggling a
• 5:01
  Speaker 2: little bit when it comes to staff and being able
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  Speaker 2: to fill all of those positions, particularly when you talk
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  Speaker 2: about hotels and that kind of thing. How are things
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  Speaker 2: going for us in Kakadoo.
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  Speaker 1: We're going pretty well. Most of our workforce is local people.
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  Speaker 1: We have a good partnership with the traditional owners of
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  Speaker 1: the region, so we're a bit less dependent on staff
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  Speaker 1: from outside the park. I guess yeah, and that they're
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  Speaker 1: doing our best to get all these sites open as
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  Speaker 1: fast as we can to welcome all ob visitors to
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  Speaker 1: the park.
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  Speaker 2: Now, Sean just remind us what is that? Where can
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  Speaker 2: people go? What's that website if they are keen to
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  Speaker 2: find out exactly where is open so they don't make
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  Speaker 2: the trek out there and then go, oh no, that's
• 5:42
  Speaker 2: not actually opened.
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  Speaker 1: So Parks Australia dot gov dot AU and then follow
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  Speaker 1: the links to Kakadoo and it's called the kakado Access Report.
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  Speaker 1: It provides an overview of everything that's open and when
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  Speaker 1: we're anticipating particular sites will open as well.
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  Speaker 2: Good stuff, well, Sean Clay, Kackadoo Park Manager of Operations.
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  Speaker 2: We really appreciate you having a chat with us this morning.
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  Speaker 1: Thankstie, thank you, and yeah, good.
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  Speaker 2: News that they've also got the Taste the Kackadoo Taste
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  Speaker 2: of Kakadoo Festival coming up. That should be a good one.
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  Speaker 2: Always plenty going on and good to hear though that
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  Speaker 2: the majority of sites are indeed going to be opened
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  Speaker 2: as we head into our dry season.