Kakadu cont.

More aboriginal rock art sites within Kakadu this morning. We visited Nanguluwar art site then Nourlangie. On the walk to Nanguluwar we came across a Cane toad. Cane toads are a real problem. They were introduced to Australia in the 1930’s and have since spread all across Northern Australia. The problem is that they have glands that excrete a very powerful poison and anything that tries to eat them drops dead usually with the cane toad still in its mouth. They’ve been responsible for the extinction of a number of native Australian animals.  Lots of people kill cane toads on sight. We let this one go. The opinion was that it’s not his fault he’s a cane toad.
Tim the guide was telling us that on his last tour they came across a Death Adder just off the path here. Death Adders are about as pleasant as they sound. They are number 4 or 5 on the list of the world’s deadliest snakes. Incidentally, Kakadu also has numbers 1,2,3.






After lunch we took another boat trip, this time on the South Alligator river. This trip took us across the flood plain of the river – one of Kakadu’s wetland areas.  I’ve never seen so much bird life in one place. Sea Eagles, Jabirus, Rainbow Bee-eaters, Egrets were just some of the different birds we spotted. We also saw many more large saltwater crocodiles than we did on the East Alligator yesterday.

Kakadu

Was picked up by Kimberley Wilderness Adventures at 06:25am in Darwin and met the rest of the group. The group is 9 people…4 Australian couples, all retired plus me. Maybe KWA is owned by Saga. There are a couple more people joining in Kunnunura in a couple of days time. The driver/guide is another Tim.
With everyone on board the truck we started off towards Kakadu.  May is one of the best times of year to visit Kakadu. The wet season is over but the land hasn’t had time yet to get completely parched and dried out. Still plenty of water in the rivers and billabongs. We drove about 150km to reach the start of Kakadu then about another 80km into the park, mostly through dense eucalypt forest to arrive at an aboriginal rock art called Ubirr. Then went for about an hours walk stopping at various paintings before climbing to the top of Ubirr rock for the view. From the top of Ubirr you can see  right from the edge of the Arnhem land escarpment across the Kakadu wetlands.






After Ubirr we headed to the East Alligator river. There are no alligators in Australia but the first white people who surveyed the region couldn’t tell the difference between Alligators and crocodiles…and the name stuck. We cruised about 5km up the East Alligator with a guide who is half Czech and half Aboriginal (its a long story). The approach to safety was interesting….To comply with Australian health and safety rules the boat had to have one bright yellow life jacket per person. We were warned though that in an emergency on no account put these on and enter the water. The crocs are particularly attracted to unusual bright colours…The best thing to do with the life jackets to throw them over one side of the boat while you jump over the other and hope the life jacket acts as a decoy for the crocs while you swim to the bank! We saw a few smallish crocodiles but most were underwater waiting for a tourist dinner.


 
The East Alligator is the border between Kakadu and Arnhem Land. Arnhem Land is a Aboriginal reserve about half the size of England. Its complete wilderness and can’t be entered without a permit from the Aboriginal people. We did step off the boat into Arnhem Land for a minute which isn’t strictly allowed.





After the cruise we drove to Jabiru and are staying in the ‘Crocodile Holiday Inn’. The hotel is shaped like a giant crocodile and my room is somewhere around the arse.

Kakadu and The Kimberley

Off on the start of a trip from Darwin to Broome tomorrow. First stop is Kakadu National park – a wilderness about the size of Wales where Crocodile Dundee was filmed. Then on to Katherine before heading west across the Kimberley. There should be Internet access in Katherine and Kununurra but after that no communication until Broome….updates will be more sporadic from now on.

Darwin

Spent the morning looking round Darwin. Darwin is the Capital of the Northern Territory. It’s the largest city by far in the NT with a population of about 110,000 people but feels more like a big country town than a city. Almost the entire town was destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974 so the centre is very new and modern. Temperature is about 30 degrees and fairly humid but it won’t actually rain again this year.  It stays like this now until November. November is the start of the season they call the ‘build up’ when the humidity and temperature climb without it actually raining. People have actually flipped during the ‘build up’ They call it ‘going troppo’. Finally in January the monsoon breaks and there’s a torrential downpour every afternoon until April.
Joined a guided cycling tour in the afternoon that went on cycle paths mainly through park land and round Darwin Harbour.  Guide was informative especially about what happened to Darwin during the Second World War – it was bombed repeatedly by the Japanese.

Ballooning and Laundry

For something to do on the last day in Cairns thought I’d try a go in a hot air balloon. It seemed like a good idea when I booked it. Didn’t seem quite such a good idea when the alarm went off at 03:30am for a pickup at 04:10am. The balloon flight was from Mareeba in the Atherton tablelands over the mountain range from Cairns….hence the early start to give us time to drive there in time for sunrise. In the end it was worth it. The trip lasted about 30 mins. Time enough to go up to about 3000ft, drift along for a bit and back down again. Views over the landscape were beautiful and except for when the burner was on it was very peaceful. To plan for every contingency I had a good look at my fellow passengers and tried to decide which one could be sacrificed in the event that we started sinking into a crocodile infested swamp. In the end I thought it fairest that they all go. I’m sure they were all having the same thoughts….or perhaps its just me.







Bit of ‘excitement’ on the way back to Cairns when a tire blew out at about 60mph. No real drama..the driver just cruised to a stop…then we spent the next hour by the side of the road while the wheel was changed. Finally got back to Cairns and just lazed around for the rest of the day. Tried to figure out how a coin operated laundry works….it was beyond me so gave up and just paid $15 for them to do it for me. Now sitting at the airport waiting for a flight to Darwin.

The Daintree and Cape Tribulation cont.

The rain carried on through the night to the point where the noise on the roof was so loud it was impossible to sleep. Add to that the noise of the forest…birds squawking, frogs croaking and noises that it’s impossible to attribute to any known animal and it was a real racket.



Finally the rain stopped and the sky started to clear just around dawn. Got up and walked down to the beach, past the warning signs for marine stingers and crocodiles. The container underneath the sign contains vinegar. All northern Queensland beaches have a container of vinegar. It’s used to pour onto a Jellyfish sting and can save your life! Unfortunately vinegar does not help with crocodiles. Luckily the only animal that tried to attack me was a Jack Russell.




Walked all the way to Cape Tribulation itself, seeing maybe 4 people in about 4 miles of perfect beach. Eventually made it to Cape Tribulation rather tired and sweaty. Cape Trib. was named by Captain Cook in 1770. This is where it all started to go wrong for him.






After lunch got picked up by Tropical Wings tours and made our way back towards civilisation and the ferry back across the Daintree river. We took a boat cruise on the Daintree and saw a couple of crocs before heading back to Cairns.

The Daintree and Cape Tribulation

 

Checked out of the hotel in Cairns for an overnight stay in the Daintree Rainforest at Cape Tribulation. Cape Tribulation is one of the few places in the world where rainforest comes right down to the beach and meets the reef.

We drove North up the Cook highway to Mossman Gorge via Port Douglas then made our way into the Daintree forest National Park. The road crosses the Daintree river by a cable ferry. The cable ferry is just near a spot where a 5 year old was taken and eaten by a crocodile a few weeks ago. We only saw one quite small croc. lazing on the banks of the river. No one could believe the parents of the kid had allowed him to swim with his dog in a crocodile infested river! Apparently crocodiles are very partial to dogs and swimming with a dog is one of the most dangerous things you can do.

Some way into the Daintree we reached the Rainforest resort. There is almost where the surfaced road runs out. North from here its all 4WD-only dirt track right up to Cooktown and then on to the northern tip of Australia - Cape York.

The Rainforest Resort is a set of wooden cabins right in the forest a short walk from coconut beach. We were given a map showing where it is and isn't safe to go in the water (crocodiles). I decided I'd stay out of the water altogether just in case the crocodiles hadn't got the same map. Another reason not to go in the water is the marine stingers...jellyfish that have got a neuro-toxin powerful enough to kill. Stinger season runs from Jan to May, when the only safe place to swim in the sea in Northern Queensland is within a protective stinger net. Stinger season is just coming to and end now…end of May is the official end.

Soon after arriving a torrential downpour started which lasted all afternoon....Its not called Rainforest for nothing. The forest is now all dripping wet and smells fresh and is unbelievably green.

Took a walk down to coconut beach. The green forest meets the beach here. It really looks like the postcard definition of paradise...even in the rain.

 

 

Rainforest station

After leaving Kuranda we arrived at Rainforest station. Rainforest station is set in the middle of the forest and lets people experience a rain forest close up. After lunch we got aboard an old army amphibious vehicle called a duck and set off into the forest. The driver /guide was incredibly knowledgable about the forest and the plants and animals that live and grow there. One plant definitely to be avoided in the 'stinging tree'. If you come into contact with the innocuous, ordinary looking plant it this causes unbearable, incapacitating pain that can last for up to 2 months! More pleasant were the striking irridescent blue butterflies...who's name escapes me right now. Didn't see many other animals as most were inactive. Being winter in Cairns it was 'only' about 27c which is not warm enough for most reptiles.

I got fooled by the cool mountain air today into not putting any sun cream on and am now paying for it with sunburn.

Kuranda

Today we went up into the mountains to the small town of Kuranda. Kuranda is about 30Km from Cairns and is reached via the Kuranda scenic railway. The train winds it way through the rain forest covered hills and takes about 90 mins to reach the town. The views looking back towards the coast were absolutely spectacular. Kuranda itself is a lush tropical paradise. We had approx. 2 hours in the town which wasn't really long enough. You could spend a fortune in all the upmarket, boutique style gift shops. After about 2 hours looking around the town we went on to Rainforest Station.