Day 76

Day 76 Kakadu

Well I am a bit late in putting this page up as we had a long day today. We started off going to Cahills

Boat ramp

Right across river

Crossing as we had booked a cruise on the Guluyambi on the East Alligator River. Now I have had a go at the naming of places people and usually how unimaginative they can be, but this guy just got it wrong. He thought in 1815 that the crocodiles were alligators and he named the rivers Alligator rivers and there are the East and West and South Alligators. Then Litchfield came through in the 1880’s and he saw the

Right across river and watching

Native Hibiscus Bunnings on a stick

other guy had got it wrong but could not be bothered renaming them as he all these other things to rename, so East Alligator River it is. The tour is a cultural tour and our boat driver and guide was a local, born in Kakadu but his dad was from Arnhem Land so he can go both sides of the river. The guide was very good and had a wealth of information to pass on. We started near Cahills Crossing next to the launching ramp. We noticed the ramp had wire fences on both sides and these two guys were launching their boat there and right across the river were 3 crocs, easily over 2m long. We headed up river, as we went he would identify

Guide with Woomera

Local cooling off

different trees and tell us what they used them for – like the native Hibiscus which they use the flowers as a medicine for upset stomachs when it turns a reddy colour ( the flower, not the stomach), the bark they strip into string for binding spears or making into rope, the branches they make into spear shafts and the bark they use as bandaids for cuts, it has an antiseptic in the sap.

A log or a croc? look close

Maureen absorbing culture

As we were going along there were heaps of crocs just sunning themselves and watching us go past. None were in any hurry what so ever nor were they frightened of the boat. Our guide showed us the bamboo grass they use for spear shafts as well. They use these shafts for fish as the shafts are very light and buoyant and either bring the fish to the surface when speared or bob up when they miss. We went past some small rock ledges where we could just make out some rock painting. He indicated that the rock art

Arnhem land billabong

View from arnhem Land

around the place usually had signs for people coming in as to what they could expect to see in that area – Fish, kangaroos, water, birds – the basics for life. Then there were the religious ones about their culture, but most were sign posts or menus. The Government gave the aboriginals Arnhem Land in the 1930’s and you have to get a permit to drive into the place or get a $100,000 fine! Our guide said that whilst he could show us 20 or 30 rock art sites in Kakadu, there were hundreds if not thousands of sites in

Rock art

Rock art

Arnhem Land, obviously a very special place for them. He had a small piece of Ochre with him and he showed us how it was made into a paste and used on drawings.

We went up the river some way and he dropped us off at a small landing that was on the Arnhem Land side of the river and people got off for a wander around. Maureen went with the others for a climb up the rocks and down to the billabong (the actual thing, not the T-shirt) and then came back to the boat. Our guide then

2 face rock - ET looking left

Maureen in Arnhem Land

showed us some of the spears they use and then a Woomera (throwing stick) he showed why they use the Woomera to extend the range of a spear. He threw one 15 m and then used the Woomera to throw 3 spears almost across the river 75m away, a good demonstration of the physics behind it. The Woomera was also made from the Native Hibiscus as it was light but strong. Back on board we made our way back to

Guide throwing spear

Guide throwing spear with woomera

the ramp and onto dry land.

We had been told by our gardener that when the tide turned at 4:45pm the crocs would congregate at Cahills Crossing and hunt the fish coming up stream. Our initial plan was to fill in the day in the area and watch the tide change and then go to a lookout at sunset that everyone raved about, but we looked at the map and there was not much to see there for 3 hours and it was hot, so we decided to drive back to Jabiru in the Air Con and then wait until 3 and

White breasted Sea Eagle

Waiting quietly at Vahills Crossing

drive back. This we did, came home, had lunch, tidied up and then headed back. We went to Cahills Crossing and got there about 4pm and there were a few others waiting, apparently we were not the only ones to hear about this! We set up some chairs and had a chat to a couple of Canadians here with their trade offices on holidays. The water was running down stream over the crossing and we all made the comment that the river had a long way to go up if it was to flow up

Croc top right with head on road crossing

Native bush chook

stream as we had heard, but no sooner said than the water did start to rise, it soon rose over a metre in 20 minutes and the water started to flow upstream. Apart from the tourists, no one seemed to have told the crocodiles as only 5 or 6 showed up, not the dozens we were told about, and very few fish showed up as well. Bit of a fizzer, but it was good to watch the speed of the tide as well as the crocs

Little wallaby

Rock art

who did show up and how they set themselves up ready for fishing.

From there we had been told to go to Ubirr (oober) where there was some rock art that was accessible for wheel chairs and there was a lookout there that when the sun sets it is spectacular and there are rock art galleries. We drove from Cahills Crossing to Ubirr and I decided to get the Beast out for a run. The problem was I was a little tired and a few, very few mind you,

Art gallery

Sunset Ubirr

colourfull words escaped as I unpacked The Beast from under all our travel stuff, but with Maureens calming words of – shut up and get on with it – I was able to succeed. We set off into the walk and the first thing we saw was a lovely little black footed wallaby, all of 40cm high with a joey. We then moved on and saw some bits of rock art, I think. I do not think I will be getting any grants soon to do a discovery tour of

Maureen at sunset Ubirr

the wild identifying rock art as I still struggle to see it. Maureen went on to another gallery that I could not see as the track was too rough. We met up at the end near the viewing area. I could not go up so I went on and looked at this gallery of rock art, still not a big fan but I am a bit of an art troglodyte. Maureen went up to the lookout and the sun set and she said it was spectacular and looking at the pictures, I would have to agree.

We had been told about a little Thai Restaurant there that was supposed to be good so we decided to try it. What people did not say was how expensive it was. We got 4 spring rolls and a noodle dish and $40 later we were hoping for a really good dish – okay but not spectacular, made up for our free lunch the day before. That was our day and we finished getting back to Girt about 7:30, had our Thai and then went for a swim – had to wait for the kids to leave our pool (kids, Bah, Humbug).