MELBOURNE players have spent an arduous six hours walking through spectacular Kakadu National Park as the club's testing Northern Territory training camp nears its end.

Thursday's hike under fierce heat, amid the potential threat of snakes and a pre-walk reminder that a crocodile was in a billabong located next to the track, was considered a successful venture into the relative unknown.

Splitting into divisional groups of backs, mids, forwards and a rehab group, the teams worked together to get through what was in many ways a bigger mental than physical challenge.

Melbourne co-captain Jack Grimes, who walked with the midfield group, said it was a great experience.

"It was long and open and it was probably more tough mentally for a lot of guys because there was a patch we went through – a long patch – where there was not much to look at," Grimes said.

That patch was a nine-kilometre stretch of red and brown dirt with very little shade and short trees that stretched into the distance. With the sun whacking away the mind can wander, but Grimes said everyone supported each other through the harder sections.  

"You just become closer when you are going through a bit of pain and a bit of tough training together," Grimes said.

Grimes said the indigenous welcome to country and the opportunity the group had to hear from local people gave everyone some appreciation of the significance of Kakadu National Park.

"Sometimes that can be forgotten when you just go to a new place and go for a walk whereas if you take a step back and look back at what it really is, it just holds so much value to people up here. It does make you respect the land a lot more," Grimes said.

As the end drew near after half a dozen hours, the players were able to cool their heels at a place called Gubara Pool at the base of the escarpment, a memorable moment for Grimes.

"By that stage everyone was cooked and as hot as ever but we got there and we were expecting a shallow thing, but to get into there and cool off was awesome," Grimes said.

Once cooled off the players were ready to go again, their energy in the heat increasing as each day passes. And with such a beautiful natural environment surrounding them the players wanted to see more.

" I think a lot of them wanted to keep going and keep experiencing that sort of countryside because it is very different to what we have in Melbourne," Grimes said.

Very different is an understatement but understandable. This was a day with a difference in the life of a football club that is striving to get better every day. While there were no surprises in the form of snakes or crocodiles there were plenty of conversation starters.

"The walk was a really good finish on our second last day. It's been a really tough camp for a lot of guys. I know when we start back on Monday we will be a much closer group than we were before we left," Grimes said.