Two Taswegians, one free-spirited nomad, and no didgeridoo! Here we are in Kakadu. Chris gave me a lift to Humpty Doo this morning and I was picked up within a few minutes by Andrew and Stuart, two adventurers from Tassie (Tasmania). With this oppressive heat I wish I was down there right now. As I was on the side of the road with my wide-brimmed hat complete with a feather (though I'm no Yankee Doodle) I saw them about 100 metres ahead of me organizing stuff and then they backed up and picked me up. They were going to Kakadu but had no idea where to go. With my guidebook out I said "let's go to Jim Jim Falls and then Ubirr." Jim Jim Falls seems to be the highlight and Chris recommended the Indigenous paintings at Ubirr and then watching the sunset from there. Even better, they hired a 4WD so we could potentially tackle some of the lesser roads. The inside of an air-conditioned vehicle doesn't feel better than on a day like today. There's a $25 park free for Kakadu but it seems to be more of a donation; there's no entry booth and nobody asks for it. We drove at more than 140 kph into the park and headed toward Jim Jim Falls.
Kakadu is huge; about the size of Israel or half the size of Switzerland. In fact, more than 50 countries are smaller than Kakadu National Park. Onto a red dirt road we drove with all our might, influenced by a few Wild Turkeys (can of bourbon and cola). At times the in-vehicle thermometer read 41 C. The heat has really worn me out lately. However, there are many parts of Australia where if your vehicle breaks down, you run out of fuel or whatever, you could be out there for days and there's no guarantee you'll make it out alive. The key is to carry plenty of drinking water and if your vehicle breaks down, remain near your vehicle. The best time to search for help is at night. When I hitchhike to Perth within the next week or so I'm planning on being up early and starting my day, and if I'm stuck somewhere in the middle of the day I'll hang out at a pub until late afternoon and then hitch. We first stopped and walked up to the Mirrai Lookout. When we parked it was very hot. Flies are an annoyance as well. Australia and Ethiopia are the worst countries I've been to in terms of flies. There wasn't much to see at the lookout due to smoke. The Indigenous Australians have burned the land for thousands of years in the beginning of the Dry. The practice by the Indigenous is to burn grass and shrubs that grow in abundance during the Wet. The drawback is that Kakadu isn't the best to see shooting stars and a legendary Outback sky. After photos of a few rocks we drove fast down a red dirt road only accessible by 4WD.
The last 9 km or so are very slow going. It was still hot when we parked so I made sure to bring water. Even with 3 L of water in my backpack I burn through it quickly. Crocodiles are a real danger in the park and in many areas of North Australia, so there are very few areas to safely swim. If there is no sign, don't swim! That's unless you want to be lunch. Jim Jim Falls is one of the few places in the park you can swim when there are no crocs. We rowed a boat up the stream (merrily, merrily, merrily) hoping there were no crocodiles and then continued toward the plunge pool. The falls were dry since it's nearing the end of the Dry. A dip feels great on a day like today especially amidst the red rocks. Off a large rock I lept! From about six metres I felt the euphoria...and then my ears clog up again! It's happened four times in the past month or so! I haven't been able to properly hear in the past month! Further up I swam (avoiding my camera getting wet) and took a dip in the plunge pool. The water is cleaner and noticeably cooler. The plan for tonight was to watch the sunset near Ubirr but we spent a lot longer than planned at (No) Jim Jim Falls.
The rocks change to a vibrant red as the sun nears the horizon and it's utterly magnificent. During the day this is about the most inhospitable environment but come early evening it's perfect for a refreshing dip. Tonight my camera suddenly gave out. What the hell happened! My battery was fully charged when I left this morning. It's a bad sign because I don't have enough money to get my camera fixed or get a new camera between now and Perth (or Melbourne). As we rowed back toward the car park the sun's rays were incredible but I couldn't get my camera to work. I feel naked without my camera! No photos for the time being; oh no! I let my camera sit with the battery out of it. Stuart said the battery probably got too hot. We drove past Jim Jim Falls toward the road to Twin Falls but the road was closed with the upcoming Wet. These guys are both slight rulebreakers as we drove past the "road closed" sign, though I shouldn't talk much because I tend to break rules occasionally as well. The road all the way to the falls was closed and we had to ford a (croc-infested) stream to get across. It was dark and we set up camp at the nearest site to Jim Jim Falls. The flies were gone and I pitched my tent for the first time in who knows how long. I can't believe I lugged my tent all the way around Japan, Norfolk Island, and Southeast Asia and didn't use it once in any of those places! With their 4WD is a fold-out tent where you sleep on the roof. Stuart sleeps up there and Andrew sleeps inside the car on the passenger's seat. For tea it was a light one as we all made some wraps. I put some pumpkin basil dip with some tomatoes and chicken on mine. With a half Moon and the smoke I can see only three stars tonight. I was dreaming of a blanket of stars tonight but I'll have to wait until I get to WA. For a first day I'm really enjoying Kakadu. Tomorrow I shall talk about the six seasons the Indigenous Australians view in Kakadu and some other interesting things about the park, and that's in addition to more exploring.
