Lichfield & Kakadu day 2

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We were up at a more reasonable hour today & headed off to Kakadu NP - a huge national park valued for both its natural and cultural importance. Our first stop was at the visitors centre before going over to see the Nourlangie rock art (althouh not strickly speaking art as the aborigines used these images to tell their stories, both myths and lessons).

After this we went for a walk to the Gubara Springs where we went for a swim. We swam across one stream the walked a short distance through the rainforest (in bare feet & bikinis/swimmers) to a series of waterfalls. We swam in the lower plunge pool for a bit then most of us followed Debden in a series of swims & climbs up the waterfalls to a higher plunge pool where we swam & splashed around. It was all so idyllic - the lush rainforest surounding these falls & plunge pools you could swim or sit in.

This is the advantage of visiting the area at this time of year. Earlier & it's the Dry season with little flowing water in many of the falls we visited. A little later into the Wet season & the flows are either too strong or the roads are flooded out or the flooded land allows Salties to get to bathing sites.

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Photos

Kakadu
Our lovely tour group entering Kakadu NP

Hunting scene
Nourlangie

Nabulwinjbulwinj
A dangerous spirit who eats young females after striking them with a yam!
Nourlangie

Anbangbang gallery
Namarndjolg (top centre), Namarrgon the lightning man (top right), Barrginj his wife (under Namarndjolg) & groups of men & women on their way to a ceremony with the popular Guluibirr fish.
Nourlangie

Namarnjolg's feather
The single stone on the first step down.
Nourlangie

Path to the Gubara Springs
Note the burnt wood on the right - controlled burning has managed & shaped the country for thousands of years.

Gubara springs
Just down from the waterfalls.