Planned day off today. Just got up and rode around the corner to Kakadu, about 300km then rode around a bit doing day off stuff. 452km. Australia.
Kakadu.
Strange name, sounds like something that happens after you go around a corner too fast on your motorbike. “Mate, I went into the corner at 110 and she just tightened up and tightened up, I leaned her over no worries mate, but then I hit some gravel and all hell broke loose, did I Kakadu, even kakadued twice which is a Kakadu Two! Fare Dickum Mate! …. Mate?”
But we are actually staying in Jabiru in the Kakadu.
Jabiru in the Kakadu.
Now that sounds a bit offensive. Who would dream of jabbing a roo in the Kakadu? Come on Australia. This morning we drove out of a town that a had a sign saying no alcohol or pornography allowed in a big sign in the approach road and then tonight I am staying in Jabiru in the Kakadu. Seriously?
But perhaps I am being ignorant, Jabiru in the Kakadu may be an anchient hunting technique? All young Aborigine men on turning 12 years old learn that the best way to catch a Roo is by going for the Kakadu using a sharp stick, hence Jabiru in the Kakadu?
No?
Perhaps it is when you make a mistake as a young Aboriginal hunter and go for a hunt but find that the Roo you have stalked has outsmarted you and lead you to the waters edge where the Crocs live and instead of the roo you have a Croc on the end of your stick at which point you Kakadu! So instead of practicing Jabiru you end up in the Kakadu.
Who knows, there could be a PhD in this., studiing the liguistics of Ed and Garths trip around Oz. If there is any budding young linguistics master out there wanting to do their PhD let me know, I could supervise. As you can see I have a natural talent, and insight.
Anyway, we did have a good day today. Up and away by about 7.15 and rode down to Pine Creek, to fill up and have some breakfast. Dick and Ken had headed off about 10 -15 minutes earlier and this gave us the advantage of seeing their bikes outside a café, which means they have done the research into the best spot for breakie and we can lazily go straight to it without too much thought at all. Great.
After breakfast we went into the Kakadu national park. A nice roller coaster ride of a road through the bush. The bush was dry scrub and as Dick says “Lots of not very much”. We got to the Jabiru Visitor centre and it was now very hot and bit uncomfortable at about 11.00. Had a bit of a look around and asked about tours, as I thought it might be nice to hear about some natural history or Aborigine Culture. We were told that this is all back at Cooinda. So we phoned ahead to book a boat trip, and headed back the mere 50 km to Cooinda to join in on a Boat trip in Yellow Water.
Yellow Water! After Jabiru in the Kakadu! What next?
We saw a few Crocs. One dominant male who rules the roost as Yellow Water, who is about 4 mitres, and quiet magnificent, provided you are in a boat. The boat had heaps of life jackets, but the guide pointed out that if we start to take on water we are in Croc infested waters, so help yourself to the life jackets, and exit anywhere that you see water, but good luck with that.
Lots of bird life: various stalks, Kites, and of course the Cockatoo, as the water is up in the billabong and it is mating season. Heaps of frogs, and insects; all very interesting. The Lilies were flowering and it was very picturesque, which took your mind off the fact that there were heaps of Crocs all around.
Came back to Nourlangie Rock to look at some Rock paintings. These paintings in the Kakadu have been dated at 20 000 years or more. The ones we looked at were repainted in the 1960s but apparently that has been tradition that they are repainted, so the original is thought to be very old indeed. Walked up to a look out, and got a good view of the Kakadu and neighbouring Arnhem land. There were several fires visible one right next to where we were which was a bit unnerving. Photographed two Skinks fighting each other, one skint had the others midriff in his mouth and there was fair bit of squealling going on. A territorial dispute no doubt or maybe a fight over a girl? Even when your whole world is a small rock the issues are the same.
It was sweltering hot and we headed into Jabiru to look for accommodation and more importantly a shower. Eventually settled on a tent site as the whole town is booked out other than a $300 dollar room at the Crocodile Hotel, No way am I paying $300 to sleep inside a Croc. Interesting building though, shaped as a croc, anthough you need to be in the air to fully appreciate this. Saw a NZ flag flying from a BMW GS and sure enough it was Dick and Kens Camp so we joined the little piece of NZ in the Northern Territory. Showered but might as well have not bothered because the sweat was pooring out of us immediately. Apparently it was 40 degrees in Darwin today, so who knows what it was here, I suspect more like 48, honest.
Beer, Dinner, Beer. First night under canvas, or at least Nylon.
Works out that Jabiru is a bird, and Kakadu, well I think it is just a place name. Perhaps its not worth a PhD.
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