Today we head to Kakadu National Park to look at the plants that grow on the tall, rocky escarpment lands. Although the land looks quite bare, it's actually full of unusual, wonderful plants.


NEAL WOOLRICH: Behind the rugged escarpment in Kakadu National Park is a surprisingly diverse range of plant life.

About 1,700 different plant species live in the park and many of the more unique varieties are in this remote pocket of Kakadu.

It's a source of constant surprise and wonder for park visitors and those who work here.

GREG MILES: We're always finding new things, and I mean, I've been here for more than 20 years, and still for me this is really something else.

NEAL WOOLRICH: Keeping track of the unique flora is a difficult job, even more so when it comes to the 97 rare or vulnerable plants found here.

Last year, 14 rare and threatened species were surveyed in Kakadu.

A second survey is taking place this month commissioned by Parks Australia North and carried out by the Northern Territory Herbarium.

Parks officers say most of the 14 rare plants being surveyed are increasing in number, while three plants have never been seen in Kakadu before.

ROD KENNETT: We've turned up some species that have a much wider distribution than we thought.

And in fact we may even have an entirely new species for Kakadu as well, so these are all really positive results from a conservation management point of view.

NEAL WOOLRICH: Finding rare plants in Kakadu's vast wilderness is difficult. Botanists rely on years of study and surveys, and a bit of luck.

RAELEE KERRIGAN: When you go to an area where there's a plant you get a feel for the habitat that it likes.

I mean this plant likes this sort of broken sandstone area. So when you go to where it is, at least you've got an idea of where to look and then you can just sort of target areas and walk around and just try and find it. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.

NEAL WOOLRICH: Using helicopters and mapping done by global positioning satellite, or GPS, takes some of the guesswork out of the job.

Botanists can even pinpoint the most likely location of the rarest species.

This remote part of Kakadu hasn't been damaged by humans.

Each year only a small number of bushwalkers scale the escarpment to trek through the sandstone country but damage by animals and other natural threats to rare plants are ever-present.

While the challenge to record and preserve Kakadu's rare habitat goes on, park officers continue to be surprised by what their surveys uncover.

GREG MILES: To come to a place like this where there are new plants and new animals being discovered.

Just recently there's a new little mammal been found in Kakadu, as well, and that's pretty exciting stuff as well.

So you never know what's around the corner, what's going to pop up next.