Two weeks in Kakadu

Leaving Darwin Sunday afternoon We head to Mary River to camp next to the river boat thinking we might hire a boat and go Barramundi fishing - however on investigation we discover that, probably, because they didn't get much of a wet season there is not many Barramundi around.  We, instead, got eaten by mozzies for the night and screamed out of there in the morning.  A couple of days before not far from us is were the drunken locals swam the Mary River and a fella got taken by a croc.  The people in that camp area said that the 'hunters' were shooting all night and shot and guttered about 14, however the news that we hear it said only 4 died to find the killer crocodile !

We head for the Bowali Visitor Centre just out of Jabiru before we find our next camp at Malabanjbanjdju, 13 k's south of the Visitor Centre. Come Monday night Tuesday Neesabella and Gian-Luca got a stomach bug, We didn't do much for the next couple of days and by Friday took Neesabella off to the Medical Centre and got someone else to growl at her ! She was dehydrated and was threaten with and big fat needle in her name. After much more growling and threats she picked up and felt much better - she will NEVER hear the end of it ! 

This sick week was a really hot week,
the only thing we did was

Ein guter Platz für's Abendessen - nur ein wenig Gedult brauchts

visit Cahills Crossing from Kakadu to Arnhem Land. We watched the 'swarm' of crocodiles, about 6 to 10 depending on which visit we were there.  They, the crocs, are waiting for an easy lunch of fish making the crossing going

Wo sind den heute die Fische?

up or down stream. The tide change made the crossing just covered in water to about 40cm in flow, cars crossed when ever they wanted to.  Gian-Luca and Jurg had a go at .... you guessed it .... fishing and what do you know - no fish, a couple of hits but no dinner.

Blöde Fische bisst doch mal! Es ist sonst so langeweilig

       Sieht idylisch aus,                               aber schau genauer hin

We felt a change was in order to move on from the sick camp and away from the hordes of mozzies at Malabanjbanjdju, so we heade south back to our camp of 4 weeks ago on our first visit to Kakadu - Mardugal.

We visit Nourlangie Region.

We walked around Anbangbang Billabong and watched the bird life and looked for crocs.

Magpie Geese








  Jabiru

Pied Cormorant

Whistling Ducks and Two Masked Lapwing

Off to the ranger talks - three talks 1. Views of country and culture, 2. Learning about law, land and family, 3. A jigsaw in time. All 15min + depending how talkative the ranger is.  The Gallery was, we believe, the best in the park.  Very informative and educational talks and well worth the walk and heat.

Blitz und Donnerwesen

Then the Sunset from Nawurlandja Rock.

For Father's Day we had bacon and eggs and had a outing to Maguk 40 ks south - we have been dying for a swim
(a swim in Kakadu pool doesn't count) On our first visit, a month ago, to the Park we went to Jim Jim Falls - we have been told this week that it is nearly dry so we head to Maguk.

A easy walk and a beautiful reward for the eyes and body - needed a cool off in the bottom   pool.

Unteres Wasserloch in Maguk von oben

Die Kinder finden neue Freunde überall

We walked the extra bit up to the top of the waterfall and spent the rest of the afternoon lounging in the water holes with another 6 month traveling family. No one but us up there.  

Rutschbahn alla natur

 

Happy Family

Leider muss man immer wieder zurück laufen.

We all went back to Cooinda Lodge where they were staying and had a Father's Day Drink.

We again made use of the ranger activity in the Park and learnt how to strip Pandanus leaves and prepare for weaving at Merl Camp ground.

Weaving was a bit of a stretch of the imagination - we striped pandanus leaves and did our best to copy the aborigine ladies (most failed) and the children ground and helped make the die then it was boiled and hung out to dry.

The afternoon we spent at Ubirr with the ranger for more talks. 1. A home through the ages, 2. Creation and kinship, 3. People on floodplains.  These talks were given again at aboriginal painting sites.

Graffity nach Aborigine Art und Wiese

Hier musst du nicht für Stunden wander um einen super Sonnenuntergang zu sehen

Then we watched the sunset from Nadab lookout looking over the floodplains that are now mostly free from buffalo. (Plus about a million mozzies about to wake up when the sun goes down)

We booked ourselves in for a really local experience at Kakadu Animal Tracks Safari www.animaltracks.com.au  We had heard that turtle might be on the menu I said "Oh no not turtle I'm not sure I can eat turtle" We left at 1 pm and spent the afternoon gathering food. Women aren't allowed to hunt so the two Black and White Magpie Geese and one Whistling Duck were shot by Patsie's husband earlier.

Schildkröten jagt

So we gathered the rest of dinner, this included a Longneck Turtle.  They bury themselves on the edge of the waterhole, as it starting to dry up and go into hibernation till the wet season arrives again.  You walk around with a stick and poke it into the mud listening for a special 'donk' sound as you hit the shell of the turtle.

mit Erfolg

'Donk' (Dam, we found one)

Start digging ! Gian-Luca volenteered.

Mir läuft das Wasser im Mund schon  zusammen

Yummy!!

This one is a good size and surprisingly heavy, it is kept alive until the last minute.

 Palmhart as a Rehydrater

Palmenspitzen als Durstlöscher

Baumerinde als Kopfschmerzenmitel

Wattle bark
as headache remedy!

We were in and out of the 13 sweater 4WD all afternoon, gathering firewood, eating the heart of a Pandanus, looking for Yam for dinner, getting a 1.5m x 50 cm piece of paper bark for cooking?  We also stop for a headache medicine and the flu medicine - now I have gotten out of tasting the little buggers all the way through, I know I will never survive on reality TV because I refuse to eat Green Ants -nope I am not even licking their butts !!

Grüne Ameisen gegen Erkältungen und Halsweh!

Green ants
against sore throat, colds and sinusitis

Kartoffel suche

Digging for Yams

Die Ente wird gerupft

Plucking Dinner 

Aluminum Folie für Aborigines

 Collecting Aluminum Foil

Kochherd

We arrive at Goose Camp, proceeded to pluck a duck ;) and 2 goose they were then singed of their down. The turtle has its neck broken and it is, as well, singed.

Wo ist das Abendessen nun

Fertig

We watched the sunset over the billabong, accompanied with the endless sound of Magpie Geese enjoying the White Chestnut and Wild Rice. The occasional 100 giving flight when, apparently -as we didn't see this, the odd crocodile would have ago at one for dinner!




 Finish!!

Es wird serviert

Added to our dinner was a couple of very large buffalo steaks. We had billy tea, damper, duck, goose, buffalo and turtle. (When in Rome .... )

Filled our belly's like native and traveled home in our luxury cruiser after a full day of fun, teaching and food.  Well worth the money and 'chores' to earn dinner, we highly recommend it.

We went back to Merl Campground for a lesson on painting Kakadu style.

We had two aboriginal teachers showing the technique of the Kakadu style of painting which is dominated by a cross pattern over a single coloured body shape. Traditionally they use 4 colours only - ochre, brown, black and white.  The majority of us think about aboriginal art as being dot painting, however this is only desert country painting.  Another eyeopener for us !

Next day we moved camp to the south, to camp at Gumlom in the Mary River Region.  It is a dirt road in with enough corrugations to remind us of the Tanami Crossing !  

 It is a beautiful waterfall into a large plunge pool and walk up to the lookout and more little pools. Some of this region is called the sickness country by the locals -this is where uranium has been found !

It is amazing how fast the land recovers from the low intensity fires that they have everywhere in Kakadu.

A wonderful job has been done to clean up the Park from Water Buffalo, they still struggle with about 2000 left in the park and pigs, cats and of course the Cane Toad needs to be dealt with. 

We didn't go over to Arnhem Land as we didn't want to 'just' say we have been. We saved it for another time ! 

What we each 'found' in Kakadu.

Me

I was 'only'expecting to enjoy the scenery and explore the difference in the landscape with a bit of local flavour.  I didn't think I would come away with a better understanding of aboriginal people, their culture, the tip of the ice berg of their law regarding skin and family.

Jurg

I never felt so hot over such a long time but every drop of sweat and every missed bit of sleep was worthwhile for the beauty and culture that this part was able to deliver.  Unless you decide not to look it is impossible not to see ! 

Neesabella

I found that Kakadu was or is a very informative place.  It also was very interesting and hard to believe some of the things they did.  We had an amazing experience with all of the tours we went on, for example, sunrise on Yellow Water Cruise, Animal Tracks and lots of free ranger activities.

Gian-Luca

Kakadu was educational because of the culture and respect for the land.