In the Top End- Bird Week and Kakadu

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After a relatively short drive from Leliyn, we arrived in Cooinda on 27th with much excitement as we looked forward to Bird week, seeing our friends Luke and Sarah and as we think Kakadu is such an amazing place. Surpisingly, one of Merlin's friends, Alec, and his family were also in Kakadu and had decided to stay in Cooinda as well- we ended up camping next to each other for about 5 days which was fabulous for the kids to hang out together.

Sat morning we were booked on the sunrise cruise of Yellow Waters with Luke. We were really keen to see, and get shots of, many of the special creatures up here but in particular, the Little Kingfisher, the Black Bittern and the Golden Tree Snake. The mist across the water as we took off just before sunrise was eerie and yet as we headed out on the water, it was a sense of serenity. The cruise was fun and very productive in terms of wildlife. As we had managed to get the front positions on the boat (the early bird gets the good seats!) we were in perfect positioning to yell out what species we were spotting so that everyone got to see as many animals as possible. The group were terrific, lots of fun and even though not all were into birds, those that werent were really keen to see what was on offer. Although we dipped on the Little Kingfisher, the bird list was substantial, including the cryptic Black Bittern and Great Billed Herons. A few crocs were of course seen with the best experience being only a few metres from one who was obviously tired and yawning to show off the results of his impeccable teeth cleaning skills! In addition we were stoked to get a glimpse of the Golden Tree Snake (picture a very slender creamy golden coloured snake about 90cm in length) before it slithered off but by way of acting like a trapeze artist from one vine and then swinging across to the next. The cruise sadly came to an end but the cream on top, especially in Merlins eyes, was the buffet breakfast that was included back at Cooinda lodge- as you can imagine two boys had their fill!!

Chris' work then commenced that afternoon and evening and on most days for the following week. In between these times, the boys played and we explored the magnificent landscapes of Kakadu NP. It is mostly savannah woodland on the verges of the enormous sandstone escarpments, then there are wetlands, billabongs and interspered with monsoon forests along the waterways. From a risk perspective, in the park, the only places that are deemed as completely safe to swim are the pools in the caravan parks however there are some areas deemed 'low risk'. I found this quite funny as i pictured the low risk being dependent on your swimming competency! Seriously though when you are getting days of 40+ anywhere to cool down is appealing. We went to Maguk waterhole one day. This is a 1km walk in winding through the paperbarks, palms and pandanus and takes you to a natural waterhole- it is stunning. Once you arrive the concerns re 'low risk' seem to be forgotten as everyone is just keen to get some relief from the heat. My approach was a bit more ruthless- see if there are other people in the rock pool already and dispersed throughout and if so then i was pretty confident we would be safe!!There were quite a number of people there so in we went- it was so refreshing!! Our days were jam packed with walks, swimming, playing and then listening to/participating in the Bird week activities. We attended talks and walks and it was fabulous.

We went to the impressive Ubirr rock which is sandstone escarpment rising above the surrounding wetlands and woodlands. The Rainbow Serpent in local Bininj culture is the ancestral creator of the area. We learnt about her resting place and saw it marked by a serpent shaped picture/colouration in the rocks - that was not manmade rock art!! We also learned about the extremely sophisticated and complex kinship system that is the foundation of Bininj culture. Essentially everyone is born into one of the two moieties (groups) which are based on fathers group and these are either Duwa or Wurridj. Then skingroups are assigned based on mothers group. All women in one skingroup, whether blood relative or not, are considered sisters, mums, aunties etc..This therefore is the foundation of care- there are many who you look after and who look after you. When of age, males are not able to converse with, see, or interact with any female of his skin group. Based on the kinship system and what skin group you are in, there are particular skingroups that you can marry. Mathematicians have marvelled at this complex structure and that its very nature ensures genetics/bloodlines remain pure.The rock art that is here was amazing and based on the pictures depicted ( ie freshwater species, megafauna etc) dates back to 65000+ years. There was also art representing first contact with white man and various visual stories of experiences that occurred- warring tribes, etc..

Another highlight of Kakadu for me was, on one of our regular rides to the Warudjan Cultural Centre, we found out that Auntie Elizabeth ( a local traditional elder) was going to be showing people how to weave and make rope. The next morning we headed out to sit with, and learn, this intricate and time consuming process. The pandanus fronds are used to make the bracelets, earrings and mats, whilst other palm fronds are used for rope for dilly bags etc.. Different colours are achieved by using dye made from crushing berries, tree roots, the leaves or flowers such as the yellow kapok and others. The process of weaving, although simple to follow, is painstakingly slow and concentration is required to ensure the same level of tension is used to achieve the patterns and strength required, particularly for large baskets, bowls etc.. Merlin and I both made bracelets and we found it quite relaxing and peaceful sitting with Auntie Elizabeth and creating these beautiful pieces.

The campground was full of wildlife, with our spot being home to the pheasant coucal, rose crowned fruit doves, azure kingfishers, howling dingoes, (who decided to play chasey around the campo one night at 3 in the morning- quite fun to listen to!) our favourite the bush stone- curlews, and numerous geckoes. We were lucky enough to attend a sunset cruise and this was even better than the sunrise cruise (except sadly, dinner was not included- the boys were devo!). Seriously though, it was so tranquil and we were especially lucky to strike the Little Kingfisher - this is the smallest of all Australian kingfishers however i would say the length of its beak would be the same as its height!! What a weapon- watch out fish! It is a spectacular metallic royal to navy blue on the head and back with a crisp white face and tummy- just stunning. Merlin and i went on several runs and rides and my favourite was when we did our own triathlon! Obviously with consecutive days of 40 and 41 we got up super early to get started- we ran 4km, rode on the bike 10km and then came back and did 10 laps of the pool- it was lots of fun.

Chris' work came to an end and it was time to move onto Jabiru to experience more of the northern end of the park. It was sad to leave Cooinda as we loved it there but knew the next part would also be terrific. Once up at Jabiru, again days were busy. We headed into the Kubara pools ( not for swimming!), and also experienced Bardijiljie and other walks- the wildlife is prolific!! One thing i found really disturbing was the amount of fires frequently occurring - and these werent even necessarily part of the Parks management burning regime. So much has been burnt and continues to be burnt. We did the Mangarre walk which is through Monsoon forest and there were large logs still smouldering !!- this is rainforest alongside East Alligator River and shouldn't be able to burn!! Some mosaic burning, early in the season is needed but this much, this intense and this frequent does not seem advantageous for the wildlife or the vegetation structure.

We went to Cahill's Crossing which is the road connecting Arnhem Land with Kakadu. Surprisingly, for a road which has quite a bit of traffic and crosses a nautoriously dangerous river (East Alligator River is full of crocs), people are reliant on knowing the tide times and travelling at low tide to remain safe. There are numerous communities in Arnhem land who traverse this crossing and i think its unbelievable in this age that it is still a just a single track, rocky crossing and no safer alternative is underway. I can understand you would risk going across in higher tides if its late and you are just wanting to get home to your family. We headed across at low tide to experience the brilliance of Arnhem Land. The landscape here is just as amazing as Kakadu but wilder. More floodplains and escarpments. Beautfiul wetlands that try to entice you into them if you were oblivious to the world of crocs lurking within. We were headed for the community of Gunbalanya (Oenpelli) to visit the renowned Injalak Arts centre co-op. The not-for-profit centre is 100% owned by local Aboriginal people with 200 active contributing artists and weavers from the community and those from surrounding homelands. The variety of creative output here is phenomenal with weavers, fabric painters, screen printing, illustrators, authors, carvers and more. We were lucky enough to have a chat with Graham an author and illustrator of childrens books. He has lived in the Gunbalunya area his whole life and recalled times when it was a huge wet and they were inundated for weeks and stories of the crocs in the wetlands. After buying a few goodies from the centre we headed off.

Travelling back to Jabiru we were lucky enough to see beautiful Red-tailed Black Cockatoos flying over and then perched in the trees- such majestic birds who make flyjng look effortless. That night back at camp we had 2 more wonderful wildlife experiences. The first was at the pool- after making several serious whirpools in the spa section (& inspiring random people to join in on the action) we were just getting out when one of our new 'whirlpool friends' came over and asked if we wanted to see a snake-'yeh absolutely' we announced excitedly, 'where is it?' we asked. He pointed to the end of the pool. We got over there as quick as we could and as soon as Merlin saw it he exclaimed 'its a water python!!'. It was a beautiful sleek dark grey with a pale yellow along its underside. Merlin got into position and managed to coax it away from the skimmer box and towards the nearby tree for safety, not before enjoying the wonderful views and attracting a bevy of adults and kids alike coming in to see it and ask Merlin questions about what species it was, whether it was venomous, what it eats, why it has the pits on lower jaw of it's head, its tongue etc..He was the real junior herpetologist and it was terrific to see him imparting his knowledge and passion to others in a way that was clear to understand and infectious!!Then on the way back to camp we checked in on our washing and there was a gorgeous Green Tree Frog sitting on the machine (just waiting for us!)- he was so cute and Merlin and he had a nice chat while we got the washing off the line and then said farewell for the night.

Next morning the time had come to leave Jabiru and Kakadu and head for Darwin and surrounds- we were travelling to Tumbling Waters to hopefully see the rare and engandered Gouldian Finches that have turned up in huge numbers ( due to such dry and harsh conditions). Thankyou to everyone at home for sending us comments on the blog, emails or messages- its great to hear from you. Enjoy and stay safe, til next time xx

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