Advertisement
Published: August 20th 2015
Lenny and Ned (the Birdmaster)
Ned is a top guide (and guy) who can drive a boat, joke and talk to the customers and spy out crocs, birds and other fauna (including snakes the size of worms!) all at the same time!!We so enjoyed our Yellow Water Cruise with Ned that when we heard that we could go again on the sunrise cruise for less than half price and get a "free" breakfast we were decided.
So up early (I thought we were on a holiday!) and out to wait with the others at the bus stop at Cooinda.
We got to the dock and were directed to another boat but we asked to go with Ned again and we were able to swap on to Ned's boat.
There were just as many birds as the previous evening but not so many crocs (but that suited us anyway).
The highlight was a pair of white bellied sea eagles together on a branch. At the end of the cruise Ned was kind enough to pose for a photo. Top bloke. Thanks Ned!
Of course we were the last boat back to the dock and that was OK but it did mean that we were at the back of the queue for the free brekky. Never mind, we had nothing else to rush off for so we enjoyed our leisurely breakfast and were amongst the last to leave.
Yellow Waters Billabong and elevated boardwalk
Shame the boardwalk was still closed when we came through After lunch, we were booked on a tour and about a dozen of us were at the same bus stop waiting for Sean and the Animal Tracks bus. Animal Tracks is an authentic bush tucker tour and is guided by an experienced aboriginal woman, Patsy. Sean explains how we should communicate with Patsy so as not to be offensive.
First stop is Patsy's place and a tour of the lagoon. We look for mussels but without much luck.
The next few stops are also to find bush tucker - Lenny excels at finding water chestnuts (you use a hammer) and Georgi is good at identifying and digging up native vegies (roots and yams).
Sean and Patsy share stories and information with us as we travel to the different locations to collect the bush tucker. Patsy surprises us with biscuits and dried bananas (done in her dehydrator the previous night) which we all enjoy.
We reach our final destination late in the afternoon, Goose Camp, where Sean and Patsy get to work creating fire and billy tea and then prepare for dinner.
As no-one has excelled in the collection of bush tucker, we have potatoes and
Yellow Waters Cruise
Pair of White Bellied Sea Eagles other vegies to go with the main courses which are barramundi, buffalo (from the herd at Patsy's), crocodile, and two magpie geese (which Georgi helps to prepare).
A great feast was enjoyed by all as the sunset over Goose Camp. Sean tells us there is 300,000 geese on the lagoon and they certainly make a lot of noise.
Soon it is time to tidy up and take everyone home. Patsy tells more stories about her early days in Arnhem Land.
This is a once in a lifetime experience that we cannot recommend more highly. Thank you Sean and Patsy!
Advertisement
Tot: 0.159s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 11; qc: 29; dbt: 0.1162s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1mb
