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G'day everyone
the OUTBACK was that good that it must get at least one more mention.
After the Ranch at Banka Banka we cotinued on up the Stuart Highway (the
road were Peter Falconio got napped!) along the way stopping at the odd
thermal spring or waterhole (croc permitting) for a cool/hot dip. On the
way up one afternoon James spotted something on the other side of the road
as we went past, we turned around to take a closer look and it turned out
to be a massive snake trying to cross the road, I was panicking trying to
lock all the doors on the campervan but James was off! He thinks because
he's been to Steve Irwin's Zoo and has seen Crocodile Dundee a couple of
times that he can handle anything out here,
Whilst he is prancing around this 12ft long snake shouting CRIKEY and
STRUTH that's a real BEAUT, I am screaming out of the 2cm gap in the
window I had cautiously made for him to get back in van. He stayed out
just long enough to get some photo's and then the snake decided to reer
up a bit and started to hiss so he ran back into the van and re-locked
the doors himself. At the time we where convinced that it was the
TAIPAN, the most deadly snake in the world. A few days later we showed
the photos to a bit of a snake expert and he told us that it was only
the third most deadly in the world (we were devestated).
After another few days we finally reached Darwin, the capitol of the
Northern Territory. Whilst in Darwin we booked our 3 day Safari to
Kakadu National Park.
Kakudu is Australia's top national park and has the highest concentration
of Crocodiles anywhere in the world. This area was used as the film set
for Crocodile Dundee (James loves this film) and our guide a local
aboriginal called Genda! Who's favourite film just happened to be
crocodile dundee decided to take us around all the places where they
filmed so that James could go, "Oh yes I remember this bit and that place
etc etc;" (he was like a pig in sh*t).
After our days treking through the outback, we would set up our camp
and blow the froth of a few coldies, Genda like most Aboriginal people,
was shall we say a bit partial to the odd bevy, and everynight after
downing a crate of beer he would lead us down to the nearest swamp/
river looking for a few crocs, not wise but at the time it all seemed a
good idea. Last year with a different tour company, a German tourist
was snatched doing the same thing and eaten alive.
The crocs up here are huge and they kill a couple of people most
years, in 2005, 3 locals who had been quad biking during the day
decided to take there bikes close to the waters edge to give them a
clean. Whilst they where cleaning the bikes a croc snatched one of
them so the other two went into the water trying to save there friend,
but they ended up being chaced up into a tree branch over hanging the
waters edge where the crocs kept them for over TWENTY FOUR hours. The
whole time they where there they had to watch while the croc who still
had there friend in its mouth, waited underneath, hoping to get
them aswell.
Our main croc action came on the last day of our safari when Genda took
us out on a small boat to try and find HANNIBAL- the king croc in this
area. Big 'H' as he's fondly known, measures over 7meters and weighs
around a ton. He's one mean mother (see pics), he almost took off
Genda's arm whilst he was trying to touch his back with one arm and
feed him off a stick with the other, it was a close call??.
Next stop New Zealand
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