Crocs and Kakadu

 July 20, 2013

Omar and I made it out alive from Kakadu National Park after three days of avoiding crocs, snakes, wild bush fires, heat stroke and mosquitoes straight from the depths of Hell.  The scenery was amazing and much more lush than I expected for dry season.  And although I didn't want to leave the natural swimming pools (or plunge pools as they say here) I certainly appreciated a nice, hot shower last night when we got back! 

 Mary River... home to the highest concentration of crocs in all of Australia.  The guide said if you fall out of the boat she guarantees you won't be getting back in...

Tada!

 

 I am pretty sure that last picture is demonstrating a new style of Thai massage... hmm...

You couldn't always see them . . . but they could always see you!

Omar and I on Ubirr rock.

Aborigine rock art on Ubirr rock that is thousands of years old. That's a naked man on the left, fish in the middle, and a turtle on the right. 

A view of the Nadab floodplain from Ubirr rock. That will all be under water during wet season!

 A 7 foot python that our guide accidentally ran over . . . the white part is the where our tire hit.  :(  Needless to say he did the right thing and put the poor creature out of it's misery.  Omar says the silver lining is that the mice were all really happy that night so that made me feel a bit better!

A wild bush fire, literally a one minute walk from where we set up camp our first night.  Our guide wasn't worried... turns out he was correct.  The fire burned itself out.

We hiked to the top of Twin Falls and past it for a hopefully crocodile free plunge pool!

We were lucky this time!

On our walk to Jim Jim Falls...

and still on our walk to Jim Jim Falls!!!

Jim Jim Falls in the very back of the gorge!  There was plenty of people swimming there and I heard the crocs like the Germans anyways so we jumped in!  The water was freezing but it was worth it to swim under the waterfall with steep canyon sides!  I think O will have a better pic on his post.

Sunset over Yellow Water in the park.

Termite mounds.  Eeewww.

Our last swim and plunge pool at Mardugal on our last day in the park.  We swam all the way to the waterfall! The floats that the rangers use to check for crocs had bite marks in it!  Yikes!  Apparently they were from a fresh water croc (not a saltwater croc), and those ones aren't the aggressive ones, so in we all went, but a little on edge.

Our walk out of Mardugal.