Tues., 24 July 2012 - Darwin to Kakadu National Park

Today we drove for about 250 kilometres & reached Kakadu Lodge, in Jabiru, at lunch time.  En-route, we stopped at the Wetlands Visitor Centre, which was set high above the surrounding flat lands, giving wonderful views for miles around.  Bird life, in the area, is plentiful & we were lucky enough to see Australia's only stork, the jabiru, almost immediately after our arrival.  It is black & white, with red legs.

There are large areas of reeds & grasses, as well as some wooded regions & several mango orchards.  The vegetation is varied & interesting, probably due to a good supply of water & plenty of sunshine.  Garden flowers include vivid bougainevilleas, hibiscus & frangipani, whilst yuccas, pandanus, palms, gums, kapok flowers & beautiful wattles grow wild along the roadside.

 

Once we had secured a camping site, we set off for Ubirr to view some fine examples of Aboriginal rock art. These remind us that Aboriginal people have lived in the area for over 50,000 years.  Legends & images of daily life are depicted on the rock faces.  We also climbed to the top of Ubirr to enjoy the panoramic views over the surrounding wetlands.  As we descended, the sun began to set & the whole area was bathed in a beautiful golden light.