Litchfield?

Because we’re here a bit longer we decide to book into accommodation with a real bed. And because we’re interested in the news to tell us whether the lockdowns are effective we decide to go back to Jabiru with its 4G. And finally, because it has an outdoor shower we choose Anbinik (Anna: Outdoor bathing is my number 1 goal in life).

We check in and then head out to Bardedjilidji walk. The walk loops from the East Alligator River around a cutting through a rock formation. The first part of the walk is pretty unnerving given how often we’ve been told to stay away from the rivers edge. The track is often very close to the river, luckily there’s not much to see at this part so we walk briskly (I was don’t really know why this isn’t and out-and-back walk).

It’s really the middle part of the track that is interesting. Rock formations stand like castle battlements, with watchtowers. The rocks are unique compared to anything else I’ve seen in the park, appearing to be made up from long pancake stacks. The vertical lines of the long golden grass makes the horizontal lines of the rocks stand out more.

As we wind around the back of the track we find ourselves approaching a cave. 

In the cave are some rock paintings and a network of roots from trees upstairs. The sudden cool darkness begins to feel spooky and we hastily move on. But that feeling of spookiness lingers for the rest of the walk, all the rock art we spot looks like warnings. Thus the interest of the pancaked rocks was book-ended by an unsettled sense of being in someone else’s home. 

Back at the resort, we dive into the dark room to cool off, cave-like but welcoming. We shower outdoors, suitably luxurious-feeling, and get dinner (Anna: Dinner was accompanied by our first close up encounter with a dingo!]. 

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In our forced slowdown, and while it’s fairly hot, we’re spending more time relaxing around the caravan park, mostly in the pool [Anna: Love a good caravan park pool]. 

So today we laze and read, our only plan is to watch sunset from the Nawurlandja lookout, overlooking our favourite Anbangbang billabong. 

It’s a short walk up a rocky slope, like a shallower Elephant’s Hide in the Grampians. As the light dims, shadows bring out the details of the Burrungkuy cliff face. We remain until night descends.

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Very slow day today, a bouncy drive down to Maguk waterfall for a swim. Superb water and full of baby barramundi, but bushfires all around kept us on our toes a little. 

Last night we found out that Darwin and Katherine have been locked down for three days as a precaution after a COVID case visited so we have extended our stay in Kakadu. Some people have rushed off to the WA border, but we’re not really in the mood and we have things to do in Darwin. So we hope to ride it all out. 

 [Click on a photo to open a full-screen slide show]

In the morning we pack up our camp and head to Anbangbang Billabong. In a sense the billabong doesn’t look like much: marshy pool with low bush all around. From some angles there are cliffs behind to add to the view [Anna: I dispute this, the billabong was lush AF. It also had water lilies]. But in the billabong there are hundreds of birds, they are calling, dancing, flying in flocks and stalking through the water. 

What makes the view amazing for me is Anna. Her joy and excitement as she points out each bird, describing what it’s features are, its personality, when she first read about it (or had poster of it or jointly discovered it with childhood friend) [Anna: yeah, I was absolutely frothin’]. 

In our rush to leave we left Anna’s binoculars at home, so I take steady photos and we zoom in to check things like ‘does it have a bump on its head?’ or ‘are there white feathers sticking up from its wings?’ Anna’s joy brings me joy; her enthusiasm, excitement and glee. She exclaims as new birds fly over and strains to find details on distant birds before they spook. It might sound silly, but this peaks my love for her, it’s so fun seeing her passion and elation [Anna: Nawww]. 

(Bird spotting will become a theme for our holiday and a shared interest with many of our camp neighbours [Anna: Except for Neil, who was not ashamed to admit he didn’t know the town was named after a bird])

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After the billabong we walk up Burrungkuy, stopping to look at the art (and two playful black cockatoos) on our way. There are sheltered places in amongst the rocks, the floors have been excavated down to a metre in places revealing signs of ancient occupation.

Then we head to Cooinda, where we find a shady camp at the site and then head out for a sunset cruise at Yellow Water. It seems today is a bird-themed day, although some people are exited to see their first crocodile (and the guide is happy to indulge), there’s enough enthusiasm from the boat for birds that we have plenty of time to see who is about today [Anna: Everybody. Everybody was about]. 

The waters are sprawling rivers over a large expanse. Smaller bushes provide shade for some ducks, tall trees home to larger birds. There are denser woods too with birds at the edge of the water and the biggest crocodile I’ve seen stretched out deeper in. 

Wild horses are grazing in a plain, and later at dusk we come across buffalo asleep by the water. 

The number and variety of birds is awesome. An incomplete list gives a sense:

• Jabirus
• Nankeen night herons (juvenile and adult)
• Comb-crested jacanas (big feet) [Anna: Ahem, largest foot to body ratio in the bird kingdom]
• Royal spoonbills
• Whistling ducks [Anna: plumed AND wandering]
• Azure kingfishers
• Magpie geese
• Grebes
• Rainbow bee-eaters
• Australian pratincole
• Variations herons, egrets, cormorants and darters
• [Anna: No f***in brolgas though :(]

One of the funnier sites was a jabiru sitting down with its legs out in front, it really couldn’t look sillier. 

Sunset came quickly, we stopped the boat and sat in silence for a few minutes. Peace and tranquillity enveloped us, time stood still. 

 [Click on a photo to open a full-screen slide show]