10 - 20 August - Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land
We did the jumping crocodile cruise on the Adelaide River just on the west side of the national park.
In the Nourlangie region we did a Ranger guided walk at the Nanguluwur rock art site and the Nawurlandja lookout and billabong. We caught up with the Crawford family again in Kakadu. We first met the Crawfords back at Douglas Springs and spent time with them in Darwin. They have two boys, Nelson (8) and Callum (11).
In the East Alligator Region we visited the Ubirr rock art site and lookout and also tried our hand at basket weaving - easier said than done! Cahills Crossing of the East Alligator River is a notorious spot for saltwater crocodile viewing and barramundi fishing. If you are there on high tide the fish are forced to 'run the gauntlet' between the many hungry crocodiles in order to cross the crossing.
We also did a day trip into Arnhem Land to the indigenous community of Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) home to the Injalak Art and Craft Centre. While this took a little effort and required a permit it was most worthwhile to see artists working in their home country. The setting for the centre is idilic, in stone country with a billabong behind.
We also did a day trip into Arnhem Land to the indigenous community of Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) home to the Injalak Art and Craft Centre. While this took a little effort and required a permit it was most worthwhile to see artists working in their home country. The setting for the centre is idilic, in stone country with a billabong behind.
We did another Ranger guided talk at Nourlangie Rock. The Ranger talks have all been conducted by one Ranger by the name of Christian, who Jada believes is the best thing since sliced bread! He is certainly entertaining, knowledgable and passionate, a rare combination, and has brought Kakadu and its indigenous culture alive for us. South west of Nourlangie we did a cruise of Yellow Waters.
In an otherwise inaccessible part of Kakadu we did a tour conducted by Dorothy, a local Bininj people elder. The tour was conduced mainly in a Buffalo farm run by Dorothy and her family, which supplies meat to various local indigenous communities. Dorothy shows you how to collect bush tucker including fresh water mussels, nuts, pandanus palm hearts and other useful items like paper bark and leaves to cook in. She also collects green ants (which we all tried and which tasted like lemon) for medicinal use. We collected pandanus palm leaves from which Dorothy showed us how to make bush string.
We then went to a place of spectacular beauty accessible only to the Bininj people called Goose Camp where under Dorothy's guidance we assisted her to prepare and cook what we had earlier collected plus various game meats. Harry was certainly not squeamish about plucking the goose. The birdlife on the billabong was really quite a sight and photographs cannot adequately convey the shear numbers of ducks, geese, kites and various other birds or the pristine natural beauty of the area.
We then went to a place of spectacular beauty accessible only to the Bininj people called Goose Camp where under Dorothy's guidance we assisted her to prepare and cook what we had earlier collected plus various game meats. Harry was certainly not squeamish about plucking the goose. The birdlife on the billabong was really quite a sight and photographs cannot adequately convey the shear numbers of ducks, geese, kites and various other birds or the pristine natural beauty of the area.
We did a day trip into Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls. There was a 700mm water crossing to negotiate along the way which was fun. Twin Falls is reached by a short boat trip up the gorge. Note the croc trap with the door up. The theory is that you put a pig's leg in the trap (which smells rank) and while ever the door is up there must be no salties around. Disturbingly, however, park rangers have also told us that salties don't actually like rotten meat!
After gaining a permit we travelled to north west Arnhem Land on the Cobourg Peninsula and camped at Wiligi Outstation on the shores of Mount Norris Bay in the Arafura Sea, which is operated by a traditional owner. This is probably the most remote place we have been to thus far. It is a three hour drive on rough dirt roads from Jabiru in Kakadu, which is the nearest place with any services and a seven to eight hour drive from Darwin.
The problem is the water looks so inviting but shouldn't be swum in due to salties, sharks (which we saw!) and stingers! It is, however, a very beautiful location to relax and try a spot of fishing. While there we hired a boat and travelled up and down the coast a little and across the bay to explore Copeland Island.
The problem is the water looks so inviting but shouldn't be swum in due to salties, sharks (which we saw!) and stingers! It is, however, a very beautiful location to relax and try a spot of fishing. While there we hired a boat and travelled up and down the coast a little and across the bay to explore Copeland Island.
