Blogs from Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia, Oceania - page 4

Mon 4 May We set off to explore Kakadu World Heritage with AAT Kings Tour company and Matt as our tour guide. Kakadu National Park covers 20,000 sq km and is the largest terrestrial park, half the size of Switzerland! The first thing we learnt about was the controlled 'Burn off' where the grasses are systematically burnt to promote new growth as has been practised by Aborigines for centuries. These lands have been inhabited by Aborigines for over 20,000 yrs and possibly even 40,000 yrs. Because the land had not been 'cultivated' the British settlers claimed that Australia was uninhabited 'Terra nullis' in the 18th Century and the Aboriginal people had their lands taken from them. This was revoked in the 1990s. The Mirarr are the Traditional Owners (Binninj) of much of the northeast of Kakadu ... read more

Hi Bloggers and loyal followers, Today we had an early wake up of 6am, with our pick up at 0645 to start our tour with WayOutBack. We met our tour guide Mel and the first stop was Kakadu National Park, it was touch-and-go whether this section of the tour would go ahead with Cyclone Lam causing problems with flooding but thankfully it did and pretty much all the itinerary ran the same. Since we were picked up so early, we didn’t really get to chat to anyone on our tour (12 people) as we all went to sleep during the couple of hours driving to the first stop, Fog dam. At Fog dam (mamukala wetlands) it offered a stunning variety of birdlife and amazing views. We then visited the Bowali visitor centre- where we had the ... read more

September 9 - Yellow Water Cruise– Some places defy description, but I’ll try. We left our lovely croc accommodation at 5:45 a.m. and drove to Gagudju Lodge Cooinda where we were bused to the river boats. Our guide, Murray, was a typical Aussie – laid back, with a dry sense of humor and a voice that I’d pay to lull me to sleep. His deep understanding of the area was gained when he moved to the area over 40 years ago and began working in the forestry service often with the aboriginal people. Departing from the dock, we were met with an other-worldly scene as the rising sun lit up the mist and smoke from fires in the area, and the trees reflected off the glassy water. Everywhere we looked there were birds – singing, squawking, ... read more

Window to the Wetlands Interpretive Centre– was a fascinating place set up on a high hill overlooking a large wetland. I was impressed by the number of interactive displays that kept kids and adults engaged. There was a very informative film on the natural cycles of flood and drought. It reminded me of the extremes of seasons in Canada – very cold, and very hot! It also reminded me the belief that Australia is always hot and dry and Canada is always cold and barren. I suppose that’s what people remember, because, well, if you’ve ever been to Canada in the winter, you WILL remember it!! And, if you’ve ever been to Australia in the summer, you WILL remember it. Leaning Tree Lagoon – this was a little jewel covered with bird life and white lily ... read more

We had intended to head for Darwin today but we were both feeling a bit drained by the heat and decided to have another relaxing day in this lovely environment. We spent most of it in the air conditioned van using the computers. I also did some washing, which dried really fast on the line. We had a rather late lunch and then went for a swim in the lovely covered pool, with its fake waterfall at one end cascading in to the water. Knowing how cool it was from last time, I dived straight in but Barry walked in slowly up to the edge of his trunks and just stood there beside a lady who was doing the same. It took a bit of persuading, but he did eventually go all the way in and ... read more