FRIDAY 9TH OCTOBER - STILL IN SPLENDID ISOLATION AT MERL

A very slow start today. We eventually went and checked out the nearby Manngarre Forest Walk and the Bardedjilidji walk both quite interesting, each different from the other. On the Manngarre walk, there is a section closed to men. Only women can go there.

The Bardedilidji walk is described as one of Kakadu's most interesting walks. It follows the East Alligator River for a while but then heads inland among large rock formations called outliers. What was particularly noticeable about the one in the photo above are the two heros standing on top. We did see them later so they obviously got down safely.

This afternoon, we went to the feature spot of this area, Ubirr where there are Aboriginal rock art sites and spectacular views over the Nadab floodplain The different varieties of landscape in Kakadu are truly impressive.

THURSDAY 8TH OCTOBER – MOVING ON

Moving day today. We are now one of very few campers at the Merl Campground which is located in north west Kakadu near Cahills Crossing which is where access is gained to Armhem Land by crossing the East Alligator River. I'm not sure whether we may be the only campers here. I saw a vehicle through the trees earlier but I can't now locate it so it may have left.

 

 

This morning we were at last able to get access to Nourlangie where we enjoyed the very well set up display of rock art. It had been closed until today because the threat of bush fires.

After setting up camp here this afternoon, we walked over to Cahills Crossing to admire the crocodiles loitering near the causeway crossing the river. They were not shy.

 

 

 

We then found and were able to join the Guluyanbi boat cruise conducted by Neville, an Arnhem land aborigine. It is promoted as a cultural cruise and was a delightful mixture of wildlife including the prolific crocodiles and education about the life of aborigines today in Arnhem Land. Neville is actually a qualified plumber but his true talent is as a tour guide. The tour was completely different to yesterdays at Yellow Water but equally informative and entertaining.

 

 

 

Wherever we have gone, we have encountered red tailed black cockatoos and I have been trying to get some good photos of them. Today I succeeded.

 

WEDNESDAY 7TH OCTOBER – KAKADU

Another day combining strenuous exercise with interesting sights Unfortunately Nourlangie was still closed due to a bush fire even though we had a heavy shower of rain during the night so we started the day with a 3.8 kilometre walk at Burdulba. It didn't look promising at the start but it turned into a delightful billabong walk with the usual variety of bird life. Once again, the crocodiles remained out of sight even though the conditions looked perfect for them.

 

 

We followed that with a steep 800 metre climb in 37 degree heat to Mirrai Lookout which gives a panoramic perspective of everywhere we have been and some places we can't yet get to. We followed the advice of drinking plenty of water but were very glad to get back to the air conditioned car.

 

 

This afternoon, we enjoyed the grand finale of our stay in this part of Kakadu. We move further north tomorrow. We went on a sunset cruise of Yellow Water, the waterway adjacent to the resort at which we are camped. The cruise started with the comment that many people who go on the cruise ask whether they will see crocodiles. The answer is yes. We saw an incredible number but I have resisted the temptation of showing all of them.

The bird life was remarkable even by the standards of what we have seen over the last few days. We are glad that we did the cruise last. It would have ruined us for everything else we have seen. As usual I will let the photos tell the story. There is no prize for whoever can name the birds shown. 

We were hoping to do a scenic flight but the aircraft is not operating. It seems that the pilot is unwell and it is not known when flights will resume. It is the end of the season so perhaps the pilot has greener pastures to cultivate.

 

 

TUESDAY 6TH OCTOBER – KAKADU

Today we experienced most of what we came for. The day can be summarized as follows:

 

Jim Jim Falls – a 50 kilometre dirt road followed by a 10 kilometre 4wd track followed by a one kilometre clamber over a rocky track to get to a white sandy beach and a plunge pool at the foot of a 1000 foot escarpment which is the falls There was no water coming over the falls but the pools were idyllic. I actually went for a swim at the beach pool because a tour group had done it before we got there. I didn't see any crocodiles.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mirrai Lookout – we were so worn out after our Jim Jim experience that we decided not to do the 800 metre steep climb to the lookout. 

Sandy Billabong – it definitely looked like crocodile country being a large shallow lake with an incredible variety of bird life.

 

 

Nourlangie – an area of great promise with interesting walks, lookouts and aboriginal artwork but the road was closed because of a bush fire. Hopefully we can get there before we leave.

MONDAY 5TH OCTOBER – WE HAVE ARRIVED

Yes, we have arrived. The photo above is a little deceptive in that it looks as if we are still camped in the bush but we are actually in the unpowered section of the Cooinda commercial camping resort at Kakadu. We were planning to camp in a National Park campsite not far away but it is closed. It looked really good too. We will just have to put up with the pools and other amenities we didn't want to pay for.

The good news is that we have mobile phone signal here so we can communicate with the world.

 

 

The nearby waterholes look really inviting but you can't get too close to the edge because of the crocodiles.

 

 

This is a photo of the vegetation at this time of year. Lovely green foliage with sparse vegetation on the ground.

Tomorrow we head off to explore the National Park. There is a sunset cruise of the waterhole and a scenic flight on offer so we will have to check those out. The temperature is still above 30 degrees so I might have to go and check out one of those pools.

SUNDAY 4TH OCTOBER – STILL ON THE ROAD

A very productive day today. We are now at the Highway Inn Caravan Park at Daly Waters on the Stuart Highway about 300kms south of Kakadu. The road between Camooweal and here was completely boring with absolutely nothing of interest to see other than the varying landscape. This is very much an outback caravan park with very modest facilities but we have grass under our feet and Trish has been able to do a load of washing in preparation for our week in Kakadu.

Two things of interest happened today. The first is the price of fuel. Up to Mt. Isa, the most we paid was $1.37 a litre At the Barkly Roadhouse, an essential stop on the Barkly Highway half way between Camooweal and the Stuart Highway, it was $1.79. Our next fuel stop was at Elliot where it had eased back to $1.70 Hopefully it will get cheaper as we go north.

The more interesting thing was a phone call made to Macca this morning. It was from a lady camped near where we were at Camooweal to talk about the antics of the pelicans in the waterhole on the river. She said that they had been travelling around Australia for two years and had never seen what she saw at Camooweal. The pelicans were engaging in synchronised swimming/fishing in that they swam as a group and, as if given a signal, all stuck their heads under the water and their bottoms in the air at the same time.

 

I happened to photograph their antics last night. The photos tell the story.

 

 

Tomorrow – Kakadu and a lot less driving until we head for home in a months time.

SATURDAY 3RD OCTOBER – ON THE ROAD AGAIN

Today was very productive in that we drove from just north of Longreach to Camooweal where we are now camped on the bank of the Georgina River. Where we are is quite a picturesque waterhole with lots of birds inhabiting it, including some noisy corellas, but the river itself is not flowing.

We are quite close to the border with the Northern Territory so we expect to get to the Adelaide Darwin Highway tomorrow and head north towards Katherine. Hopefully we can get close to Kakadu by Monday evening.

It was interesting listening to the radio reports about the traffic congestion in south east Queensland We have no such difficulty here.