Day 24: Hot - hotter - Kakadu National Park

July 15, 2018

After breakfast (the pancake machine here is also a highlight), we head towards Kakadu National Park.

After checking out (unfortunately, we didn't get the famous Double Tree Cookies because we were either too early or too late at the reception), we go to our first stop:

"Window of the Wetlands".
On the way to Kakadu National Park, we see a truck with 4 trailers, a so-called "Road Train". We actually expected to see these trucks in the Outback, but we didn't encounter a single "Road Train" there.

After about an hour, we reach the entrance to Kakadu National Park and follow the sign to the Wind of the Wetlands Visitor Center. We park the car in the parking lot (we are all alone) and take a look around the Visitor Center, which is quite nicely done. However, from the viewpoint, we don't see much. It's very hazy, and in the distance, we can see many smoke columns - bushfires!

Oh no, hopefully we won't encounter more bushfires.
Our next stop are the Mamukala Wetlands, which are about 1.5 hours away. We hike from the parking lot to the observation platform.

It's already much busier here, many tourists sit with binoculars and cameras at the observation windows, observing the animals. We look at a huge lake, full of water lilies. Ducks, birds, and various amphibians frolic in the water. We observe the animal and plant life and continue our drive through Kakadu NP after about an hour.

Just before the town of Jabiru, we stop at the Bowali Visitor Centre and get the maps of the area, as well as tips and information about crocodile sightings in the area. The good news: the "waterholes" that we want to visit for swimming in the next few days are allegedly all "crocodile-free zones". Perfect! We continue to our hotel for tonight. As a special highlight, we have booked a night at the Mercure Crocodile Hotel.

You enter the reception through the crocodile's mouth, and in the stomach, there is the open area with bars and a pool. Our double room was in the rear area, at the height of the right hind leg. Very funny!

Arriving at the Crocodile Hotel, we reserve a table at the buffet restaurant for dinner, then immediately check into our room, and all we want to do is get into the pool!!! It's hot - damn hot! At least it feels that way.

It's lunchtime, 1 pm, but we're not hungry at all, so we'll have a snack of chips in the room. The pool water is very refreshing. We relax and splash around in the pool for over an hour, then continue with our daily program.

After changing clothes and walking towards the car, the heat feels almost unbearably hot.

From the hotel, we drive towards Ubirr Rock. There we want to watch the sunset, but before that, we'll walk the trail with the unpronounceable name "Bardedjiilidji" Sandstone Walk (2.5 km long).

When we look at the outdoor thermometer of our car, we become very unsure whether we should actually "hike" 2.5 km in the scorching heat. The thermometer shows an unbelievable +43 degrees Celsius!!!

Wow, it has felt hot, but sooooo hot???

Insane!

Equipped with caps, sunscreen, and mosquito repellent, we dare to do it. Shortly behind us, another tourist couple embarks on the walk as well. Also Germans, as we can tell from their discussions about the weather. However, the two of them are traveling in a small campervan. I can't imagine sleeping in there at +43 degrees. Oh dear... I'm too old for that kind of thing!

The trail takes us around the impressive sandstone formations. We look into every cave, and at first, the kids climb a few rocks, but then it becomes too exhausting.

About halfway through the walk, the path leads us through the sandstone formations, and we are in the middle of it. Like a submerged city. Cool!

We have been on the trail for about one hour, it is now close to 4:40 pm. We continue to Ubirr Rock & Arts Site.

We look at all the rock art, then we start climbing.

Of course, this is just right for the kids. They are now fully in their element and climbing around the rocks.

At around 6 pm, we find the perfect rock (it's quite crowded up here) and watch the sunset.

It's truly gigantic and shows us its full range of colors. We also really like the view up here.

At 6:30 pm, it's all over, and it gets very dark very quickly, but we already know that from the past few days. We don't wait long with the descent, as it gets dark quickly and probably many tourists will have the same way back with their cars. That's exactly what happens. We join the long chain of cars with our Jeep, almost bumper to bumper, back to Jabiru. The moon shines above us. How beautiful!

In the hotel, we enjoy dinner in the restaurant and end the evening with a bottle of red wine (we don't treat ourselves to anything else). The kids go to their room much earlier and sleep soundly, just like us when we fall into bed shortly before midnight.

I'm excited to see what we will experience tomorrow!

For the statistics:
Hotel: Accor Mercure Crocodile Hotel
Cost: 213€ / night in a double room with breakfast
Distance driven: 350 km
Vehicle: 4x4 Mitsubishi Outlander
Animal sightings: many birds, turtles, frogs, lizards, and more
Weather: Sunny with 43 degrees Celsius
Conclusion: Sunset at Ubirr Rock is a MUST!