So first up was Gunlom (Goon-lom) - or Waterfall Creek in our language. Well....37 klm of the worst dirt road we have travelled. Corrugations fit to break the yolks inside the eggs! Landscape is magnificent! Campsite almost empty :). This time of year most people are heading back south, so camps are pretty much vacated. Good for us. This was the first place we have been where the flies really drove us nuts. But not Dezzi....no flies on him!
You can see the waterfall - or more like where the water should be falling - behind Dez.
The thing about corrugations is that you can't really get a picture of them to show how noisy, and shake rattle and roll it is in the car! But they are there.........
Water crossing on the way in.
Just thought this was pretty.
So camp sorted for the night and off to the rock pool to cool down. No crocodiles - check! Heaven!
A watertrickle, not a waterfall! But beautiful anyway, and the water was sooooooo good!
Gotta love the noodle! Best $3 spent on this trip.
Rocky ground all around.
The calm before the storm. Beautiful twilight, then about two hours of wind and tropical rain. It was great, really cooled down and washed some dust off.
Joy oh joy the next morning, because of course we have to travel back to the highway on THAT road. Oh well! All part of the adventure. More fun on this drive, because the rain had filled all the dips in the road, so made for fun water driving. And caked the car in red mud ha ha!
Next stop Gagudju Lodge Cooinda for fuel, lunch, and a sneaky hour or two in the resort swimming pool.
Lunchtime visitor.
This is also the location for Ngurrungurrudjba ! Wrap your mouth around that one! Lucky for us white folk we get to call it the Yellow Water Wetlands - phew!
We did a two hour wetlands cruise. It was wonderful. So peaceful. Loads of different birds, flowers, crocs and even a buffalo!
So here is what we saw....
Lotus flowers. Beautiful.
The leaves are huge. It would be about 40-50 cm diameter.
Lilies.
Buffalo. Unbeknown to us buffalo are a pest and are culled. In populated areas the rangers shoot them, because they are a bit bad tempered and tend to attack. Glad there is water between him and us!
It is far more exciting spotting a croc in the wild, rather than looking at ones at the zoo that don't even move!
Yeah, I'm watching you!
This one was about 4 metres long, and the prime male of the area....apparently.
And birds.......
Eagles
Long Necked White bird.
Falcon
These are whistling ducks. They don't quack, they whistle. Loudly. And are always in big groups.
Pretty ducks.
No idea what this was, but apparently very lucky to have seen it!
and of course Jabiru! This is a female, because she has a yellow eye!
So peaceful.
Made camp in a patch of bush for the night. Loving the great outdoors, and the nomad life!
Breakfast next morning in the "capital" Jabiru. Coffee from the BP servo, and a quiche from the bakery, enjoyed by a lake. Not much in Jabiru. Had a look around the Bowali Visitor Centre, which had some good displays.
Just a selection of some of the rock art.
Then the clamber up the rocks! But, oh wow, it was worth it!
This way Bevy...... Nearly there!
Happy Wanderers!
This tree had loads of dragonflies buzzing around it. The Aboriginal people say when the dragonflies come, it is the time of the "build up" to the wet season.
Absolutely loved it here.
Next stop Mamukala (Mar-moo-car-lar) wetlands, and a bird hide to take in a bit more serenity, on our way to Aurora Kakadu Resort and Camping Ground for the night.
So more whistling ducks....
Long necked white birds....
... And cranky Magpie Geese. These guys are usually found in threes. One male and two females. Clearly the girls don't always agree on this situation!
Green ants everywhere in this region, and this tree had heaps of nests.
And termite mounds! But don't worry about the trees. These termites eat grass, and make their mounds from dirt, grass and saliva! And they are like concrete.
So Kakadu was amazing. Very spread out, but worth the driving.
Next stop Darwin.
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