I decided to give you a special earworm as the title of this post courtesy of Agadoo by Black Lace that faboulously artistic cutting edge band of the eighties. I just couldn’t think of what else to du du du, actually I am sure I could have but I just can’t resist reminding people of those finer things in life.
We had a relatively short little drive to our first Kakers stop of Jabiru (jabber jabber ruuu as Fred Flintstone might call it), where we set up at the campground where you get your own ensuite. Monja was mighty impressed. I have to say that after having stopped at many different van parks and hearing the morning chorus that you do at shared facilities, it was nice to not share for change. Anyway as much as I know you’d love more details I will move straight onto the morning cruise we did up the East Alligator River. The river is the border between Kakadu and Arnhem Land and is more like the murky rivers we’re used to as it is tidal. We did a hour and a half and went upstream until we got to the freshwater and our guide (a local aboriginal guy) stopped at a special spot so that we could have a little walk around a billabong on the Arnhem Land side of the river. The amount of crocodiles warming themselves up on the sunny side of the river bank was absurd. Salties might’ve been close to extinct at some stage in the seventies but it seems they have made a full recovery.
crocs, crocs and more crocs -BIG ones
Down the road from the cruise spot was Ubirr, which is an astounding aboriginal art site. Amazing to contemplate that some of these sites have been occupied for 6000 years. We have been hoping to be able to show the kids some aboriginal art sites and I doubt they get much better than this.
amazing overhang 
covered with paintings
grind stone 
The boat ramp where we had to meet the cruise at was very close to Cahill’s Crossing which is a very well known spot around these parts so we walked down there to spot the crocs all lined up to catch a barra or two as they swam over the crossing. We saw a couple of cars take the crossing too. A very tricky business which I wouldn’t even contemplate. There was a few people fishing but I didn’t see anyone catch anything.
Our next stop was at Cooinda. We stopped at another art site (Burrungkuy) and an interpretive centre on the way from Jabs. Our first morning there we took a dawn cruise on the Yellow Water billabong and then onto the upper part of the East Alligator River. We saw lots of animals, more crocs (of course) and some birds and four other boats full of tourists. This tour included a free buffet breakfast back at the resort/caravan park….. that it made it a real winner.
We spent the next day doing a day trip to Maguk, which is another waterfall and pool. We went to the upper pools first and had a great time before too many people got there and then went down to the big pool at the bottom of the falls, beautiful and brimming with stacks of visitors. The road into this place was the worse one for corrugations ever and I think we all needed an hour to stop shaking afterwards, (and contemplate that $100 I just spent getting the wheel alignment done at Darwin).
Magic
Next stop is in Edith Falls at Nitmiluk National Park about 50km north of Katrherine.
Martins On The Edge 
WOW I didn’t get to du du Kakadu!!!! OMG now I have that bloody pineapple song stuck in my head grrrr!!! lol
Great pools to swim in. There seem to be lots and lots of steps…. YUCK!!!
Kazza xx
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Brilliant photos again Mr Martin! Cahill’s Crossing is legendary for it’s ill-advised crossing attempts – love to have been there to bathe (metaphorically!) in it’s death defying atmosphere and seductive lure…
The rock art looks brilliant – I’ve shown photos and videos of most of those photographed by you lot via the screen at school, but to be there in person must be a, dare I say it, awesome treat! To come back with that sort of first hand experience – as with most of your journey – is really quite amazing.
Loving it as always!
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