Tag 3, 27. April: Jumping Crocodiles!

The Florence Falls is said to be home to a rare species of rock wallabies that can be relatively easily seen when the crowds of visitors have dispersed. Well, last night we didn't see them, and this morning neither, even though we set off at sunrise. We walked about 5km down to the falls along the Shady Creek Walk through the monsoon forest and further to the Buley Rockholes and back.

At least, as we ran down the steps, we saw large black flying foxes flying around and seeking shelter in the trees. We had heard them yesterday but weren't sure who was making such a racket. The noise from the colonies of black flying foxes will frequently encounter us in the Northern Territory.

By 8:00 we were in the cool waters of the Buley Rockholes. While the parking lot had been overcrowded yesterday afternoon, we were alone this morning and enjoyed our peace.

At 9:00 we returned to camp, had breakfast, and then set off through the national park, famous for its waterfalls. At the beautiful and tall Tolmer Falls, we could take a short 2km hike with a nice view. At the less tall but wider and dual Wangi Falls, we actually planned to walk 5km, but all paths were blocked due to flooding. Not even the rock pool could be accessed. During the wet season floods, a crocodile had been washed here, which must be removed before the pool can be reopened. We didn’t see the crocodile, but we did see the crocodile trap.

Thus, we finished earlier than expected and left the national park at 12:30, heading back towards Darwin, and then turned right towards Kakadu National Park. But that would be for tomorrow.

First, we went to the Adelaide River, which is 238km long and springs from Litchfield National Park before soon ending in the ocean. It is famous for having the highest density of saltwater crocodiles in the world, with 4-15 crocodiles per kilometer and several thousand in total. The river does not flow through a national park most of the time, yet the animals are strictly protected.

Saltwater crocodiles are the largest and most aggressive crocodiles in the world. Males can grow up to 6 meters in length, but 4 meters is the norm, while females range from 2.5 to 3 meters long. They spend most of their time in the water and sunbathe much less than other crocodiles.

Where the highway crosses the Adelaide River, there are several tour providers offering river cruises, called Jumping Crocodile Tours. The animals are lured with pieces of meat attached to fishing rod-like poles, encouraged to jump out of the water, and finally fed the meat. Of the three tour providers, one had gone bust, which used to offer tours at 14:00, the second provider had no tour at 15:00 today, but we could book the tour at 15:00 with the third