Donderdag 27september2012

Vandaag staat Katherina Gorge op het programma.

Bij het visitorcenter worden we verwelkomd door 2 wallibies die wonder boven wonder uit onze handen komen eten. Wat een wonderbaarlijke ervaring! Ze nemen mijn handen vast als kleine aapjes en eten met een snuitje van een konijn.

Uit de vele mogelijkheden besluiten we de Butterfly Gorge walk te doen. We zweten liters water uit ons lijf en vullen die onmiddellijk terug aan. Mijn shortje glijdt bijna van mijn poep! Gezuiverd zijn we hier in ieder geval al zeker. Ik moest even denken aan de Spa-kuren…
De wat saaie wandeling in de hitte wordt beloond door een prachtig zicht op de tweede gorge. We plonzen onmiddellijk het water in en zwemmend verkennen we de kloof. Mooi. Een goede optie hier is kayakken maar het zal hoogstwaarschijnlijk ook puffen zijn in dat bootje!

Als afsluiter van de dag rijden we naar de Edith Falls waar we opnieuw het water induiken voor een afkoeling. Hier is er ook een wandeling naar de upperpools maar dit is niet meer haalbaar voor the sunset.

Enkele kilometers terug vinden we een inham waar we kunnen inrijden. De weg gaat helemaal inwaarts en we vinden er een kampplaats helemaal voor onszelf. Na het avondmaal nemen we samen de toeristische informatie door en bereiden onze dagen voor door Kakadu NP.

Vrijdag 28september2012

Vandaag rijden we het wereldbekende Kakadu National Park binnen. Onze eerste stop is Gunlom waar we een steile wandeling maken tot the upper pools. Ons zweten wordt beloond door enkele idyllische rotspools, een waterval en een prachtig uitzicht over de omgeving…vanuit het water. We verfrissen er ons en nemen onze lunch in het water. Dat mag je lekker niet aan het zwembad van een 3ster-hotel!

Na de middag rijden we verder. Onderweg maken we kennis met de “gecontroleerde bushfires”. Men gaat hier de lage vegetatie in brand steken. Het vuurtje gaat smeulend verder. Blijkbaar doet men dit om verschillende redenen: ongediertebestrijding, bij echte bosbrand kan mijn vlugger het vuur onder controle krijgen, en voor de hernieuwing van de vegetatie. De Aboriginals deden dit vroeger ook. Ze waren ervan overtuigd dat vuur een vernietiger is maar tegelijkertijd een bron van vernieuwing.

De volgende stop zijn de Yellow Waters, een wetland met een rijke fauna en flora. De meeste toeristen komen hierheen voor the salties, de grote, gevaarlijke krokodillen. We vinden het nogal massatoerisme en besluiten het geld te sparen voor iets anders.

Vanavond logeren we op Jim Jim Billabong. Het is een bushcamping aan de rivier. Zo noemt men hier een camping zonder sanitaire voorzieningen. Lekker rustig!

Zaterdag 29september2012

Vandaag willen we de streek rond Nourlangie verkennen. Dit is voor de Aboriginals een heilige rots, net zoals Ubirr. Het eigenaardige is dat in Kakadu alle rotsen 1meter afsluiten door erosie op 1000jaar. Alleen Nourlangie en Ubirr blijven gespaard. Eigenaardig dat de Aboriginals juist die 2stenen uitkozen als heilige plekken!

We gaan er eerst enkele Rock Art Galleries bezoeken. Daar geeft een ranger wat uitleg over the figuren. “In a time where there was no time, on a place where there was no place, gods created things…” En alles kon in 2 gedeeld worden…mannelijk en vrouwelijk.

Daarna beginnen we aan de Barrk Bushwalk die ons naar de Nanguluwur rotschilderingen zal leiden. De wandeling begint met een stevige klim op de rotsen. We vragen ons even af of dit wel de juiste beslissing is…de wandeling is blijkbaar 6 tot 8 uur in de broeiende hitte. We zetten door en worden beloond met prachtige landschappen. Een typische vegetatie zijn de eucalyptusbomen met een soort varens erronder. In de vallei wandelen we door hoog en droog speergras.
Aangekomen bij de artsite zien we een bordje: carpark-1,5km… Dit is even lachen. We moesten dus helemaal niet wandelen om deze historische plaats te zien. Maar geen van beiden hadden we deze prachtige natuurervaring willen missen! We wandelen de laatste 6km terug en binnen de 4uur zijn we terug bij de auto! Moe en voldaan!

Als afsluiter rijden we naar de Anbangbang Billabong Walk. Wat we hier te zien krijgen, is bijna niet te beschrijven! Een wetland vol watervogels bij ondergaande zon. Pelikanen, aalscholvers, reigers, knobbelganzen, speervissers, zwarthalsganzen,….een uitzonderlijk biotoop! En natuurlijk zitten hier ook krokodillen. Voor hen is deze een festijn. Zelfs de kangoeroes komen hier drinken! We zijn nu wel blij dat we gisteren dat bootje niet namen op de Yellow Waters!

Met onze laatste krachten wandelen we naar de Nawurlandja lookout. Vanop een rotsplateau hebben we uitzicht over Nourlangie en de omgeving. Adembenemend!

Onze Janis zetten we vanavond op de bushcamping Malabanjbanjdju.

Zondag 30september2012

Vandaag wordt het een slenterdag. ‘t Is te zeggen een normale dag voor een gemiddelde toerist met maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaar 9 km stappen op het programma.
De dag begint met een regenbui….lekker verfrissend… Dat deed ons toch even terugdenken aan België… Na weken in die hitte kan je alleen maar dromen van water!

Onze eerste inspanning is de Illigadjarr walk. Deze wandeling gaat door een wetland met prachtige lotusvelden in volle bloei. Wie kan er zich een prachtiger morgengroet inbeelden?

De volgende stop is het Bowali visitor center waar we door een prachtige tentoonstelling wandelen over Kakadu National Park. Bij het verlaten van het centrum beseffen we dat we al heel veel gezien hebben van het park met onze krachtige beentjes.

Bart droomt al dagen van de salties, de grote krokodillen. Aan Cahills Crossing hebben we prijs. Het is hoog tij en dan komt er veel vis binnen en dus ook…krokkies!!!
De dieren leggen zich in de stroom met hun muil open en wachten tot er een visje binnenkomt. Dan zie je hen de vangst verorberen met grote zwaaibewegingen. Never seen before!!!

Na deze prachtige ervaring wandelen we de Bardedjilidji Walk. Deze wandeling gaat tussen gelaagde zandsteenrotsen.

Bij de Manngarre Walk krijgen we vliegende honden te zien. Ze hangen met honderden omgekeerd in de bomen van het regenwoud. Ze lijken op vleermuizen maar hun kop is als het ware die van een vos.

Als afsluiter gaan we naar Ubirr voor de wereldbekende rotsschilderingen en het uitzicht over de floodplains bij sunset.

Voor de avond zetten we ons op de Merl camping met …..een douche!!!

Maandag 1oktober2012

De laatste dag van onze Kakadu-ervaring brengen we door in the Mamukala Wetlands. Hier zitten er op dit tijdstip van het jaar honderden zwartnekganzen. We laten hen even schrikken en ze vliegen met tientallen op. wat een ervaring!

De volgende stop, the Gungarre walk, is niet veel speciaals. Onze eerste ice cream in Australië is eigenlijk veel interessanter!

Een korte stop bij het centrum “Window on the wetland” leert ons dat we veel gezien hebben tijdens onze wandelingen.

Tegen valavond rijden we Darwin binnen. Gebouwen, verkeer, verlichting…we voelen ons het bushkoppel die de grote stad binnenrijdt.
We laten ons eerst verwennen met een maaltijd aan de haven. Bart neemt een kangoeroehamburger en ik fish met chips. Amai, wat een luxe na 6weken koken op ons kampvuurtje. Daarna gaan we als 2tortelduifjes naar de openlucht cinema. We zien er een prachtfilm: The door. Schitterend!!!
En als afsluiter gaan we nog iets drinken in de enige uitgansstraat van Darwin.
Wat was dat een verwendag!!! We voelen ons als herboren!!!

En als toemaatje:
Bij het installeren van onze auto in één van de woonwijken van Darwin zie ik opeens een 2meter lange slang (5kronkels) razendsnel over het asfalt passeren richting onze car. Ik kan nog juist op de auto springen en Bart verwittigen. De slang was nog slechts enkele cm verwijderd van zijn voeten. Gelukkig kon hij nog net wegspringen (wat ook niet altijd aan te raden is). We kwamen er dus met de schrik vanaf. Je verwacht dit wel in de buch maar niet temidden van de stad!

Dinsdag 2oktober2012

Vandaag wordt het een relaxday in Darwin. Botanical gardens, museum of art, beachwalking, Mac Donald voor de blog en een avondmaal bij zonsondergang op de rode kliffen aan het strand.

First things first… Crossing the border between Western Australia and The Northern Territories indicates we make a leap in time, 1.5 hours, but a far more natural time measuring system according to us. Where our days in Western Australia started at 5:15am till 5:15pm – daylight time, have we now days from 6:45am till 6:45pm. Much better for people who always have trouble with awakening and early mornings.
There is an import restriction at the border… Fruit, vegetables, plants and animals are strictly controlled at the WA border, to safeguard their own species and wildlife. We didn’t realise that the night before, so we have an esky with onions, carrots, apples, oranges and potatoes. Things they surely will confiscate. We hide them inside our clothes before leaving the WA territory, but got a free passage, only the other direction is strongly controlled. So everyone who enters WA be warned…

And then it is driving till Katherina. Not our favourite spot. We need to get some more supplies in the Coles and Woolworth supermarkets and by returning to our car, a group of drunk Aboriginal people leans against our car. They even spilled some flasks of beer under our engine, so is looks like the car leaks. Quite an uncomfortable moment, but no harm done.
After the shopping, we prepare dinner under street lights near the hot springs in the city. A luxury we enjoy after so long living by torches and candlelight. After all, we spent too long at Skype and on the net – the last weeks we had no connection at all, so it is time to let everyone at home know all is well with us – that we miss the opportunity to jump into the springs. After that we drive out the city towards the Nitmiluk National Park. There we find a nice sleeping spot along the road…

Our visit to the Nitmiluk Park starts with a walk into the famous Katherina Gorge… Before we start the walk, we spot some wallabies in the gardens before the visitors centre – a wonderful modern building! A friendly ranger tells us that they probably will eat out our hands when we feed them. We give it a try and – amazing – they come and get some Wheatbix out our hands. Such lovely animals… An excellent start of the walk!
We don’t want to walk that much, so we take an intermediate walk to the Butterfly Gorge, some 6,5 km. Actually there are 8 parts of the Gorge, with walking trails from 3 km up to hikes of 40 km’s.
In the beginning of the walk a famous Aboriginal story is told about the creation of the Gorge. With the rainbow snake going at land, carrying all its waters with him, so the other animals have lots of thirst – by 45 degrees we also sweat and want lots of water! But when the snake goes for a rest, a bat has hidden in the trees and strikes the snake with a spear. Afterward he releases the water bag the snake carried all the time and since then, Katherina Gorge is filled with waters. Now the snake lies coiled up in the second gorge… A location you cannot disturb – or only at your own risk.
They also explain the naming of the park, after the sound of the chirrups – nit nit nitnit.
The last part of the trip goes trough some rainforest and there we find out the name of this part of the gorge. We pass along a wall, filled with butterflies. They fly happily and colourful around. Upon arrival at the gorge we enjoy the beautiful views, but like more the deep, cool waters and go for a good swim. In this endless river, we can keep swimming. With these temperatures the only nice option.
At certain times salties can enter this waters, but we’re already far in the gorge, other people are swimming around us and the heat makes us dizzy. So with not that much thinking, we jump in the cool waters. Splash!
Afterward we drive to the other attraction in the park… The Edith Falls. Upon arrival we simply take a jump into the first and easiest pool. The 2,5 km trail to the Rock Pool is probably for another time, for now we’re happy with the huge mass of water! We just want to cool down, before going to our campsite along the road to the falls. There we hide, unseen in the landscape for a refreshing sleep.

Next morning, we head to the main attraction in this region, the Kakadu Park with its indigenous Aboriginal Rock Art and amazing ecosystem, the park holds the entire floodsystem of the South Alligator River inside its borders. The rock formations are considered among the oldest known on earth and the area is already 50’000 years continuously inhabited by Aboriginal People, nowadays people from the Bininj / Mungguy group. They lived and cared for this land for tens of thousand years, connecting their spirits with it. These people invite us now to live and enjoy the beauty of their habitat.
They tell us the following “Our land has a story. Sometimes we tell a little bit at a time. Come and hear our stories. See our land. A little bit might stay in your hearts. If you want more, you can come back.”
According to their stories this land is shaped by many animals. One of the most important is the rainbow serpent. She created passages trough rocks and formed waterholes in the landscape. She also split rock faces and created ranges of hills. Now she lie coiled into certain waterpools… Beware not to wake her!
Another creator ancestor is Barrk – the black wallaroo. A male and female traversed the area and created a part of the area around Nourlangie.

We enter these lands during the Gurrung – the hot dry season. At that time most of the falls already dried, the enormous wetland areas are shrinking and the vegetation has dried. Everything prepares for a new wet monsoon era to arrive. This time is the park the best accessible.
Another important remark for this park is the presence of the salties – salt water crocodiles. It is a dangerous and aggressive specie, who is known to have attacked and killed humans. The rivers are all inhabited with these animals and unless locations are stated as safe swimming areas, it is strictly forbidden to swim or go close to the waters.

We enter the park at the Southern End, coming from Katherina, passing Pine Creek and then we turn on the Kakadu Highway. The powerful Creation Ancestors are believed to rest here and may not be disturbed by anyone! Therefore this country is also known as the sickness country, when people disturb the ancestors, they will become unwell. Scientists tell us this is because of the poisonous uranium ore in that area.
The landscape here is formed by an escarpment wall that once formed a huge cliff at the shoreline. This wall creates now many falls and beautiful rock pools. We head to the Gunlom area, for a refreshing noon swim. The fall has almost completely dried out, but we head to the rock pools at the top of the fall. After a short, steep climb we get there and jump immediately into the waters.
From the cool pools, we enjoy the magical view over the landscape, observe a small river cancer operating in the pool and swim from one to another. After a couple of hours, we climb down, still enjoying all.
The other important remnants of this escarpment wall – the Jim Jim Falls and the Twin Falls – we skip, because that late in the season, they hardly bear water.

From there we drive to the famous Wetland region, known as the Yellow River, with just a little stop at the Bukbukluk Lookout. Before a visit to the Wetlands, we just take a look in the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre. This centre has the form of a pig-nose turtle and holds much information about the Aboriginal Culture. Unluckily we don’t have time to read many stories, so we only enjoy the scenery.
During the driving we face numerous termite mounds, these animals are the real, hidden force in this landscape. With millions they reduce the old woods, clean the area and never cease to do their important jobs to keep these savannah lands alive and healthy.
Most people go there for a boattrip on the Yellow Waters, to spot some crocodiles and enjoy the many birds along the way. We don’t feel that much for such a trip and go for a small walk around the area. Unfortunately it’s closed.
So we head for one a little bit lower, at Mardugal Billabong, but this one proves to be totally uninteresting. Later we’ll try some other billabong walks. A billabong is a wetland which is connected to the rivers in the Wet season, but it stays only a closed pool during the Dry.
After that day, we head to our campsite near the Jim Jim Billabong for a meal and some rest.
That night we feel thousands of stings from all nearby mosquitos… That’s living into the woodlands, which cover almost 80 percent of the Kakadu area.

Next day we’ll discover some of the famous Rock Art in this area. The Aboriginal people use their rock paintings to tell and remember important markings in their history or tell stories about the Creation Era. In other cases they paint for a successful hunt by placing the person in touch with the spirit of that animal. Sometimes they paint for children education or some purposes of sorcery.
As paint they use pigments from stones or clay, which they crush and mix with water. Depending on the type of material, they get red, orange, yellow, white, black or blue pigments.

The first ancient and sacred site is Nourlangie rock. We visit there three sites with some paintings, however the meaning of most of these pictures don’t tell us much. Many of them already faded away and there are regularly pictures above older ones, so they are not clearly aligned. We can identify some animals and when we arrive at the last site, a Ranger gives a short talk about that spot… Which proves to be a creation story, with many Creation Beings and a dancing situation at another location.
But the most important part of this day we’ll spend at a huge 12 km bushwalk around this famous site to the Nanguluwur art site, some 6 km’s further. Upon arrival at this site we see that there is another – much shorter track possible – but no regret, the looks on the landscape were really beautiful and we liked the walking. The pictures over there are more clearly conserved and we spot some special elements. Many X-Ray fishes – a painting style showing the inner parts of the animals, a huge ship – symbolising the arrival of the white people, some spirits and lots of hands. The return goes along quite an easy path, so we’re done with the whole distance in 4 hours.
There we decide to visit the nearby Anbangbang Billabong, a short 3 km walk, with a stunning lookout over the area. The walk along the Billabong is amazing! Pelicans, magpie geese, darters, ducks and many other birds are seen around these wetland area. Some wallabies also come to drink from the waters, so we really enjoy the walk and the view over the area from the nearby Nawurlandja lookout is stunning.

After that we head in the late afternoon to our Malabanjbanjdju Bush Camping. Really happy after this rewarding day, we enjoy the late daylight to prepare our meal – with numerous flies and ants around – and set up the car. The reading – sleeping proves once again to be tricky because of the numerous mosquitos…
That evening we dream of a clean room, a fridge with cool drinks and icecreams and a refreshing shower. A seldom luxury nowadays!

Next day is quite an anomaly… We wake up in the rain and The skies are covered in clouds. What a difference! In this relative coolness we head to the nearby Illigadjarr billabong walk. This walk differs entirely from the one we did the day before. The waters are covered with red waterlilies, but there are hardly any birds. Only a group of wild swines can be seen drinking.
We walk carefully and avoid to come close to the waterline, because of the crocodile danger. No one is seen, so we return safely to our car.
Along the road we make a short stop at the Bowali Visitor Centre, where a clear explanation is made about the Kakadu environment and nature. By reading many stories about the landscape we daresay we’ve already seen a nice part of the park. We also take a small look inside the Marrawuddi Art gallery with some Aboriginal Art, but prices are skyhigh and we go further.

After all the crocodile warnings everywhere, we’ve not yet seen one! That cannot be, so we inform and at the Ubirr region towards which we head now, there is a spot where they are often seen during high tide. The Alligator River – wrongly called so because one of its discoverers mixed crocodiles and alligators – is a tidal river, near the sea. We arrive at the Cahills Crossing just in time to see a huge feasting for the crocs. Five of them head inside the stream and try to catch some fishes swimming upstream. Many fishes escape, but many others are caught between their razor sharp teeth…
Happily we turn to the small Bardedjilidji walk, depicted as one of Kakadus most special short walks, along layered sandstone outliers. We don’t find him that special, after the bushwalk from the day before, however the sandstone has some nice forms and we can spot another croc along the waterside.
The next walk is a small monsoon forest walk, the Manngarre walk. At some locations in the park there are some small, isolated patches rainforest. This creates a cosy anomaly in that huge woodland. At the beginning of this track, we spot an entire colony flying foxes in the trees. These huge bats make an enormous noise, but are fascinating to observe. This track leads to a space, reserved for woman, so I wait at the entrance of that spot, out of respect for the cultural heritage. During that waiting time I photograph some ants, a spider and a dragonfly.

We end our day at the ancient Ubirr rock art site. Together with Nourlangie, these sites cover the cultural heritage of the park. Both of them are situated in the old rock formations, eroded from the escarpment wall. They create a marvellous landscape! The paintings over here are more chaotic than the ones at Nourlangie. Many of them are faded away, while others are covered with numerous newer ones.
However, the pictures of the white guys with their arms in their pockets are quite funny. Aboriginals remember us that way, by giving them orders and doing nothing ourselves. There is also a clear picture of the rainbow serpent and a huge menu chart – when is dinner served? But most stunning at this location is the Nadab lookout, which offers a magnificent view over the old rock formations, the nearby bushlands and floodplains. Both of us really enjoy sitting there and enjoying it to be at such a sacred location.
We end our day at the Merl campsite with a hot shower… And a huge mosquito fight! Sting… Sting… Sting…
Funnily enough, the day ends like it started, with a huge rainfall. We enjoy the sound of these wet drops on our roof. Is this already the beginning of the wet season?

The last day in Kakadu we visit the floodplains and wetlands. First stop, the Mamukala Wetlands. Around this time, they are known because of the many magpie geese resting in that area. From the lookout, hardly any can be seen, but once we walk the short trail, we see hundreds of these big fellows. What a view, together with the ducks and the beautiful landscape.
Before leaving the park, we want to make another small walk – the Gungarre walk – but this bush and billabong walk is not that special. The only important memory is our first Australian ice cream! In these heat a really nice option… Delicious…
From there we head to Darwin, just paying a visit to the ‘Window on the Wetlands’, where this area is known for. It is one of the few remaining wetlands in the world and thus of the utmost importance for the nesting water birds. After this morning, few more can be seen, but we couldn’t let to try.

And then… The bushmen enter the city. Strange feelings flow trough us. We’re not anymore accustomed to that much people, lots of cars and street light. But we decide straightaway to enjoy the city and the life that accompanies it. So we head first to the Strokes Hill Wharf for a small dinner – I try a kangaroo burger with chips and Ilse tastes some fish and chips – with a stunning view on the nearby harbour. Tasting once again chips… Amazing… And then we head to the movie in the Deckchair open air cinema. A beautiful movie – the door – in an even better scenery, how romantic a night can be. After all these months we just feel like we’re rediscovering it all. Before ending our nice evening, we decide to go for a drink in one of the cocktail bars in the city. Tasted the night life at maximum, we park our car in one of the city lanes to go sleeping… And then we’re almost scared to dead! A huge snake decided at exactly that moment to pass from one side of the street to the other, missing my feet by inches. Pfieuw.
Goodnight…