It’s been very hot today with a temperture of 38C (100F). The last few days (and the next week are no different). The trick is to freeze your warer bottles overnight so that they stay cold for a good part of the day.
From Point Stuart Wilderness Lodge, we drove toward Kakadu National Park along the Arnhem Highway. The vegetation consisted of unending tropical scrub until we reached the South Allligator River where its flat flood plain began.
The South Alligator River is the first river we came across as we entered the Kakadu National Park. The river is rich with local wildlife and it is apparently common to see buffalo, jabiru, cockatoos, white egrets, magpie geese and whistler ducks. The river was flowing very quickly in what seemed to be the wrong direction so I assume that the river is tidal and the tide was coming in around the time that we we there.
Near the park entrance is the Mamakala Observation Point. It is a bird hide and is only a short walk from the car park. The Observation Point has a shaded platform from where it is possible to observe the birdlife on the edge of the wetlands. There are some helpful wall charts to help you identify the bird species on the lake but many birds were hidden amongst the large spread of Lotus Lilies.
We reached the town of Jabiru at lunchtime and after refuelling we found a shady picnic area near the lake.
Jabiru is named after the First Nation word for a large native bird sometimes known as the black-necked stork or the ‘policeman-bird’. The town was created in 1982 to house workers at the nearby Ranger Uranium Mine. Today, the town has a range of services, the famous Gagadju Crocodile Inn (a hotel in the shape of a crocodile (where we are staying), a town plaza and somer leisure facilities for the residents (most of whom are mine workers). The town actually looked a a little sad. There are a number of vacant shops and it doesn’t seem to be the thriving town that it may once have been.
We have mentally divided Kakadu National Park into three sections and we spent this afternoon in the central area by visiting Nourlangie Rock which is part of the area known as the Mt. Brockman Massif. There are over 100 sacred sites in this area, some dating back 20,000 years. The area has a number of cave sites and there is evidence of quarries where the local First Nation people made their stone implements. Interestingly some of the caves include drawings of thylacines, Tasmanian tigers, which presumably lived in the area at the time the paintings were done.
Even in this hot weather it was worth a walk to some of the galleries where these paintings exist. To think that they are at least 10,000 years old and perhaps as old as 20,000 years is quite amazing.
Our final stop for the day was at Anbangbang Billabong. A sweltering 250 metre walk took me to the billabong from the car park. There was a lovely view back to Nourlangie Rock across the almost dry billabong with its plentiful birdlife.
In this area, the standard crocodile warning signs have been suplemented with one warning about wild buffalo. For saftey’s sake it is important not get too close to the water, let alone go swimming or even troll your hand in the water while boating.
