Fri. 27 July 2012 - Sunrise over Yellow Water Billabong

It is 5.30am & I have woken sufficiently to splash my face & clean my teeth.  All is dark & silent as we prepare for the Sunrise Cruise.  Bob is contemplating taking the green fleece with him, but I think that's a bit extreme, in the tropics, even for him!  Night shift, for the crocodiles, will be drawing to a close & hunting will cease as they settle down for their day's rest.

A couple of boats were quietly filling up as we approached the billabong & we had the same guide as yesterday, on our boat.  Even before the sun rose, the birds were already up & about.  Tiny "plops" & rings on the water signified the presence of insects & there were also several mozzies about.

 

As we began to move through the water, we could see a layer of mist lying over the landscape on either side & then, suddenly, we caught a glimpse of gold on the eastern horizon ... the sun was coming up! 

 The day was awakening & it seemed as though the whole world was new - as yet, nothing had marred its perfection.

Before long, however, various creatures began to appear.  We saw all of the birds that had delighted us yesterday, but were also lucky enough to see additional varieties.  Two or three beautiful little kingfishers settled upon a dead tree & a majestic pelican flew low over the water.

 

We soon began to see crocodiles, one of which swam parallel to our boat, giving us the opportunity to see the full length of its body.  The enormous male, that we had seen yesterday, seemed not to have moved at all - he was in exactly the same position as previously.  Various birds moved around him, seemingly unconcerned by his presence. 

 We saw another jabiru, this time more clearly than yesterday's glimpse - they are very big birds & our guide assured us that the long, sharp beak was capable of acting like a sword, with which the bird could lunge into the back of a crocodile's neck, thus killing it!  This sounded very dramatic but Nature is full of surprises & such a scenario is no doubt possible. 

 In any case, it gave us food for thought as we made our way back to the caravan, thinking of the bacon & eggs that we intended to cook for breakfast.

Thurs. 26 July, 2012 - Kakadu Lodge to Gagudju Lodge

We left Kakadu Lodge & drove approximately 50km to the Gagudju Lodge, at Cooinda, in order to be near & handy for the two Yellow Water Cruises that we had booked.  What a pity that we hadn't remained at Kakadu Lodge, as it was a very pleasant place & much cheaper than Gagudju.  Hindsight is a wonderful thing!

It was a very hot & sticky day so, once we had settled at the new site, we rested until it was time for our Sunset Cruise.  What an unforgettable experience!  Yellow Water Billabong is a magical place that teems with wildlife of every kind - wild pigs, water buffalo, wild horses, crocodiles & an enormous variety of birds that are a delight to watch.  We saw egrets, herons, ibis, kites, eagles, ducks, geese, brolga & even a shy jabiru that disappeared into the undergrowth at our approach.

Many of the giant water lilies were in flower &

the billabong was rich in all kinds of plant life

.

The crocodiles did not disappoint us & we saw several, either partly submerged, or lying on the banks.  One enormous male was 4.5 metres long & had, apparently, bitten another completely in half, according to a story told by our guide.  We were careful to keep arms & legs well inside the boat!

Sunset was indescribably beautiful as the light & colours changed, giving the whole landscape a vivid & brilliant quality.  Birds & trees were silhouetted against Nature's glorious palette.

Bob took 94 photos!  How will we ever decide which to keep & which to discard?  And, we still have the Sunrise Cruise to do, early tomorrow morning.

Wed., 25 July 2012 - Exploring in Kakadu

Today we set out to visit Nourlangie Rock, an art site & shelter that gives an insight into the lives & beliefs of the Aboriginal people.

En-route, we stopped at Anbangbang Billabong, which was teeming with bird life - ducks, ibis, white cockatoos, heron, etc.  The surface of the water was covered with water lilies but we stayed at a good distance from the edge, as there were ample warnings about the presence of crocodiles!

 

We continued on to Nourlangie, where we walked amongst massive rock formations & attractive vegetation, including beautiful flowering wattles.  At one point, I looked up & saw a kookaburra, almost posing for us, on the branch of a tree.

First, we went on a walk, which took us to a wealth of Aboriginal rock paintings.  These were more numerous &  far clearer than those we saw at Ubirr yesterday.  The overhanging rocks had provided excellent protection from the elements.

Having looked at the rock art, we began a fairly steep & rocky climb upward, to a look-out high above the countryside below.  We were up in the escarpment & could see for miles into the distance.  I was quite proud to have reached the top, as it was a strenuous climb, but well worth it for the views.  It was also very hot (33C) & the perspiration flowed - what a good thing we'd taken bottles of water!

We returned to Kakadu Lodge for a late lunch, then rested in the sunshine, outside the caravan.  Not sure about Bob, but I was shattered!

What a lovely holiday park Kakadu Lodge is - green, leafy & well spread out; very peaceful & conducive to relaxation.  I'm almost sorry that we're only here for two nights.  However, there's lots more to see & we have to keep this show on the road!

Our friends from Point Lonsdale, with the two boys, have caught up with us & we're neighbours once again.  Small world!

NB:  This is the site where a recent newspaper article reported an attempt, by a dingo, to pull a young girl from her sleeping bag!  We were warned, on arrival, to keep our belongings, & particularly anything edible, inside our caravans.  Our door is securely locked as I write!

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.

23 July, 2012 - Preparation for journey from Darwin to Kakadu

The laundry is all up to date, Bob has tidied the car & the caravan and I have sorted & cleaned the fridge (there are still domestic duties, even in Paradise!)  We've also done a little food shopping, so we are all set for tomorrow's trip.  Judy & Charlie have already been to Kakadu, & so we'll go our separate ways & meet up with them again in about four days time.

The kapok flower
(of mattress-filling fame; 'wool' is contained in a pod))

I've just had a swim here at Howard Springs.  The weather is perfect & it seemed a shame to leave the holiday park without using the lovely pool.  It was most relaxing & cooled me down beautifully.

Wattle blossoms

We shared the cooking of the evening meal & the four of us enjoyed a delicious lamb roast, followed by a wicked chocolate mudcake - a "last supper" prior to going our separate ways for a short while

(Not much to include photograph-wise today, so am showing

two wild flowers of the region.)

22 July, 2012 - A trip from Darwin to Litchfield National Park

The sun was shining brightly, out of a cloudless sky, when we set off for Litchfield National Park, at 9.15am.  The Park is about a 90 minute drive outside Darwin & is famous for its stunning scenery - rugged escarpments, fantastic rock formations & spectacular waterfalls.

Our first stop was to see the Termite Mounds, which were a phenomenal feat of insect engineering!  Some were up to 5 metres high & possibly up to 50 years old.  There were also magnetic ones, built to stretch from east to west, in order to get maximum heat from the sun.  Nature sure is amazing!

Next, we visited a series of water-holes & waterfalls, which would probably have been frequented by crocodiles during the wet season.  However, at this time of year, the pools were pronounced safe, since there is insufficient water for the animals to migrate very far inland.  We were assured that they were languishing in salty river estuaries.



Florence Falls (see swimmers at base)



The pools & falls varied in their size & accessibility.  Some could only be viewed from specially built platforms, whilst others could be approached easily for swimming, photography & picnicking.  We visited Florence Falls, Tolmer Falls, some water-holes, a swamp & finally the beautiful Wangi Falls. 



Tolmer Falls 

At Wangi, we picnicked, then settled on a large grassy area infront of the water.  I couldn't resist a swim & soon overcame my fear of crocs!  I luxuriated in the crystal-clear, refreshing pool, backed by two vertical streams of water, falling from a great height - idyllic!



No fear of crocodiles!





Wangi Falls