Well the time was here to say good by to
Beautiful Darwin!
Beautiful Darwin!
We were here for 3 months & 1 day exactly!
I loved every minute of it!!!
Mmmm
Mark not so much!
Mark not so much!
We met a lovely couple the first day we arrived & they also were staying for a few months, on a working holiday!
We all hit it off straight away!
Darwin Cup Day with Garry & Sharon!
Great day even if we didn't back the winner!!!!!
Sharon & I are like twins, we just have so much
in common & are so alike!!!!
They both definitely made our stay more enjoyable!!!!
We all hit it off straight away!
Darwin Cup Day with Garry & Sharon!
Great day even if we didn't back the winner!!!!!
Sharon & I are like twins, we just have so much
in common & are so alike!!!!
They both definitely made our stay more enjoyable!!!!
We will keep in touch & catch up again with them
somewhere sometime
that's for sure!!!!
The weather was not good to Mark, when he was working,
most of his days would be spent up on metal roofs
with the 32 degree heat of the top end
pelting down on him!!!!
Not Fun!!
I could have stayed here longer, as i was lucky to be spending
my working days in air conditioning, plus i just loved every minute of working there!!!!!
Although
With the knowledge of what was just
around the corner & that being .......
The Sticky Sweaty Unbearable Temperatures,
Torrential Rains, Cyclones, Floods, Cane Toads,
Crocodiles Swimming Down The Main Street
and
what ever else come with a wet season in the tropics!!
I am glad i listened to my husband once again
&
we got out @ this time!!!
It is funny we could feel the beginning of the
build up happening!
It was already getting very very humid & sticky every day and
worse still, were the nights!
It was becoming so hard to sleep,
even with the air con on or the fan blowing on us nearby!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We were as usual on the road by 9am.
Along the way & the same back in Darwin over the past few months,
were the always present fires burning!
Some smouldering, some flaming,
and
and
the asphyxiating
accompanying smoke
that
blanketed & wafted around with it!!
Apparently all these little controlled burn offs are done throughout the dry so as to stop one big massive bush fire getting out of control!
They are conducted by national parks,
along with the traditional land owners.
Because of this,
the top part of Australia very rarely have
damaging, raging bush fires!
The Aborigines see it as important for cleaning up the landscape not to mention the new life it brings, plus an array of
barbecued gourmet foods on offering
from the poor little critters that did not get away in time!
Very clever are our true
Indigenous!!!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now as the saying goes............
Kakdu or Kakadont
Well, it is one of those, everyone has to do it
for themselves experience!
So here we are now & it's our turn to
experience it!!
We booked into Kakadu Lodge,
another lovely caravan park complete with
Pool Bar & Bistro!
Ooooh Yeah
We are Lucky!
After we set up our home for the next four days,
We are Lucky!
Hahaha.......Mark more lucky than me!
He got in the photo!!!
After we set up our home for the next four days,
the arvo was quickly upon us & it was time for happy hour!
Our new neighbours invited us over to join them!
It is so interesting talking to other travellers,
especially ones who are heading in the opposite direction & have just been where we are going!
Lots of tips & stories to be had on what to do & where to stay,
& also what the road conditions are like!
Next morn we were up as usual, bright & early!
Today we decided to head out to the info centre to see what attractions we could do & also to pick up our parks pass.
Some suggestions on offer were,
scenic flights over Kakdu, boat cruises, 4x4 drives,
Aboriginal sacred site walks
& many many more!
Well as usual we did our own thing & from there headed out to
Ubirr
Pronounced Ooo-Beer
Pronounced Ooo-Beer
which is a
Sacred Aboriginal Art Site
Wise Man!That is funny!!!!
Noo Beer @ Ooo Beer!!!
We did the walk around, climbed the many rocks,
viewed the beautiful scenery over the valley below, it was intriguing how they lived all those years ago & we were so amazed
at some of these paintings,
Well not so much the art works themselves, more so
at how in the heavens did these people get up and under so many of the cliff walls and the massive over hanging ledges & after surviving that,
they painted these incredible stories!????
Or then again, did they hang down from the top & paint????
Which ever....It is all just so fascinating!!!!!
The Hunter Man
A Pretty Place
About a km up the road, we luckily stumbled upon, what was to
become for us the highlight of Kakadu!!!!
Cahills Crossing
on
The East Alligator River
This river was named
Alligator River
because who ever discovered it
thought the
Crocodiles were Alligators!
As we walked down to the crossing,
to my shock i saw little kids playing in the water that lapped over the cement crossing!
Not good!!!!!!
There were also many men, & the odd woman all with
their lines in, going after the big barramundi which
gather here on high tide!
Shazza is in her glory walking backwards!!!!!!!
So clever they blend into the surroundings!
Soon all these rocks will be covered & then look out!
Bring on the action!
No way in hell would you get me anywhere near there especially @ high tide!!!!....Which was quickly approaching!
I was talking to this lady, who went on to tell me that
yesterday arvo when the tide was high
(that being about 6metres)
they stood and watched the salt water Crocs come down stream & catch the barra as they swam across the crossing!
One side being salt water & the other fresh!
The Crocs cross from one to the other regularly!
I nearly died when i spotted one!!!
This is so good here!!!
They are in the wild & so natural,
none of this farmed, zoo type stuff !!!
This was for real!!!
So far on all our travels around oz
(that is above the tropic of Capricorn)
we have seen nothing, not even one Croc on the bank or in the waters,
and i am always looking!!
Here is this little
UN known, idyllic, adventuresome piece of Australia!
Wow what a top little secret spot!!!
That is why no one around here tells you about it?
Not even the bird at the info centre mentioned it????
Oh well, only the adventurous who go looking are the lucky ones!!!
That is probably a good thing!!!!
For if it was broadcast, you would never be able to
move down here & also,
I bet there would be a whole lot of fatalities going on!!
Well today's high tide came and went with no Crocs feeding on the barra
they were further up stream feeding as we could see the fish jumping out of the water & the Crocs splashing down on them!
We decided to come back the next day after we google the tide times for
Cahills Crossing and this time come more prepared with cameras fully charged & Marks rod ready for the big one!?!?
Yummo!
Barra i can feel is going to be on our dinner plates tomorrow night!!!
The tide was due to peak @ 3pm
this time though it was only going to be a high of 5 meters!
Next day, we arrived and i got my self a good spot on the rocks!
Mark went down & threw out!
Then all of a sudden, i looked out & there was this big boy just laying on the bank & couple more swimming along happily in the water below me!
And
the silly man in his boat who disturbed the sun baking one on the bank
& then his boat wouldnt start!
What if he lost his balance and toppled over
!!?!?!??
Everyone was of the same opinion
Stupidity!
Then there was this other couple, who putted in right on high tide!!
By this time there were about 4 big big crocs swimming around, waiting patiently for their dinner to come to them!
I can't understand the woman out there with her husband!!
Absolutely CRAZY!!!!!
You had to be there seriously!
I bet most of you who read this would be also thinking,
Yep....... They are Mad!!!
It was great we had the perfect spot to sit and while away the arvo watching all the comings and goings from the safety of a big rock wall!
This whistling kite was fun to watch as he came down swooping on a fish
swimming to close to the surface!
He killed it but then had trouble getting a grip on him
i think he bit off a bit
more than he could chew
as this barra was too big for him to hold!
The tide was starting to come in fast & the water quickly rose covering all the rocks & rushing over the cement crossing, the Crocs in the fresh water part were all gathering around in anticipation of their feed
Look out Husband he is right above your head!
Slowly making his move
Wow!
Well not much more action happened after the big fellow slid over the road,
we think maybe because of the low tide & there just did not seem to be that many barra around there today!
That is why Mark didn't catch any
Hahaha!!!
Oh well who cares it was such a great experience to be so up close and personal with these great big prehistoric creatures!!!!!
I love them they just
fascinate me!!!!!
Next morn we were off on our cruise around
The Yellow Waters Billabong!
We left about 6.45 the cruise goes for about 2 hours
then followed by a gourmet breakfast back at the resort!
It was nice pottering around & seeing the sun rise & some of the beautiful wild life & Flora of the top end!
Sunday Morn
Sunrise over Yellow Water
Sunrise over Yellow Water
Pretty little Kingfisher!!!
This little fellow is so in love with himself
all he does all day is stare at his own reflection when we came along & rippled the water he turned his back with the poos and went off to find another mirror!!!!
This is a male bird he carries his little chicks up under his belly out of sight
He looked so funny standing there with all 6 legs hanging down!!!!
Sadly i missed the money shot!
And of course a big male Croc called waters
swam by close to the boat right near me on my side!!
Straight away
I got up and walked to the front of the boat on the other side & bloody hell all the other people on the boat went over to where he was !!!
I was sure this boat was going to go over!!
Ahh...Once off the boat & back to the safety of the resort
it was brecky time!!!
Funny it was a nice cruise but really nothing compared
to our day out yesterday & to think
it was all for
free!
After brecky we set off and drove around to
Twin Falls which was not very far away that is whilst
on the bitumen!!!
It was about another 30km drive down a rugged dirt track
and a fairly deep water crossing!
we finally wound our way around to a small car park!
There we got out and headed on foot
Oh yes & guess what???
This time i had my good sandals on!
I did have my thongs packed & ready to bring for this trek
but in the rush early this morning
i left them at home!!
Mark said he had a spare pair of his thongs in the back of the truck!
Oh good!
They will have to do
&
they did!!
It was a little walk down to the waters edge where we were met by this man & his boat!
After welcoming us, he was ready to take us up through this little gorge!
Now that was
Stunning!!!!
He let us off on this sandy little bank, he told us it was about a
20 minute walk over fairly rocky undulating ground!!
So watch your footing!!!
Oh boy here we go again!!!
It was a bit narrow & rough in places but we did it!
In big foot thongs and all!
Once at the falls & here we were again starring at
We are certainly the lucky country & are so blessed to have so many
Stunningly Beautiful Sights to Be Seen!
We didn't really even touch the surface of the
many incredible things to see & do there!
But we have to say
We love Kakadu!
Well
another true
Australian beauty!
Stunningly Beautiful Sights to Be Seen!
We didn't really even touch the surface of the
many incredible things to see & do there!
But we have to say
We love Kakadu!
Well
There is the Croc bait directly in front of the steps
