Swimming with Crocodiles
300 days. I can remember how slowly the first 100 days went. Now they are rocketing by.
After having no visitations from the wildlife or chicks in the night I woke at 5.15 to have breakfast and decamp for a 6.30 departure. No luxury of a shower on this free site. I was ready to go at 5.30 and even the girls were ready at 6.15.
To be fair the girls are a nice bunch, I just wish they'd wear some adequate foot wear. It's the normal strange mix. There's 1 English, 1 Scots and a canadian (I know a joke about that) who knew each other already and are quite clicky. Even though the English girl was born in Fleet and has Mr McFarlane as her dentist still. There's an older lady from Sydney who seems very nice, but just a little too talkative. We have 2 German girls who are nice, but as with all Germans very hard to engage in conversation. Finally is the Jap who cracked her head on the jeep door whilst trying to exit. I feel a bit sorry for her coz "My Ingrish no good". On any tour you go on in Oz you can always guarantee there will be an Englishman, a canadian, a german and a jap. Fact!
I always reckon that before sunrise is the best time of day. It's so peacful and then the big v8 diesel engine is started and we're off down a bumpy 4wd track.
After lots of bumps and bends and an interesting crossing of a creek we were at Twin Falls. From here they used to swim a km up the gorge to the base of the falls. Now thou because of crocs and because the gorge is sacred they have laid on a free boat. The gorge is beautiful and the water crystal clear. There's a nice beach to sit at and admire the view of the falls.
A little further down the track is Jim Jim Falls. To get to the plunge pool involves a 900m walk. Well actually it's a boulder hop. It's all worth while when you get to the waterfall. The water is icy cold, but because of the heat is very enticing. There are a few saltwater crocodiles that life here, but the swimming is regarded as safe here. These falls absolutely gush during the wet season and are closed.
The tour involves lots of driving. We covered about 850kms in the days and most of it is on dirt tracks, in the back of a jeep. I'd love to come back again and see it during the wet season. It must take on so many different guises.
The final stop was the very new and lovely visitor centre where even the boys queued for the loos. There was also some interesting things about the park here too. Kakadu is Aborigine that they lease back to the National Parks. Some of the areas are closed as they are considered sacred.
On the way back we stopped at the sign for a group photo and the 6m Termite mounds.
Turn out the English, scot and canadian girls are staying at the YHA so they felt obliged me to go to dinner with them. Boy do they like the sound of there own voices.
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