Day 155 - Thursday 1 June - Kakadu

Day 155

Thursday

1 June 2017

Cooinda – Nourlangi – Mirrai Lookout

Hard to believe we are into June already, time is slipping away but there is still so much more to see and do.

We weren’t in any great hurry this morning, happy to laze around before finally crawling out of bed, going for a shower and having breakfast. We read the Kakadu tourist guide given to us when we paid our fees, using it to determine where we would head today. As has become our usual, we make our way to the furthest point and then work our way back to home. Today we would begin at Nourlangi

The traditional owners, the Gundjeihmi refer to the upper section of this region as Burrunggul. There are a great many rock art sites to explore as you walk the 1.5km circular walking track.

We parked the car and then followed the path before heading up the rocks and into a rock shelter. The walls of the shelter were painted with various images that were in differing degrees of decay. 

We continued on finding more rock art as we followed the path. We passed into lovely shaded, tropical groves that kept us cool as we made our way further on. Some of the artwork we came across was very impressive and very clear, even though it was thousands of years old. 

The walk finished with a climb to the Gunwarddehwardde Lookout. From here we had fantastic views of the escarpment in the distance, where you could see how rugged the land is. Much of the Kakadu is inaccessible and the only way to experience it is by air, maybe next time. 

We returned to the car and drove on to the lower section known as Anbangbang. There was a billabong that we could check out, but unfortunately the road was closed part way down. We were still able to get out and have a short walk between picnic tables and check out the waterlily covered pond and the bird life calling this spot home.

Our next stop was the Mirrai Lookout a 2km return walk to a platform at the top of Mount Cahill. We knew it would be a steep one, but we were ready for it, though our legs were a little bemused. We didn’t find the climb too difficult, though I had to stop for some deep breaths every now and again. The view at the top wasn’t that fabulous as the trees had grown significantly obscuring the view but it was still good exercise. 

Getting closer to lunch, we made our way to Jim Jim Billabong, but first we had to run the gauntlet of fire. During the dry season the land is managed through the use of fire. It is not usually a big deal, we have often passed smouldering patches on our travels, but this time it was raging and the smoke was thick. As we passed through it, I could feel the heat radiate through the glass and warm me up, it wasn’t particularly pleasant and I felt a little unnerved but it was over in 5 seconds. It certainly gives you an appreciation for what people go through when they are threatened by fire.

We turned into the Jim Jim Billbong only to find it closed to traffic as it much of the park at the moment. Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls are two icons of the park but they are still closed due to the BIG wet they had this year. It wouldn’t have helped us if they were open, as it is 4WD access only anyway.

With our touring over, we returned to the park, noticing a dingo skirting the fire just waiting for some poor unsuspecting animal to flee and become his lunch. We unpacked the car and then had lunch. I was feeling particularly tired so opted to lay down, load the pics and watch a dvd for the afternoon.

At 3pm we took a very short drive to the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre and had a wander around their exhibit about the people of Kakadu and how they live. It was very interesting.

When we returned. Paul put the car on the trailer and then we made our way to the quiet pool for a swim. It was so cold but we braved the water any way and had a splash about.

With all that swimming we figured we deserved a drink, so we changed out of our bathers and made our way to the bar for a quiet drink. There weren’t as many people here as yesterday, probably a little early for the rush.

We finished our drink, then returned to our patch, sitting outside to read and enjoy the golden glow as it began to fade. Before the mozzies came out, we made our way back into the van and began sorting our dinner.

After eating we continued to read, though we opted for an early night knowing we would be up in the dark tomorrow.