World Heritage Listed Kakadu National Park is known for incredible natural beauty and impressive rock paintings. Kakadu also is full of walking tracks that would take many days to cover. Since we only had a day, we picked the ones that appeared to have the most interesting scenery and views.
Trip highlights from August 6th follow. Click any image for a larger view, or click the position to view the location on a map. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps
 |
Patch burning
Position: 132 47.24, -12 39.10
We’re nearing our first stop in Kakadu National Park, about a three-hour drive from Darwin. Traditional patch burning is common in all the areas we’ve visited in Western Australia and the Northern Territory. In the Kimberley, we spoke with a crew that were patch burning by helicopter. Patch burning prevents wildfires, cleans the land, and encourages the growth of natural flora and fauna. However, it’s not pretty.
|
 |
Ubirr
Position: 132 57.40, -12 24.52
Jennifer is standing in front of the extensive rock art gallery at Ubirr. Rock paintings cover the entire wall and even parts of the overhang. Aboriginals sheltered under outcroppings such as these and painted on the walls to depict events in their daily lives.
|
 |
Rock art
Position: 132 57.40, -12 24.52
A close-up of the rock art at Ubirr. The paintings are many layers deep. The act of painting was more important than the result, and newer paintings were made over top of older ones.
|
 |
Nadab Lookout
Position: 132 57.27, -12 24.49
The Nadab Lookout is a short climb from the rock art gallery at Ubirr and has sweeping views over the Nadab floodplain.
|
 |
Bardedjilidji Walk
Position: 132 57.60, -12 25.68
At the start of the 1.5-mile (2.5km) Bardedjilidji Sandstone Walk. Kakadu is full of walking tracks that would take several days to cover. Since we only had a day, we picked the ones that appeared to have the most interesting scenery and views.
|
 |
Rock painting
Position: 132 58.18, -12 26.09
The Bardedjilidji Walk is notable for it’s sandstone scenery, but has rock art as well.
|
 |
On the track
Position: 132 58.13, -12 26.11
The track wound through sandstone pillars and outcroppings with superb scenery throughout.
|
 |
Cave
Position: 132 58.09, -12 26.20
This large cave had several cracks in the ceiling where tree roots, visible right of Jennifer, had worked their way down from way above.
|
 |
Arch
Position: 132 58.11, -12 26.25
This was the most dramatic of several arches the track passed through.
|
 |
East Alligator River
Position: 132 58.30, -12 26.05
Near the end of the walk, the track ran close to East Alligator River. Several tour boats passed by in the few minutes we watched. Signs warned of crocodiles in the river, and we saw a large one farther upstream.
|
 |
Escarpment
Position: 132 49.95, -12 40.23
We had a great meal poolside at the Escarpment Restaurant in Jabiru’s Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel. Jabiru is the main town in Kakadu and has a permanent population of 700 that can rise to 3,000 daily during the height of the tourist season.
|
 |
Namarrgon
Position: 132 48.79, -12 52.01
The Angbangbang Gallery in the Nourlangie Region is another impressive rock art site in Kakadu. This painting depicts Namarrgon, the Lightning Man, who broke the incest laws and became Ginga, the great saltwater crocodile.
|
 |
Nourlangie Lookout
Position: 132 48.94, -12 51.83
The Nourlangie Lookout track leads a short distance from the Angbangbang Gallery for a view to the south side of imposing Nourlangie Rock.
|
 |
Kapok Bush
Position: 132 48.96, -12 51.89
The solitary Kapok Bush is found in Kakadu and adjacent Arnhem Land, and has a lovely yellow flower. This one was growing at the Nourlangie Lookout
|
 |
Anbangbang Gallery
Position: 132 48.97, -12 51.90
We visited the rest of the Angbangbang Gallery on the way back from the Nourlangie Lookout. The extensive site runs along the cliff edge along the southern top of Nourlangie Rock.
|
 |
Shelter
Position: 132 48.82, -12 51.93
This massive natural shelter must have been a wonderful escape from the sun’s heat in the dry season and the relentless rain in the wet season.
|
 |
Nawurlandja Lookout
Position: 132 47.60, -12 51.65
Our final stop for the day was up the short Nawurlandja Lookout Walk. This is the view southeast from the lookout. Nourlangie Rock is slightly left of center and the Kakadu escarpment is center in the distance.
|
|
Click the travel log icon on the left to see these locations on a map, with the complete log of our cruise.
On the map page, clicking on a camera or text icon will display a picture and/or log entry for that location, and clicking on the smaller icons along the route will display latitude, longitude and other navigation data for that location. And a live map of our current route and most recent log entries always is available at http://mvdirona.com/maps. |
If your comment doesn't show up right away, send us email and we'll dredge it out of the spam filter.
Wow that’s quite the boat trip you both are on, I’ve been watching the site on and off for while and thought I’d drop you a quick note say Good for You! Enjoy it. I’ve saw your yacht in Passage Maker magazine from back when you launched and ordered the extended boat,
Take care and Thank you for sharing!
Martin Monteith.
Good to hear from you Martin. We’ve certainly been having an amazing trip and the boat has been working out super-well throughout. That extended cockpit sure is a winner. We’re out there all the time and frequently comment on how nice it is back there. And all that extra storage space is the lazarette is wonderful.