Jim Jim Falls facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Jim Jim FallsBarrkmalam |
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Jim Jim Falls during the wet season, Kakadu National Park
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 Location in Northern Territory
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| Location | Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, Australia |
| Coordinates | 13°16′20″S 132°50′22″E / 13.27222°S 132.83944°E |
| Type | Plunge |
| Elevation | 259 metres (850 ft) AHD |
| Total height | 140–200 metres (460–660 ft) |
| Number of drops | 1 |
| Watercourse | Jim Jim Creek |
The Jim Jim Falls is a stunning waterfall in Australia's Kakadu National Park. It's known as Barrkmalam in the local Aboriginal language. This amazing waterfall plunges down a huge cliff in Arnhem Land. It's so special that it's part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is also on Australia's National Heritage List.
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What's in a Name? The Meaning of Jim Jim Falls
The English name 'Jim Jim Falls' comes from the local Kundjeyhmi language. The word they use is andjimdjim.
This word means 'water pandanus'. Water pandanus is a type of plant that grows along the creek below the falls. In the nearby Kunwinjku language, it's called mandjimdjim.
Discovering Jim Jim Falls: Location and Features
Jim Jim Falls drops from a height of about 259 meters (850 feet) above sea level. It's a single, powerful drop that can be anywhere from 140 to 200 meters (460 to 656 feet) high.
The water crashes into a deep pool at the bottom of the creek. You can find the falls near the eastern edge of Kakadu National Park. It's about 28 kilometers (17 miles) south of a town called Jabiru.
Visiting Jim Jim Falls: Different Seasons
Getting to Jim Jim Falls depends a lot on the time of year. During the dry season, you can drive most of the way. There's a 60-kilometer (37-mile) gravel road from the Kakadu Highway.
However, the last 11 kilometers (7 miles) of the road are only for four-wheel drive vehicles. But during this dry time, the falls often dry up and don't flow much.
In the wet season, the falls are at their most amazing! They flow with incredible power. But it's impossible to drive there because of the floods. The best way to see them then is from an airplane. You can also see the nearby Twin Falls from the air.
The Ancient Landscape of Jim Jim Falls
Millions of years ago, about 140 million years ago, much of the Kakadu area was covered by a shallow sea. The tall cliffs you see today at Jim Jim Falls were once sea cliffs.
The flat land above the sea became what we now call the Arnhem Land plateau. Today, this huge cliff, or escarpment, rises up to 330 meters (1,083 feet) above the plains. It stretches for over 500 kilometers (310 miles) along the eastern side of the national park and into Arnhem Land.
The cliffs can be very steep and straight, like near Jim Jim Falls. In other places, they might be stepped, or you might see isolated rock formations standing alone.
