Day 23: Tame fish, crocodiles & a talking cockatoo

July 14, 2018

Today we have to get up early again. We have something very special planned: we're going to feed fish! Sounds funny. Here in Darwin there is the 'Aquascene' located in a nature reserve by the sea called Doctors Gully.

Whole schools of fish come into the shallow water near the shore at high tide and allow themselves to be fed by hand. For over 60 years, hundreds of free-living fish have been gathering at certain times in Doctors Gully to be fed there. Since the whole spectacle depends on the tides, I have of course already done my homework and found out that today the Aquascene is even open twice. In the morning at 8 a.m. and in the afternoon at 5 p.m.
We decide on the 'morning feeding' at 8 a.m. That means breakfast at 7 a.m.

It's already so warm in the morning that we can have breakfast outside by the pool. The kids' highlight is the fully automatic pancake machine and the honey from the honeycomb (yes, there is a huge honeycomb on the buffet from which fresh honey drips out).

We arrive at the Aquascene well before 8 a.m. and we're not the first ones. It's going to be crowded.
At exactly 8 a.m., the doors open and we enter the grounds.

The family ticket costs the equivalent of 28 € and also entitles you to entry in the afternoon. Near the sea, steep steps lead into the water, from where you can either feed the fish directly in the water (including wet feet), or you can stand further back on the railing with dry feet.
We are the first ones standing barefoot in the water and are immediately "swarmed" by curious fish.
The staff distribute pieces of bread and the big feeding begins. At first we are quite startled when the fish swim around our legs, but then the fascination of feeding and even "petting" the fish becomes greater. That's really cool!
Different fish come to us, different sizes and colors. The kids are thrilled.
Next to the steps, there is a small bay where you can observe many resting stingrays.

On the jetty, I make the discovery of a barramundi fish swimming back and forth on the ladder. You're not supposed to go into the water here - because of the stingrays, and also because of the "predatory fish". A barramundi fish can bite quite hard. So I observe everything from a safe distance from above.

We see the mud skippers most often. They actually eat out of our hand and can also be touched, some parrotfish and other small colorful fish also dare. Further out, a huge school of catfish can be fed. With their long "whiskers", they look really unusual.

But my new friend at the Aquascene is not a fish, but "Jimmy", the talking cockatoo, who sings and croaks in his aviary in the rear area. Besides "Hello Jimmy" and "Bye Bye", he can say other words and sentences that I don't quite understand. He especially likes to be scratched on the back of his head. He whistles with delight and hangs upside down with his wings spread out on the grille. How cute, I would take him with me right away!

The feeding at Aquascene lasts about 1 hour, then it closes again. We are told that a second feeding will take place at 5 p.m., which is rare.

We leave Aquascene and continue to the Crocodylus Park, a kind of zoo with a crocodile farm. We already see signs outside that you can buy crocodile meat (burger patties, etc.) here. Yuck, strange idea.

But since I'm a vegetarian, I'm not interested in croc burgers, etc. anyway.

We arrive just in time for the crocodile feeding, and my son even gets to lower a chicken leg on a fishing line to a particularly fat crocodile.

It's incredible how high these colossi can jump when there's such a delicious treat. In the small attached zoo, you can also look at kangaroos, monkeys, various birds, and even lions. However, we somehow prefer these animals in the wild.

A little further on, there is a small lake full of smaller crocodiles. The crocs are literally piled up on the black tarpaulin, warming themselves up or sleeping. Occasionally, one unintentionally slips into the water and has to find a new spot on the tarpaulin.

Crocodile breeding, after all....

After we have seen everything, we have a burger in the restaurant. I have a veggie burger, my son chooses the chicken burger, my daughter has the beef burger, and my husband...?

Of course....crocodile burger!

It makes me shake, but well. To each their own!
He says it tastes a bit like chicken, it's pretty okay. In any case, it's the last crocodile burger during our Australia vacation.

After the Crocodylus Park, we drive to the Darwin Waterfront, where a wave pool and a lagoon with a sandy beach await us.
Damn! We don't have swimwear with us!!! We walk wistfully past the wave pool, then around the lagoon, where a water park, the 'Big Buoy Waterpark', (inflatable slides, etc.) is set up, and watch people jumping and sliding into the water for a while.

As it is quite hot and the kids are sulking because we don't have swimwear with us, we decide to jump into the hotel pool.
We don't have a specific plan for today, so first into the cool water and then we'll see.

The pool feels good. We splash around for a good hour, then we have to go back to the room because there is a lack of sun loungers (apparently all the vacationers gather by or in the pool at noon).

It is now 4 p.m. What to do with the remaining afternoon? The decision is quickly made: the kids really want to go to Aquascene again! Said and done. Totally different fish come into the bay in the afternoon. We manage to feed and pet huge butterflyfish. Wow, that's really an experience!!! This hour also passes much too quickly, but it was definitely worth it!

We continue to Mindil Beach and watch the sunset. Actually, we wanted to go to the night market, but unfortunately it's not taking place today.

We drive back to the Waterfront and walk to 'Stokes Hill Wharf', where there are plenty of restaurants. From the pier, we see a huge jellyfish in the sea.

Yuck, I don't want to swim here, but since there are also crocodiles here, this option is ruled out anyway.
At the Waterfront, swimming in the sea is only allowed in the enclosed lagoon, which is separated from the open sea and where you are safe from crocs.

The wharf is crowded. With luck, we get a table and have dinner here, then we drive back to the hotel.

That was another eventful day. Tomorrow we have to get up early again because then we're going to Kakadu National Park!



For the record:
Hotel: DoubleTree Esplanade / Darwin
Cost: 157 € / night in a double room with breakfast
Distance driven: 40 km
Vehicle: 4x4 Mitsubishi Outlander
Animal sightings: many fish & crocs, zoo animals, birds, cockatoo Jimmy
Weather: plenty of sunshine at 32 degrees
Conclusion: Feeding fish is a 'must do' in Darwin!