\u201cIt\u2019s a bloody circus, Jen.\u201d He adjusts his glasses, shakes his head and scans the crowd at\u00a0Darwin<\/a>\u2019s Roma Bar cafe.<\/p>\n \u201cAre you\u2026 checking to see who heard me say that?\u201d I ask indignantly. What\u2019s so bad about a little tourist activity in my newly adopted hometown?<\/p>\n \u201cCroc jumping is a ride. And you can only do it in the Northern Territory,\u201d my boss Alice had urged the previous month. She\u2019d drawn me a map of the Darwin-Kakadu<\/a>\u00a0loop, marking \u2018must-dos\u2019 with an insistent, scrawled star.<\/p>\n First\u00a0unmissable item to do in Darwin<\/a>: is this jumping croc cruise, in the Adelaide River catchment \u2013 home to one of the world\u2019s highest concentrations of saltwater crocodiles. Yup, the casually humungous kind.<\/p>\n Off to see crocodiles along Adelaide River. (Image: Jumping Crocodile Cruises)<\/p><\/div>\n Mentally torn between enthusiasm and disdain at today\u2019s distinctly touristy activity, I arrive at croc central on a Sunday afternoon in dry, 30-degree heat.<\/p>\n A painted sign for the jumping croc cruise sits propped between two orange plastic chairs, pointing to parking. Two tourists with tanned arms whisper in the shade.<\/p>\n \u201cYou\u2019re on a small boat today; there\u2019s only 10 of you. And you\u2019ve come at the best time. The tide\u2019s low so there\u2019ll be crocs baking on the river beds,\u201d says my friendly South African host, running an old-fashioned manual slide over my credit card.<\/p>\n A perfect 10 ‘croc’ jump on the Adelaide River.<\/p><\/div>\n She\u2019s a modern-day Linda Kozlowski I decide, waiting to catch sight of her Mick Dundee. Instead, I spot the \u2018penthouse\u2019, a two-storey staff hut. The thing looks like it\u2019d blow over in a gentle breeze.<\/p>\n There\u2019s a small jetty visible through the shrubs and I wander out for a view of the river.<\/p>\n I see one! A croc! Its marble eyes and long snout lift out of the khaki water. It\u2019s looking STRAIGHT AT ME.<\/p>\n I holler for my travel companion to check-this-the-frig-out.<\/p>\n \u201cOi, you guys, step away from there, please. That\u2019s meant to be cordoned off.\u201d Dundee\u2019s got a gap-toothed smile, tufts of curly red hair, and, disappointingly, the name \u2018Morgan\u2019 stitched on his shirt. \u201cReady to croc n\u2019 roll?\u201d says Kozlowski, without a hint of irony.<\/p>\n Taking my seat up front for the \u200b\u200bjumping crocodile cruise, mild panic strikes. The boat\u2019s a little sunken and passengers sit at water level. The only thing separating us from the currents is a two-centimetre-thick metal grill.<\/p>\n We amble around the first bend and spy a croc on the bank. The boat putts out into the open river. In waves, flocks of birds make an exodus from the trees. Fellow cruisers coo. This is a pretty spot.<\/p>\n The monster from the deep ready to devour its meal. (Image: Jumping Crocodile Cruises)<\/p><\/div>\n Morgan rams the boats in a messy nook of branches. We pause. \u201cHere she comes. She\u2019s a monster.\u201d He hooks a palm-sized cut of meat onto a pole and dangles it over the edge.<\/p>\n She slides towards us at full speed, snaps at the teasing hook, then lunges from the water \u2013 half her body in the air. A flurry of broken, yellowed teeth and dead, glazed eyes swipe past the grill. The croc is close enough to touch \u2013 should you be partial to losing a limb.<\/p>\n I won\u2019t lie. I shriek like a baby.<\/p>\n \u201cAre they fighting? Is there a second one?\u201d I\u2019m semi-hysterical, pointing at a tail slapping five metres from the mouth.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the same one. She\u2019s almost six metres. Don\u2019t lean out of the boat, people!\u201d says Morgan, eyeing a French backpacker zoning out behind her Raybans.<\/p>\n A child buries his face in his father\u2019s legs. Ho-ly crap.<\/p>\n Six crocs later, our boat drifts to a stop. The crocodile jumping is over for now.<\/p>\n \u201cYou haven\u2019t got a spare pair of undies, do ya?\u201d asks the man with tanned arms. I grin.<\/p>\n That was thrilling, freaky fun. I make a mental note to chastise cynical Graham. Circus? Mate. This is a jungle.<\/p>\n Jennifer Pinkerton, who paid her own way and visited anonymously, says:<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d gazed longingly at the \u2018turn left for crocodile cruise\u2019 sign many times before taking the plunge, fearing something kitsch and touristy. Surprisingly, it was intimate and had an unexpected danger factor. Far better than seeing crocs in the zoo<\/i>.\u201d \u2013 Jennifer Pinkerton, Australian Traveller<\/p>\n \u201cWhat a shockadile! Brutus, 17-foot monster, rises from the Adelaide River near Darwin, Australia, to snack on a hunk of buffalo meat as fearless tourists look on<\/i>.\u201d\u2013 New York Post<\/p>\n The jumping crocodile cruises have been running now for over 30 years. They run through saltwater crocodile territory on the Adelaide River. The tours aren\u2019t just for spotting crocodiles though: there are lots of other wildlife to see in this environment.<\/p>\n Look at those huge teeth. (Image: Crocosaurus Cove)<\/p><\/div>\n An hour\u2019s drive or 70km from Darwin CBD, off the Arnhem Hwy.<\/p>\n How much are the jumping crocodile cruises?<\/p>\n $50 for a one-hour cruise. Runs four times daily.<\/p>\n The tours run several times daily from mid-May until November. To avoid the crowds and join a smaller boat, choose a 9 am or 3 pm cruise.<\/p>\n The tours take place in an undercover boat, manned by crew members who ensure the safety of both passengers and the animals.<\/p>\n The Jumping Crocodile Cruise boat is comfortable, safe, and spacious.<\/p><\/div>\n The boat itself is suitable for a range of fitness and mobility levels and is catered for passengers of all ages.<\/p>\n 08 8983 3224 or\u00a0info@adelaiderivercruises.com.au<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Jumping](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/croccruise.jpg\")
First impressions of a croc cruise<\/h2>\n
![\"Crocodile](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Crocodile-Jumping-Adelaide-River-3.jpg\")
Time to see those crocodiles up close<\/h2>\n
What to expect from the jumping crocodile cruises<\/h2>\n
![\"Crocodile](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/Jumpingcroc.jpg\")
Reviews of the jumping crocodile cruise<\/h2>\n
Jumping crocodile cruise tour details<\/h2>\n
About the jumping crocodile cruises<\/h3>\n
![\"crocodile](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/crocosauruscove.jpg\")
Where are the jumping crocodile cruises?<\/h3>\n
Best time to go<\/h3>\n
Is a jumping crocodile cruise safe?<\/h3>\n
![\"Jumping](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/07\/jumpingcroccruiseboat.jpg\")
Who is a jumping crocodile cruise best for?<\/h3>\n
What is the best contact for the jumping crocodile cruises?<\/h3>\n
Where can I see more crocodiles around Darwin?<\/b><\/h3>\n