Kakadu to Darwin

A much better photo of what we did
at Mataranka that I would have included
in the last entry if I was more diligent

Kakadu was a place I had been looking forward to going for a very long time.  And although it was not really what I expecred, it was fantastic.

We went on a guided tour of the East Alligator River with a local indigenous guide, Robert.  He was fantastic, telling us about the local culture and their ways and bush tucker etc.  He also showed us lots of crocs.  We had been on croc tours before - in Queensland - when we did not actually see a croc. There were no such problems here - we saw the first croc within about 20 metres of where the boat launched - right next to where some idiot was fishing.  And we saw heaps more all throughout the tour.  Then we landed on the other side of the river - technically Arnhem Land.  It was one of the best tours I have been on.  Pity about the three noisy kids on the boat that would not shut up. Even bigger pity that they are mine.

I do not know about the politics  between crocs
and alligators bit it seems to me that calling it
East Alligator River was unnecessarily provocotive ....

Anyway, that afternoon, we went to Ubirr which has a number of aboriginal rock art sites and a walk to an escarpment (a much more popular word in Kakadu than in most places) which give a fantastic view over the Kakadu wetlands - which is  iconic Kakadu image that they always use to advertise Kakadu.  Its a reasonably tough walk - especially in 38 degrees - but Anouk did it easy and without complaint. Isaac complained more and had to get carried but still did a might job.


There are lots of rock art sites there.  My personal favourite was the Rainbow Serpent which, in short, is about a serpent that comes and eats children that cry too much.  Glad to see that they told those stories back in the dreamtime too.  Made me feel much more at one with the local idigenous folk of thousands of years ago than I ever have before.

Anouk in Arnhem Land.  Bloody good
photo.

Some very manly bushie
saving two German tourists
from almost certain death using
his local bush skills and the winch
on his car

Anyway, th Ubirr walk was just an introduction to what followed the next day.  Jim Jim Falls.  To get out there you drive 40 kms on bitumen - easy - and 45 kms on corrugated dirt road - easy but bumpy - and then 10 kms on a four wheel drive track - a bit tougher but actually good fun. Finally, you get to the car park and have a "1 km" walk to Jim Jim Falls.  Now readers of this blog will understand why a 1 km walk did not scare us off.  And the signs that warned that this was quite a difficult walk did not scare us off either.  However, apparently, the people who said it was "quite difficul" did not do it with a 1 year old on their back and a carrying a two year old because I can tell you, it was more than a "bit difficult".  It involved walking over large boulders the whole way where you had to choose your step very carefully.  And the suggestion that it was only 1 km was made by a person who could fly.  For the more mortal of us, it was more like 5km.  Anyway, Anouk again did it without complaint - unlike Mum and Dad who complained bitterly the entire time.  And while it is spectacular (even if the water is not flowing because it is the dry season) it was hard to appreciate because of the knowledge that we had to get out of there and we did not have enough food for Yvette (you can stop threatening to call DHS, I am sure that they are aware of me now).

Jim Jim Falls.  And it still was not worth the walk in...

After the walk into Jim Jim Falls the kids
were very glassy eyed and difficult to
rouse.  But they were quiet so we left them
be ...

Oh yeah, Nana and Pa took a flight over Kakadu while we were risking our lives and had the greatest time of their lives.  Blah, blah, blah.

Mum had one other complaint about Kakadu.  The problem about communing with nature is that nature also gets to commune with you.  So take the frog that thought a good spot to make home was a patch of water in the caravan park where we stayed - the only problem being that it was in the toilet bowl that Mum wanted to use.  Given the consequences that could have followed, it was somewhat suprising that Mum was more scared than the frog.  Even more disappointing for this blog is that she did not take a photo of it - apparently big and black and yellow.

Robert showing Anouk how to throw.  Good luck
mate.

A final word about Kakadu.  Lots of people bag it as being overhyped and too many people.  We certainly did not find the later - the caravan park was about 10% full - because it past the really busy period because of the heat.  And it is not overhyped either - I thought it was magnificent and there was heaps we did not get to see.  Its another one on the "will definately return to" list.

We have now arrived in Darwin where its a couple of degrees cooler (so its only stinking hot) but a few fathoms more humid.  Catching up on provisions and met up with Steve and Catherine Hoyne and family today who live up here.  Very good to meet up with them.  They have quad bikes and I think Isaac wants one now.  Bad luck.  Interesting to have to deal wtih some of Connor's more curly questions such as, "If we are related, how come we have not seen you before?" and "Why are you leaving?  Don't you love us?"  Yes, Connor, we do.  Today, more than ever.