I stayed already three days in Darwin and got a kind of bored. The heat was almost unbearable and if you stayed outside of malls and restaurants, it wasn't funny anymore, because of increasing rainy hours, mostly at late afternoon. For this reasons, I decided to discover some close National Parks over the upcoming Christmas days.
I tried to rent a car at one of the local rental-stations. This attempt failed, because the car rental companies won´t rent a car for the next few days. I saw the reason already in TV and read the headlines in the newspapers, however I ousted this fact in my mind....till now.
The Media reported permanently about and it was THE topic in Darwin:
It was "Grant", "Cyclone Grant". It is the upcoming cyclone in front of christmas 2011. Everybody was talking about.
The citizen of Darwin reminds what happen when cyclone Tracy arrived in 1974 and what disastrous and disruptive force it had this time. Tracy pioneered his way through Darwin. It happen on Christmas Eve and ravaged 6 hours. Finally 71 people were killed and over 100 people were seriously injured. Over two-thirds of the town's population of 47000 were homeless. Most of the city was damaged (about 90%).
I arrived at December, 21 in Darwin and I recognized the upcoming cyclone already in TV at some restaurants.
With this information in mind, i could understand, why the car rental company wasn't interested to do some business. They were afraid about their cars. Long story with a short end. I asked at the Tourist Information Centre and - surprisingly - they offered me, after a quick phone call, exactly the car I looked out and also at the same local rental company and even with a better prize.
I was lucky, the woman from the TIC was happy as well, only the car company looked like they never learned laughing.
That's business and after all that hassle renting a car, I was totally euphoric and answered hasty the question after automatic or manual gear, with manual. Not thinking about the different side of the stearing wheel and the gearstick. Anyway, I have experience in driving on the other side of the street (not as ghost driver), so the manual gear should be no problem at all, I thought.... Already in the city I realized the habituation to switch the gear with the left hand is very weird and it needs to get used to. Though, finally it workes perfect, even if it is a bit inconvenient using the camera during driving. :D
I drove back to my hostel, picked up my baggage and went to the super market for buying food and beverages for the next few days. Firstly it was Christmas and in Australia are shops during this days also closed and secondly I expected not that many shops along my way in the National Parks.
Christmas shopping in a supermarket in Australia is exactly the same as in Europe. Everybody seems to have no time before the morning of December, 24th. and so it was crowded and the carts were filled well.
After a long and expensive shopping stop, I was happy to leave Darwin as quick as possible.
On the way to Kakadu National Park.
Picture made while driving. :(
My hope, a glimmer of light at the horizon.
Arnhem Highway
On Arnhem Highway, I expected a road much more wide than this. The highways aren´t impressive in Australia so far. Driving straight ahead made me already really boring. I was thinking about the long rides in the center of Australia. May be I should think about an alternative heading for Uluru in the center of Australia.
Jabiru is not only a bird, to be exactly it is a kind of stork, living in Central- and South-America, it is also a small village in Kakadu NP with approximately 1100 citizens.
Plenty of water flooded areas beside the road.
The Kakadu National Park is a World Heritage Site of UNESCO and scales from North to South nearly 200 kilometers and from West to East about 100 kilometers. It's approximately half the size of Switzerland.
This National Park is home of more than 1700 different species of flora, mostly they are endemic, like Eucalyptus koolpinensis and 60 species of mammals, including 6 species of wallabies.
Of course, this cow is not endemic and they are limited on 250 now.
The name Kakadu results from a wrong translation of the word "Gagudju". This is the name of the language - spoken by the Aborigines - living in the northern part of the Park.
The first Road Train I passed on the highway.
Finally I reached the entrance of Kakadu National Park. When I dropped of the car, I was shocked by the immense humidity and temperature, which was much higher than in Darwin.
After passing the non existing gate of the Park, I continued because there were another 100 k's till Jabiru left.
Plan a break! Foresightful driving ;)
I made a break at the Mamukala Wetlands in hope to view first wildlife in Australia. It's a popular spot for bird watching, but of course not at late afternoon, but rather in the early morning.
Mamukala Wetlands. You can see here, how animals and plants adapt to seasonal conditions of the year.
The Aboriginies having six seasons a year.
Warnings......everywhere!
Wow, well prepared ways. Here is for sure no crocodile.
....and on this way? Hm.......it sounds like being in a jungle. Birds are singing, cicadas making noise and other unknown sounds. I took this natural way into the area, but it was already late afternoon, so I walked further to the platform.
And I saw the first wallabies, alive. :) still very far away.
Dark clouds at the sky over the Mamukala Wetlands.
It seems, the water level is sometimes two meters higher than now.
...more Wallabies. This spoting makes me hungry for more wildlife.
.....the Wetlands, view from the plattform.
Nice posing - unfortunately so far away.
After a short walk I went back to the car and continued my way.
2 k's
After another half an hour, I reached a camping ground with patrol station and restaurant, the "Aurora South Alligator Bowali Park Visitor Centre" and bought my pass here too. It was 25$ for a 14 day Park Pass (12/2011).
Aurora Kakadu South Alligator Bowali Park Visitor Centre
This South Alligator Area. Click CTRL + to zoom.
The patrol station was more like a gasoline dispenser on a piece of land with soil. No tar, no cement, the bottom was not sealed at all.......strange, I thought this is a National Park?
The small shop offers a big variety of foods and it looked like a small super market in the middle of nowhere. The prices were much higher than in Darwin and I was happy to have a trunk full of beverages and food. :D
Ubirr should be my next destination.
Ubirr Art Site and I wasted no time reading the sentence at the bottom.
Along the way were plenty of new traffic-signs and so I got used to and after the fith time of the same sign "Be aware of flooded roads" and similar writings, I didn't notice them anymore.
Water indicator?
Water indicator, unbelieveable, one or two meters here?
But, the whole area of Kakadu NP is only between 3 and 78 meters above sea level.
Plenty of causeways.
Often seen......
Warnings and informations along the road.
And so it happend, my ride was stopped unexpectly by a flooded road.
Ups.....?
Road closed at Magela Creek.
No way crossing the creek with my car.
The other side looks unreachable for me.
The other side looks unreachable for me.
The indicator shows the water depth: Almost 1 meter deep......
I turned and went further to Jabiru, the small village in Kakakdu National Park.
It is not only the biggest city, it is also home of the world's most richest Uran-mine.
Uran-mine, 8 km east of Jabiru.
Jabiru Area
After a short look around in Jabiru I found plenty of well scaled streets there. They were in compare to the highways totally overdimensioned. It looked like in American Movies. May be they need more space for their truck trailers with boats, because Jabiru Town Lake offers a good possibility for water activities. Here is also a hotel with an interesting shape located:
After a cruise through Jabiru's labyrinth of streets, I looked for the nearby information center and hoped to get informations about open roads in the Park.
They built this center a bit outside of Jabiru. It looks like in the middle of nowhere, directly at the Kakadu Highway. The open architecure looks nice and there is a very huge parking area for more busy seasons than this time. Best time for visiting is May till October.
Welcome!
The road conditions are depressing, Nearly every road is closed.
The guy from the patrol station recommended plenty of spots, but I wasn't able to get there.
Overview on Kakadu National Park.
Area of Northern Territory.
Area of Northern Territory.
The twilight was getting up and if you rent a car in Autralia, you have to sign, that you don't drive at night time. Otherwise you loose your insurance and you are personally reliable in case of an accident. This could easily happen at night. Wallabies are more active in dawn and at night. It was so disappointing and sad to see the overran wallabies beside the highway.
I decided to stay here at the parking place and to spend the night in the car. But first I was happy to eat a very tasty baguette since a long time. The baguettes in South-East-Asia aren't really good and so I enjoyed an amazing sunset during dinner.
The most annoying thing at night were the mosquitos. I wasn´t able to open the window at the car. My insect repellent spray wasn't effective.
Great colored sky for sunset.
What an interesting day. I spotted not that much wildlife, only a few kakadoos and some wallabies, but an impressing landscape and culture.
wonderful schiller
to be continued........
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