Kakadu adventures

On Tuesday, after a night at the Jabiru campground (and a lovely spinach and feta quiche from the bakery for breakfast ) I drove to Ubir (please be patient and I will get brochures later and check spelling of the names).  On the way I went to the cultural centre to find out more about the area.  This place has so much amazing rock art and rock formations.  You can climb up to the top of this rock and look out over the green plains and some wet lands.  The rock art is very old (some I think over 20-40,000 years and some more recent) and they also painted over the art and did more art over the top.  Sort of like updating a news bulletin!  It was hot and windy and nearly got blown off the rock.  Near there is  Border Cafe and I have heard that they have great Thai food.  People usually order their meal, look at the sunset and come back and pick it up.  Sounds like a great idea.  I didn't do the sunset but it was a stunning view anyway!
 Kakadu is an amazing place (even though some "Darwinians" call it "Kakadon't").   It is constantly changing - even though some people might think it is just the wet and the dry season  they say it is really 6 seasons because it changes constantly as the wet lands go down and it gets very dry towards the build up  - different growth seasons for plants etc and the bird and animal life move in the different areas depending on  what is happening.
More later I better check on the laundry (currently in Katherine).  Laundry done then off to a mechanics to check on airconditioner in the car.  It makes a squealy noise.  He said if I got the belts he would fix it tomorrow so that is good.  Then back to the park and forgot that I was also defrosting my little fridge!  Water everywhere on the floor.  Well I am Aeroguarded up as I am near a lagoon at the Springvale Homestead.  Heaps of backpackers here.  Not that I am against backpackers!  I was parked near a few tents that had heaps of empty bottles lined up so I moved along a bit.  It is very nice but I am sure there are heaps of midgies and mozzies!
Anyway where was I.  That's right back in Kakadu.
After Ubir I went to Norlangie on the way to Cooinda.  There is more rock art and walks there and also a beautiful lake Annabang (remember I will do correct names later).  I was so hot and tired when I got to Cooinda Lodge camp ground.  It is just so busy there as all the Yellow water boat tours leave from there.  I lined up in a queue at reception and then found out it was $46 a night powered site!  I said I would think about it and thought the pool looked good so turned around to book and another queue.  Then the guy sent me to the wrong site!  Well eventually I got settled in and also bumped into Sandra and Bob (campground neighbours from Darwin).  I had a swim then a drink with them and then salad in the van as so many bities around.  The next day I was lucky enough to get on an Animal Tracks tour that a woman i talked to at the wave pool in Darwin recommended.   It was expensive but she said definitely worth it.   It left at 1 pm and went till 9 pm.   Rachel was an excellent guide and we went in a open air 4WD bus to a buffalo farm (buffalos are now just kept in one farm with electric fences as the rest were culled in the 1980's as they were ruining the landscape and damaging levy banks and some fresh and salt water areas being joined up)  They are an introduced species and there were about 300,000 of them.  It was an enviromental issue but also the USA who were importing our beef said they wouldn't do it if there was a chance of buffalo contaminating our beef cattle.  So something was done about it when it became an economic issue!
Anyway it was an amazing experience.  We picked up Patsy, an aboriginal woman who accompanied us to show us where bush tucker was and we had to get hands on and search for it.
We got muscles, water chestnuts and tasted ants.  Each time they do the tour they search for what ever is in season and what they are allowed to eat culturally as there are laws on what should be eaten at different seasons .  We had dinner cooked in the traditional way on hot coals and in paperbark and leaves and watched the sunset over the wet lands and listened to thousands of geese.
We also had wild geese and barramundi and damper cooked on the coals.   It was such a wonderful experience and everyone enjoyed it.   I would do it again and recommend it to anyone.  You got to hear about the way the bush people/traditional owners live.  Some great stories were told by Patsy.   I was very tired by the end of the day as looking for bush tucker is hard work and I would starve if I depended on it as I didn't find a single muscle or a waterchesnut!  There were kids on the trip and they all found things!!!  So many wonderful memories of the evening.
I camped down the road the road that night at a national park camp ground ($10 no power) but shower and toilets and a beautiful spot near a lagoon.  I went for a short walk near the lagoon but kept thinking of those crocs! 
I did a boat cruise next day around Yellow Water and saw water lilies, birds and crocs.
I think the Northern Territory is a wonderful place!    I really can't describe in words who it gets in your skin!  Well figuratively and literally (with all the bugs and dirt!)

I drove out of Kakadu thinking that it would be great to visit again and would be better in a 4WD as there are places that would be great that Myrtle couldn't get to (sorry Myrtle you are a great van and I do appreciate you! but you do have limitations.)

I stayed in Pine Creek on the way back to Katherine.  A funny little place.  I had a bacon and egg sandwich at Maysie's for breakfast then back to Katherine (and a visit into Edith Falls on way - a really nice place for a swim).
More later - getting eaten by mozzies at the camp kitchen.