October is the very beginning of the Wet Season in the Northern Territory, or possibly the very end of The Dry, depending on the year. For us, even though it only rained once over nights, this meant very high temperatures, and very high humidity. Unfortunately for us, the Wicked Van we picked up, at an economical price of course, didn’t have air conditioning. It did have brightly colored murals of Bart Simpson all over the outside though, as well as a sink in back attached to a big container of water, a pot, a pan, dish towel and soap, a one-burner camping stove, cutlery and plates for two, folding stools, bedding to lay over the cushions we could spread out in the back to sleep on, and storage space to keep our bags.
We head directly to Kakadu National Park, a World Heritage site for both its natural and cultural treasures. Our first stop was the Bowali Visitor Center. The building’s design was inspired by an Aboriginal rock shelter. Throughout our stay in the park, we were impressed by the non-Aboriginal park staff’s emphasis placed on the past and present role of the original owners, the Aboriginal groups of the area. The park butts up to, or is included within Arnhem land, and, like Uluru, administrated jointly. The spiritual connection between one of the oldest living societies on earth and the land they have cared for for tens of thousands of years seems to be deeply respected here.
Out first stop was Ubirr. Its galleries of rock art were amazing, with layer upon layer of well-preserved art. Drawings from different periods of time were visible in different areas, including naturalistic paintings of animals, exaples of x-ray art showing the insides of animals, stories and legends are depicted as well as important events, and there are other examples showing European contact. European figures are recognizable as they show feet stuck in big boots, often with hands in their pockets. One is even smoking a pipe. Many of the older drawings are of food sources: kangaroo, wallaby, an incredible diversity of fish, birds, turtles. The paintings were educational, and the best, fatty areas of the animals depicted were highlighted with a yellow paint.
We walked to the top of a rocky lookout point and heard an informative talk by a park ranger just before an amazing sunset over the Nadab floodplain. We could see a couple of dingos far below, who in this season were braving more open spaces searching for scare food sources. A few wallabies seemed to be laying very low not too far away. There was also a lot of bird life in this area, especially since the Wet had not yet begun, and numbers of birds and animals gathered around what little water was left in the billabongs.
We camped at the park-managed Merl Campground for $5.40 per person, a great deal! The ablution block (toilets and showers) was clean and well-kept, and it felt very private. There were quite a few bats after the birds had settled down for the night. Wallabies rustled around in the night, and one stuck around to say good morning. The night was rough for us, with temperatures that remained unbearably hot, with the addition of mosquitoes at dusk. They ensured we kept the van sealed up tight, except one small screened window that didn’t seem to let in even the slightest breeze. Being in the park at this time of year was well worth it though, as each season has highlights and unique offerings not to be missed.
More Kakadu pics
