Kakadu National Park - Jabiru

 15 – 19 June 2022

When we arrived at Jabiru, it was still a bit too early to check in to the caravan park, and almost lunchtime, so we headed down to the lake for a picnic at the very nice picnic area. After lunch we checked in to the caravan park and hit the pool as soon as we were set up. Later in the afternoon we drove down to the Bowali Visitor Centre so Mick could look for a particular bird that might have been there – it wasn’t.

Yet again we were up early, this time so we could get to Ubirr and start the walk before the day became too hot. Ubirr has a number of art sites along the walk as well as a lookout with views over the floodplain. The walk is easy and even the lookout section is only moderately steep and just a few hundred metres. The rock art is a fascinating insight into Australia's past with one well-known piece clearly showing the extinct Thylocene - Tasmanian Tiger. 

After our walk we made coffee before driving to Bardedjilidji Walk. This walk is about 2.5km and meanders through sandstone outliers and along the now dry creek and also the river. From there we went down to Cahill’s Crossing – famous for the croc watching opportunities. We arrived about an hour before high tide and watched as the water rushed in over the road – and a few crocs started to gather to catch a feed. At this time of year there were only a small number visible, but later in the dry they gather in large number. We’ve seen videos and it is quite a sight. We stayed until the top of the tide, amazed at people taking photos on the road at the edge of the water, oblivious to the man-eaters they couldn’t see under the water. We were happy with the elevated vantage point we had chosen.

On Friday we decided we had been up early too many times in the last few weeks so we had a day at “home” catching up on housekeeping and editing photos, and swimming too of course. We made one last trek out to Nawurlandja Lookout at the end of the day and this time Mick was rewarded with a good sighting and photos of the Chestnut-Quilled Rock pigeon. We expected to find them on the rocks near the lookout and had almost given up when we heard their distinctive call – like a frog – and saw a pair wandering about nearby.

Friday was Mick's birthday so he chose a visit to another wetland as his birthday treat! Mamukala Wetland has the biggest bird hide we have ever seen, but there weren't many birds around, and the sun was in the wrong position to take advantage of the hide. There is also a short walk which did prove to be quite productive with a number of finches and other birds to be found. We returned to Jabiru and went down to the Marrawuddi Art Centre for a look around and a coffee.  

Late in the afternoon we returned to Nourlangie Rock in search of Banded Fruit Dove. Mick had information suggesting that they might be found about 500m along the Barrk Track. This track is a 12 kilometre loop that circles Nourlagie Rock and is rated difficult. We hoped the start would be relatively easy - but wasn't. The track was quite overgrown, steep and rocky in parts. I bailed out after about 250 metres and found a rock to sit on while Mick continued on. Unfortunately he didn't find the birds - but I did. I saw one fly amd then heard it calling from nearby. I spotted it on a branch across a gully. I was able to watch it for a while to be certain of the identification. No photo, but a positive ID I could put on my small list of bird sightings.

We were up early on our final day so we could revisit Mamukala Wetlands, before calling in to the boat ramp at South Alligator River for morning tea. The tide was out and we could see a large crocodile sunning itself on the far bank. We stopped again at the Mary River Day Use Area for a picnic lunch before continuing on to Corroborree Park Tavern for the next two nights.