Kakadu National Park.

Entrance to the Park.

It is estimated that the Aboriginal people have continuously lived in this land for 50,000 years. The world's oldest civilisation, and they still protect these sacred lands and those thousands of years of culture, today. It is World Heritage listed, for all of the unique and amazing things that are here, and it is a scenically magical land, that changes dramatically with the seasons, from torrential, flooding rains of the wet season, to the extreme dry heat and bush fires of the dry season. We are here in the dry season, and it is hot, and there are fires and it is still beautiful. Some of our experiences here have been unforgettable, and will last in our hearts and minds forever.

Roughing it at Kakadu.

We drove up from Katherine, turning off the Stuart Hwy at Pine Creek onto the Kakadu Hwy and headed for the Mary River Roadhouse on the edge of the park, to buy our Kakadu Park Entry Permits for $25.00 each. From there it was on to Gagadju Cooinda Lodge, where our caravan park is situated. We were directed to a beautiful spot, on green grassy lawn, at an oasis in the park. The lodge covers a huge area, and has all kinds of accommodation from deluxe bungalows to unpowered camp sites. It has a bar and restaurant, 3 swimming pools and lovely landscaped grounds. The perfect place to return to from a day of adventure and exploring. 

Swimming at Marguk.

Gunlom Falls and pool. 

The weather is hot and dry. So we decide we will visit two of the famous waterfalls and take a dip in the refreshing plunge pool at their base. First stop is Maguk ( Mar-Gook). It is a 12 km dirt road in and a solid 2km, return walk to the waterfall from the carpark. It is so worth it! The pool will stay with us as the most beautiful we visited. Crystal clear water, full of fish, and as it is one of the lesser known spots, not too many visitors. It is a small waterfall, but is actually still flowing, keeping the water fresh and clean.

Really big termite downs in Kakadu!

From Maguk we headed back up the road to Gunlom (Goon-

lom) Falls. It is some 37 kms on a dirt road, that was very rough the last 15 or so kilometres. It is one of the famous falls, but it is almost dry, but the huge pool is refreshing and cool. It is also full of various types of fish, and we swim across the pool to the base of the falls, and stare up at the sheer cliffs that have just a trickle of water splashing down. Gunlom, has a good campground for all sizes of vans, but it would rattle the crap out of your caravan to get there! The pool is right at the carpark and campground, so is very accessible. I should point out that there are crocodile traps at each location we've swum, but these are managed pools, checked by the rangers and cleared as safe to swim.

Sunrise at Yellow Water Billabong.

Our guide, Nathaniel,
plays didgeridoo.

Next day we spoiled ourselves and got up early to go on the world famous Yellow Water Cruise, that departs from right next to our caravan park. We chose the sunrise cruise, as the wildlife is most active. We were at the boat before dawn, and it was quite eerie as there was fog on the water. As we moved out onto the water, the sun emerged and our guide started playing his didgeridoo and the whole atmosphere was all goose bumpy! Before we had even gone 50 metres, a 2-3 metre crocodile swam up beside us, just to let us know who owned the waterway! Our guide, Nathaniel, was a real bird lover, and his enthusiasm was infectious, as he would shout "wow, did you see that Sacred Kingfisher" or whatever else we saw. There was no shortage of bird life to see, and lots of crocodiles. The four people in front of

White breasted Eagle.

us, we bird watchers from the USA, all decked out with

Another water bird!

binoculars and big lens cameras. They were like sailors in a a brothel, not knowing which way to look!! I don't know every bird we saw, but the list included 3 types of Kingfisher, Storks, Herons, 3 kinds of Ibis, Whistling Kites, Cormorants, White Breasted Eagles, Jabiru, Brolgas, countless kinds of ducks, geese and water fowl, dozens of little finches and orioles and other small birds. It was an unbelievable experience, that went all too fast. There were three boats that left at the same time, but we never saw each other again, so big is this wetland area. We all met up for a buffet breakfast back at the resort.

Rock Art at Nourlangie.

Saltwater Crocodile.

Later that day we took ourselves out to the Nourlangie area, to take a look at some of the Rock Art, that dates back over 10,000 years. It is an impressive sandstone escarpment, that has provided shelter for the Aboriginals, from the wet season, for thousands of years. It is interesting to hear the culture and learn about the meaning of the rock art from the local people. Up here, culture is everything to the local people. They do not want it to die. We climbed to the lookout nearby, and just looked out over the vast plains, surrounded by the red of the escarpment. You can see the smoke from the bushfires that help regenerate the vegetation. You can see the hundreds of

Jabiru.

Whistling Kites circling above the fire looking for prey flushed

Magpie Geese.

out by the fire. There are no fire engines. The fires just start and then eventually go out. From here we stopped at Anbangbang Billabong, and what a beautiful place it turned out to be. We did the 1.5km walk around the billabong and were blown away by the wonderful bird life. By now, it was heading towards dusk, so the birds were a very active and talkative lot! We even came across a number of very timid kangaroos that had come down to the billabong to drink. It was a really lovely setting that we left reluctantly.

Crossing Jim Jim River.

On the road to Jim Jim Falls.

Next day we were up bright and early as we had a full day heading out to Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls. It is only 50kms, but is 4WD ONLY, and takes about 2 hours each way. What a day it was! The drive was awesome. We've never been on a track like this before! Soft sand, creek crossings, bumps and jumps, it had it all. There was even a deep water river crossing at Jim Jim River! I drove out and Carolyn drove back, we had an absolute ball. Firstly, we headed out

Twin Falls & Pool.

to Twin Falls. From the carpark it is a short walk to the boat,

Together at Twin Falls.

that takes you up the gorge towards the falls, where they drop you off, and you make your way across floating pontoons and over the rocks of the river bed, until you reach the beautiful pool and the falls. Unfortunately, the falls are just a trickle,and this pool is unsafe to swim in, due to regular visits by saltwater crocodiles, via a small stream. But nonetheless, it is a beautiful sight, though very teasing in the 38 degree heat! Bloody crocodiles!!

Jim Jim Falls & Pool.

Along the way to Jim Jim Falls.

A quick picnic lunch and a drink, then back down the track and across the river to Jim Jim Falls, where we know we can have a swim. What we didn't know, was how difficult the walk to the falls was! It was 2km return, but it was not a track, it was a scramble across boulders alongside and in the river bed. A Mountain goat would have been challenged! But still, we made it and I staggered across the hot sand and fell into the water, like the guy in the movies who has crossed the desert and found water! A huge

Cold shower but no swim
at Twin Falls.

Over the rocks to Jim Jim Falls.

plume of steam leaped into the sky, and as I rolled onto my back and looked skywards, I couldn't believe how high and rugged were the cliffs. I actually think it was worth the walk! We were in a huge amphitheatre, surrounded by cliffs, millions of years old and hundreds of feet tall, and you could only wonder at the sound of millions of litres of water crashing over that waterfall in the wet season. We slowly made our way back to the carpark. We didn't want to leave the cool water, to clamber over all those rocks again, but we had to. We made it back , John's knees screaming at him, and then had one of those huge decisions to make, will I have that cold beer before or after I throw my body into the pool!

Cahill's Crossing to Arnhem Land.

Barramundi Fishing
at Cahill's Crossing.

We packed up and made the short move to Jabiru, the only town in Kakadu. We were booked into Kakadu Lodge, which turned out to be another oasis in the wilderness. Beautiful green lawns and a lovely pool and bar area. We found our site, which is huge, and settled in. Town is small with basic shopping. Jabiru is home to the Ranger Uranium mine, so there is a small mining town feel. It is a nicely kept town area, well watered with a man made lake, and even has a golf course with grass greens! We have moved here due to its closer proximity to Ubirr (Oo-beer), another of the must see areas of Kakadu. One thing we had heard about was Cahill's Crossing on the East Alligator River. It is a

The rain forest walk near Ubirr.

famous barramundi fishing spot, and there are boat ramps both upstream and downstream of the crossing. The crossing is also a popular spot, not just for fishermen! As the tide comes in and approaches high tide, the water starts rushing back over the crossing trapping fish in the pools. The crocodiles come in numbers, we had about 12 on our day, and sit and wait and ride the current in search of fish. It is just amazing to watch. We only saw one successful chomp! Quite a crowd gathered to watch the drama unfold, on both sides of the river. We also took a lovely walk along the East Alligator River through a dry rain forest. It must have been ten degrees cooler under the canopy of trees.
Ironically, whilst we were watching the crocodiles a real drama was unfolding at nearby South Alligator. Some idiot had ignored the signs and the rangers advice, and gone for a swim. They still haven't found a trace. All I can say is, probably tasted like chicken!!

Looking out across the Wetlands.

Us at Ubirr.

The other must do things at Ubirr, are the rock art sites, and a climb to the top of the escarpment at sunset, to gaze out across the vast plains. A truly memorable and wonderful sight, as you gaze out over hundreds of square kilometres of pristine wetlands, with the sun slowly setting in the west. I loved a conversation between a young German tourist and one of the Rangers. He was saying how he couldn't believe how many mosquitoes there were. The ranger was politely telling him it was a wetland, which the German guy said he understood, but they are even in the campground! The Ranger said he'd go and see if the "No Mosquitoes Allowed Sign" was still in place!!

Sunset at Ubirr.

After sunset, headed back to the nearby Cahill's Crossing, where we had seen a small Thai restaurant at the Border Store. We enjoyed a delightful freshly cooked Thai meal, under the stars lathered in Aeroguard! We got chatting to the owner, and were fascinated how he told of completely shutting down the store from end of October until April, as the area got cut off in the Wet Season. Said it took about 4 to 6 weeks to get the store up and running again! 

You can't wipe off the smiles!!!!

We have really loved our time in Kakadu. We didn't do every walk or see every sight, but we did all the iconic ones and a whole lot more. We have walked our little feet into the ground, and I for one will be happy not to be crawling over boulders for a few days!

It is a truly wonderful place, and you just can't get the smiles off our happy faces! We will be back. We have to see it all when it's wet!

Darwin here we come!!! We want to see the sea again, and Carolyn needs a shopping mall!!! I just can't get the city out of that girl!!