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Rise before the sun after a hot and humid sleep listening to nothing but wildlife all around - absolutely amazing to fall asleep to and laying there looking out at the stars.
Driving to Kakadu today!
Photo by the sign. driving through I noticed it felt prehistoric and couldn't help but picturing dinosaurs and Aboriginals hunting them with spears. Very vivid images of this, the landscape looked and felt extremely old - I couldn't get the word prehistoric out of my head on this whole trip.
Stopped at South Alligator Aurora Kakadu Information Centre to grab a coffee and some maps and postcard, and so Jordan could find out what roads were reopened or not flooded!
We had arrived in Kakadu at the wrong time of year, it was the wet season and it had just bucketed down rain recently and the whole of Kakadu was quite literally flooded, and a huge chunk of the park was actually closed as there was no road access. So with no roads open, our tour itinerary was thrown out the window and we basically had to play it by ear. Throughout the tour, our guide was constantly ringing around and organising different accommodations/itinerary/entertainment options for us. Those on the tour who hadn't read the itinerary didn't even notice something was amiss because it was handled spectacularly, and we still got to see some amazing things.
Our first adventure stop was at Nourlangie where we did a fabulous 1.5km walk up to the Gunwarddehwardde lookout, a beautiful sandstone plateau with stunning views over Nourlangie and looking across to the Arnhem land and Kakadu escarpment. Mostly an easy paved walkway, with a few wooden stairs and railings up to the gallery, but there were parts that were just rocks that you needed to clamour over. On the way, we saw the Anbangbang gallery and shelter, where we learnt about bush tucker, rock art and the lightening man. There was some amazing rock art there, so close you could touch it - but there are laws prohibiting that, they are trying to preserve the art which has been there for up to 20,000 years and it's an uphill battle with the elements, they don't need any human interference to help!
There is a green ant that apparently tastes like a lemon/lime. a few of the group, including Evs, gave it a go.
Reaching the lookout, we were told the Dreamtime story about two wallabies who created the rocks and shaped the landscape. It was a stunning vista and I think if I had a hammock and a cold drink I could possibly have stayed there forever.
We then headed over to Nawrulandja rock lookout, with gorgeous views over Nourlangie and the Anbangbang Billabong. It's a fairly steep climb with loose rocks, and I'm sure there was at least one part where I had to pull myself up, but the stunningly amazing views when you get to the top are more than worth the breathlessness. We took the obligatory jump shot photos and pretty much just drank in the view while Jordan had a nanna nap under his Akubra hat.
All too soon we headed off for our next stop at the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre. It was a great place to learn about the cultural aspects of the Aboriginal people, with some interesting installations and artworks, but I myself knew a fair bit of this, as we had many Aboriginal cultural lessons at school. As interesting as it is, I felt about 5 minutes inside was enough for me. The gift shop was great, and if I had more money I would have grabbed a few paintings. I headed outside for a smoke, and about 10 minutes later everyone else slowly trickled out, saying it was interesting, but you don't need to spend much time in there. Here is when we waited an age for Jordan to come back with the truck and take us back to camp.
Home for the evening was Gagudju Lodge at Cooinda, which was a great place to stay. We stayed in double rooms with bunk beds. Very small but tidy and it had air conditioning! *yay!* The shared amenities block was just across the way, and very clean. The first thing we all did was head off for a swim in the resort-like pool, before getting changed and ready to meet at the jetty for the famous Yellow Waters Billabong Cruise.
The boat had little plastic seats so it was a bit sweaty in the crazy humidity. There was a roof on the boat, but one side of the boat copped the direct sun, and it was way too hot to sit there, so I recommend taking lots of sun protection and lots of water. Luckily the boat wasn't very full, so we kept switching places to get the best views and stay out of the sun.
Cruising along the billabong, which is part of the largest river system in Kakadu, we got the opportunity to see some amazing wildlife and the reason these wetlands are world famous. Water, and fields of green, stretches as far as the eye can see. At one stage we pulled up next to half submerged signs; in the dry season this area is a car park! Just thinking about how much water must have fallen from the sky to raise the level to these heights is baffling. There is a particular grass which I think they called buffalo grass, and its root system is so long that it can float on the water at any height.
Although it may look pretty as it flows through in massive blankets, the Salvinia Fern is dominating and strangling the waterways. It is an introduced South American species originally imported as an aquarium plant, but it managed to get loose in our waterways and is now taking over our wetlands. Many parts of the river system in Kakadu are closed to try and get rid of it. There were many areas the boat couldn't pass because of it. This is a great example as to why we have such a strict quarantine system in place in Australia.
We saw a heap of amazing birds, but unfortunately we are still looking for the crocodiles - this would become a running theme for the whole tour. Crocodiles like shallow waters, and the floods had seen them heading for greener (shallower) pastures. Mother nature seemed to feel our disappointment because she then proceeded to put on the most spectacular sunset display I have ever seen, those photographs just don't do it justice. Cruising over the crystal glass still water, with the only sound the lapping of the water against the boat and the birds and insects singing, and the gorgeous rainbow colours in the sky made for the most perfect way to end the day. One of the most relaxing and spectacular ways to spend any afternoon.
Once back on dry land we headed over to our kitchen and started on another dinner, which was something along the lines of hamburgers, sausages, or something like that. Some of us stayed up quite late laughing and chatting the night away. Trying to find the way back to the cabins in the dark without a torch was quite hilarious. I live in Australia, and I have only ever seen one snake in my backyard, but something about being out in the outback made me hyper paranoid about standing on a snake, in particular, the death adder!?! Made it safely back to bed in the nice air conditioned room where we slept like logs.
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