Darwin

Darwin was really a time for us to stop, rest and catch up on a whole bunch of things, from schooling and washing, to getting the car serviced and our cracked windscreen replaced (hope it's the only time we have to do this). It was a time to slow down after some very busy days and weeks and get set and ready to travel west into the top of WA.

Darwin City is interesting and we really liked it, apart from the humidity (which was the talk of the town; locals and tourists alike). It has the feel of a smaller town, like Newcastle, but is much more recent (thanks to cyclone Tracey) and clean and it is hard to believe it is a capital city when you compare it to Sydney or Melbourne. There are lots of things to do in Darwin and the suburbs are so close to each other and the centre of the city that it is easy to get around and to explore. The water is beautiful blue (turquoise almost) and so inviting. It seems so unfair to have such beautiful beaches that you can't swim at because of jelly fish and crocodiles. There is a real tropical vibe to the place, given the hundreds of palm trees that decorate almost every yard and park. Many of the houses are built up on stilts to allow air to flow underneath for cooling. It if wasn't for the heat and humidity I think I could live here.

We lived in the air conditioned shops, the pool or our air conditioned caravan. It is so humid and at night it hasn't been cooling down, so it is hot and sticky and so hard to sleep.


The main attractions for us were the two free waterparks. They were both a whole lot of fun, and being free, after some very expensive weeks, was a big plus. I can't imagine a local council at home providing such a great waterpark for free, but I guess they need to in Darwin given the lack of swimming options and they year round heat.

Mindil Markets
These are a tourist attraction in their own right. They are held every Thursday night and a slightly smaller one on Sunday afternoons, at Mindil Beach. There is a real mix of handmade items – shirts, jewellery, gems, whips, paintings, photos, clothes, goods made from crocodile skin (as you would expect) and a whole lot more handcrafted items - and a heap of different food vendors from all nationalities. We bought Tilda a necklace with her name written on a grain of rice. The lady making these was amazing... she writes so beautifully in such a small scale. Thousands of people flock to the markets, to buy handmade items, dinner and to watch the sun set over the water. It is a unique and interesting experience. Sitting on a beach with around a thousand other people to watch the sunset is an experience in itself. One thing that puzzled me was that a whole lot of people clapped when the sun went down... I'm pretty sure the sun doesn't need our approval for doing what it has done for hundreds of thousands of years!

We also visited Cullen Bay. This is a very picturesque marina with a beautiful view over the harbour. The water was so turquoise, and coupled with the green, green grass it was so lovely,

In some ways it would have been nice to stay longer in Darwin, as there were things I wanted to do that we never got to do. I would have liked to explore the underground Oil Tunnels, a remnant from WWII, but we weren't sure that Tilda would be OK with it, so we didn't do it. The other thing I would have really liked to do was a ferry trip to the Tiwi Islands. I hadn't even thought of it until I saw mention of it in a magazine and then I just really wanted to do it. We even went so far as to plan which day to go, but it was the day after we'd been to the Mindil Markets and everyone was very hot, bothered and tired. I decided that if we awoke in time to get to the wharf (by 7:30am) then we would go but of course, that was a morning we slept in until 8am. We could have stayed an extra day or two in Darwin and gone the following week, as it only runs Thurs and Fri, but by then everyone else in the family was over the heat and keen to get moving once more. I am pretty disappointed about that, but it's not the end of the world... and I'm not sure a 2.5 hour ferry ride (one way) with overtired kids would have been any fun anyway.

Kakadu Day 4

This was our biggest day by far since our Alice Springs to Newcastle (via Adelaide and Sydney plane and car 14 hour day). Some camera and computer issues delayed our start, which made the day feel even more full. We started at the Nourlangie, which is a site of incredible Aboriginal artwork and a rock shelter. The rock art here was so much better and more detailed than the bits you are shown at Uluru. I'm sure there are some amazing ones at Uluru but I am guessing they are sacred and not disclosed to the public. It is a short walk, about 1.5km in total, but it takes time to absorb the rock art and the stories that go with it. In the rock shelter you could see where the roof had been stained permanently black from fires and the circular grinding holes made in rock by who knows how many hundreds of years of grinding seeds and plant for food.

 

 

We then headed to Jabiru to “check out the town” and get some lunch. We had lunch at the Bakery. They have a massive range of food options but we were disappointed with our pies and sausage rolls. Perhaps we've just been spoilt with some very delicious bakeries along our journey. We didn't stop for long as Tilda really wanted to do an Aboriginal weaving workshop and we were going to be late.

The weaving workshop was fun. There are a number of activities run throughout the National Park on a daily basis. These activities are free (the cost is included in the Parks Pass, which is $40/adult and $20/kid). Two Indigenous ladies from Oenpelli and a National Parks Ranger ran the workshop. We learned how they stripped the fronds from the Pandanus plant to make a “twine” that is then used for weaving. We missed the explanation of how the leaves are coloured. We got to practice stripping the fronds and then were shown how to weave bracelets. Non-died plant is used as “filling” to give the bracelet shape and structure and then died fronds are woven around this. It was fun and relaxing and Tilda and I both enjoyed it. Rory sat quietly on the tarp in the shade watching one of the Indigenous ladies demonstrating basket weaving. I can see why their baskets and bags cost so much in the shops, the genuine ones I mean, as it would take a very long time to make them.

The bracelet I made

We then moved on to Ubirr. This too is a place filled with amazing rock art. The wealth of stories, teaching and culture in this place is almost incomprehensible. There is so much to it all. Even though it was after 3:30pm the temperature was still hot and humid and we were all feeling it. As part of this walk is a look out over the floodplain toward the East Alligator River and Arnhemland. The views were breath taking and so different from everything else we have seen in this region. We didn't climb to the very top lookout as the sun was beating down and we were so hot, but we still got some fantastic views.

Next we moved on to Cahill's Crossing. This is the crossing of the East Alligator River between the National Park and Arnhem Land. (You need a pass from the Land Council to cross into Arnhem Land). The reason Cahill's Crossing is a point of interest is that when the tide comes in crocodiles come and hang out there to catch fish and you get a really good view of them. A viewing platform is set up and is a great spot for some croc watching. We got there not long after low tide so there were only 3 crocodiles there, but one of them was pretty big. I heard some great stories from other travellers who saw a lot more crocodiles hunting there, feeding on the fish and having territorial disputes.

We finished our day back at the caravan park at 7pm by enjoying a swim under the stars in the Cooinda Pool. It was almost empty at that time of night, and after be hot and sweltering all day, it was pure bliss to lie on our backs and stare up at the multitude of stars shining in the black night sky.

Kakadu Day 3

We started our day with a swim in the great pool at Cooinda. It is a lovely pool with lots of depth variations and options for little kids. We decided to then go to Mirrai Lookout and Sandy Billabong. When we got to the lookout, the walk which was listed in the guide as being a moderately steep 2km return was signposted as a steep 1.6km one way. As it was around lunchtime and the day was warming up, and not knowing which length description was correct, we decided to err on the side of caution and go to Sandy Billabong. I am so glad we did. It is beautiful. I felt slightly antsy the whole time as there is no walkway or path, you just make your way as close to the water's edge as you feel comfortable with. We stayed back far enough for me to feel OK and just soaked in the wonder of this billabong. It looked like very few people go there and it was so quiet and calm and beautiful. This too is a bird haven, with so much variety to birdlife. We saw our first Jabiru across the water. The Jabiru is another bird I have wanted to see ever since I won a storybook when I was in primary school that starred a Jabiru, some 30 odd years ago. It's amazing to think that after all this time, I still wanted to see one in the wild and I finally did!

 Sandy Billabong (above and below) 

We went on a Yellow River Sunset Cruise and I have to say to anyone considering it, just do it. You won't be disappointed. You get to explore Yellow River Billabong and the South Alligator River. We saw around 15 corocodiles, all salties. The majority were females but we got very close to a big male lying on the river bank. Our boat captain/tour guide pointed out crocodile slides and we got so close to many crocodiles just floating in the river. Sometime all you saw was the eyes and nostrils and other times you could see their whole length. They see to barely move, even as they cruise along, with just a slight undulation of their body. They leave no ripple or wake as they swim. The only time I saw ripples was when one sunk into the water as the boat approached, and even that was so calm and almost invisible. It is hard to imagine just how explosive their power must be as they seek to bring down their prey. The thrill of seeing them didn't subside and I enjoyed seeing the last one every bit as much as the first one. And I have to say, my fear of crocodiles began to subside: not enough for me to go swimming with them or walk along the edge of a creek or billabong but I guess I started to get a bit desensitised, which takes away that complete “freak out” feeling I had been experiencing.

We also saw a big male water buffalo right up close. He kept a close eye on us too. Our tour guide told us that one day when he was doing one of the cruises, he saw a buffalo head into the water to cross and three crocodiles began to converge. The buffalo made it across safely but it would have been an amazing sight.

Our cruise had quite a few 'twitchers' (crazy bird lovers... OK,, not crazy just very passionate bird lovers) on board and so we were treated to an incredible bird watching spectacle too! Our boat operator had everyone on board pointing out the birds they saw and then these were identified and lots of opportunities for photos ensued. There were some stunning birds. Tilda made a whole bunch of people's day when she spotted the Azure Kingfisher. She also spotted a Rainbow Bee-eater (my favourite bird since we identified them at Longreach Waterhole) and the Nankeen Night Heron (that she had found and identified at Bitter Springs). I told her I might have to disown her if she becomes a crazy twitcher, but I'm pretty sure she knows I was kidding. As the sunset we got to watch a Jabiru hunt. This is a most incredible sight.. too hard to put into words how amazing and graceful they are. At first it was standing stock still, staring intently into the water and then it saw some prey and it began a “dance”, wings outstretched, legs lifting high as it danced and ran through the shallow water following its prey. With the sun setting behind, it was a truly magical sight.

 Rainbow Bee-eater

Azure Kingfisher (above and below)

Two Jabiru

Male and female brolgas building a nest

Plumed Whistling Ducks (I really liked these guys)

Sea Eagle

Baby Jacana (these were soooo small and cute)

Jabiru

Jabiru hunting

Spoonbill

The water is glassy, so the reflections are beautiful and so clear. It is hard to describe just how stunning the Kakadu wetlands are, so hopefully the pictures do it some justice. We got to watch the sun set over the water of the billabong.