Darwin & the Croc Cruise

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3/8/09 Up & at it early, had breaky & packed our gear & took the girls up to the Doggy Day Care , ( a lady in the park minds them for $10 a day ) & got picked up at the Caravan Park by Harry a very friendly guide from The Adelaide River Cruises for a full day tour with the certainty of seeing Crocodiles. The cruise was $120 each but we had been told it was worth it. We started with a tour of the Fog Dam Wall where there was a lot of history of trying to grow rice in the early days, but it ended up failing because all the water & rice attracted thousands of birds that ate the crops. Plus there was crocodiles & buffalo to contend with as well. The dam was full of bird life, Lotus Flowers & Leaves ( beautiful ) , you could not walk on the Dam Wall as there had been a 6 meter Croc seen several times so it was off limits till it is caught & relocated. Our Guide Harry then took us to see “ The Windows of the Wetlands “ which was interesting. We piled back on the mini bus & were taken to the boat on Adelaide River. It was a flat boat & the tour only took 10 people which was nice, not too crowded. We started off & we were only on the water for 2 mins & we saw this huge Croc swimming in the river, it was amazing. We saw a few more sunning themselves on the bank & great birds & eagles. Harry then treated us to Morning Tea tied up to the bank ( mind you I was ready to walk on water if I saw a Croc near the boat ) . We then got going & we saw more crocs & an eagle that Harry put some meat on an esky lid & he swooped down to collect it in his Talons. It was great, Harry then took us up a side river & saw some more Crocs all the time the tide was going down fast so we thought we should get out of there. Next stop was to Harry’s leased 5 acre property on the river for a BBQ lunch, it was very basic but quaint & great atmosphere . We took a short walk but no one wanted to wander too far for fear of a stray Croc, Buffalo or Snake. We had a great BBQ lunch of steak, rissoles, sausages & salads. We pitched in & helped clean up & were on our way again, this time to fish in the river for 30 mins, although no bites as the water was too cold for Barra . Den had a great time, all the people on the cruise were a good crowd & we all enjoyed it. Next stop was on Goat Island, which is owned by a single guy who is a real character. You can stay on the island & it is very secluded & peaceful. We were greeted at the dock by the owners Jack Russell Dog named “ Hot Dog “ , we all walked up the path & we were greeted warmly & all bought a drink. The barometer on the Island said 38 deg & it felt like it. After an entertaining hour & “Hot Dog” singing to his owners harmonica we got on the boat & headed back. We saw 41 Crocs on the way back, some huge & some baby’s, well we had the best day & if you want to do this trip go with The Adelaide River Cruises as it is a small operation & does not take too many people . We were dropped back at the caravan park & thanked Harry for his very informative & friendly operation. We picked up the girls , who had been good, & went back to the van for Happy Hour & an easy tea. We were both tired it had been a full day in the fresh air & the sun, went to bed happy campers .

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