Day 114 - Saturday 27th April 2024

Back on the road again today, so up early to pack my bags before breakfast. All loaded and checked out, I was on the road just before 09:00 and on the way to Kakadu National Park. Out of Darwin, and a left turn onto the Arnhem Highway. I had some ideas for some stops from the information office the other day, so thought I'd put them into action.

First stop was at Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve in the coastal wetlands. The dam was a low earth bank, and signage said that there was no pedestrian access to the dam as Saltwater Crocodiles had been sighted in the area. I crossed the dam in the car which bought me to a raised viewing platform that provided a great view over the flatness of the wetlands.

Then back across the dam to a trailhead car park, but given the crocodile warnings I decided that wandering down by the waterside to see the water lillies in full bloom may be a little foolhardy, so back into the car and onto the next location.

Next on the list was the Wetland View Top Centre; a building at the top of a hill that gave some fantastic views of the surrounding wetlands. A notice requested some kind of donation which could take the form of a purchase from the cafe, so I bought my daily coffee here to drink on the road.

The next stop was five minutes down the road at the Adelaide River to see whether I could get on one of the 'jumping crocodile' boat trips. I arrived at just past 11:00, and the 11:00 boat had just left. The next tour was at 13:00, so I passed on that .... they did offer to call the boat back if I wanted to go now, but I'd left my cameras in the car so didn't want the whole trip to be called back because of me. While I'd like to see crocs in their natural environment, I wasn't sure I wanted to see them tempted out of the water by meat on a rope that they'd have to 'jump' out of the water to get.

So, back onto the road. I had looked at going to a couple of places on the way to Kakadu, but they involved 60km of gravel roads which I wasn't keen on, so I put the information office near where I'm staying as a destination, and arrived there just after 13:00.

When you say that you're looking for inspiration, and they start crossing points off a map that you cannot reach in a 2 wheel drive car you know you've timed the visit a little wrong! What can't I reach? Cahills Crossing where the crocodiles gather at high tide, Ubirr where you can get a fantastic sunset; both on my list of things to do! I do have a smallish list of what I can do tomorrow, but given the temperature and humidity here I think I'll be starting early and done by 11:00!

What I have booked is the Yellow Water cruise for the day I leave here to return to Katherine at 09:00.

Today had primarily been a travel day, designed to get me where I wanted to be. I was warned that things may be closed in the top end in the wet season (it's why I didn't do the north of Queensland), and we are still in the back end of that .... most things seem to be timed for 1st May to reopen (crocs allowing!) 

It was a little odd to be heading back east today, and to see signs with the number of kilometres to Alice Springs. But I'll soon be heading west and south to Western Australia and my exploration of the west coast. Lots of memories are still to be made.