Day 25: Kakadu National Park & Yellow Water Sunset Cruise
Publicēts: 02.07.2020
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July 16, 2018
Today is all about sleeping in.
For once, we don't have to wake up at 6 or 7 in the morning.
After breakfast, we pack our suitcases and check out of Crocodile Hotel. It was really nice here!
Next stop is the Nourlangie Rock & Art Sites. The fact that it's already 30 degrees outside at 10 in the morning is a bit depressing. The kids would rather be in a pool than climbing a lookout hill (honestly, me too). But well, there's nothing we can do. We're not here for fun!
When we arrive at the parking lot, armed with water bottles, we first go to the Rock Art Sites.
The mood improves - here we can walk in the shade and there are small climbing paths along the colorful cliffs.
The "paintings" often clearly show that they are "male" figures, which our son finds particularly funny.
At the end of the main path, we decide to take a detour to the Gunwarrdehwarrde Lookout and climb the lookout hill.
And it's definitely worth it! The view from up here is amazing!
It's not even 11 in the morning when we get back to the car. It's still too early to drive to our hotel for the next 2 nights, so we decide to explore the neighboring "Angbangbang Billabong" on foot.
The waterhole played a role in the movie "Crocodile Dundee," as did some other waterholes and swimming spots that are on the agenda tomorrow. Of course, we watched the movie with the kids right before our departure and are now really excited to discover the "real shooting locations."
We also get a little adrenaline rush - maybe we'll see a crocodile somewhere!?
The waterhole is almost dried out. You can hardly see any water, but there is a sea of water lilies and other aquatic plants.
All kinds of birds and ducks frolic in the tangle of water lilies. Apparently, buffaloes were recently here, as the banks are completely trampled and we see numerous hoof marks in the dried mud.
We walk the little path around the waterhole. In the trees, we discover a whole lot of cockatoos, but luckily we don't see a crocodile near the pond.
After a leisurely walk around the Billabong, it's 12 o'clock and we continue to our accommodation for the next 2 nights: the Cooinda Lodge.
On the way to the lodge, we already see smoke clouds from a distance and shortly after, we pass a small bushfire. Bushfires are usually left to themselves here - and it won't be the last fire we see...
We soon arrive at Cooinda Lodge.
As expected, our room/bungalow is not ready yet, so we have a small lunch and then we can move into our bungalow, right in the middle of the garden.
Unfortunately, the bungalow is not "freshly renovated," but everything is clean and I can't see any creepy crawlies.
Now it's time to go to the pool!
The pool area is quite nicely designed, in a "billabong" style with a rock landscape. We jump into the cool water with the kids for a moment, then relax on the grass while the kids splash around in the water. Unlike the Mercure Crocodile Hotel, it's "hell" busy here.
The pool seems to be a popular meeting place for families in the area at this time of day.
After a refreshing swim, we change and head to the next attraction for today: the Yellow Water Sunset Cruise!
I booked this tour online months in advance - and it was a good thing because the tour is fully booked!
Several boats are ready, we sit directly at the front in the first two rows and are extremely excited to see what's coming up.
While all the other boats are already leaving, our "Captain," a true Aussie with a bushy beard, shorts, and heavy boots, welcomes us in a Jack Sparrow-like manner. He cracks a few Aussie jokes and then we follow the other boats.
Our guide explains in detail every animal we see. Our guide turns out to be a true river connoisseur and stops at the most inconspicuous places, where the other boats have already passed, to show us the smallest creatures of the local wildlife (from the tiny water strider bird to the crocodile peeking out from the water lilies, apparently unnoticed by the other boats).
When I booked the tour, my husband complained a little because the price of over 300 AUD was quite steep.
At the end of the tour, however, he has to admit that every dollar was worth it! The tour is definitely one of the highlights of our vacation in Australia!
With the sunset, which we are allowed to enjoy in its entirety, we return as the last boat to the dock.
Once again, it's been a fantastic day of vacation in the "far north"!
For the statistics:
Hotel: Cooinda Lodge
Cost: €169 per night in a bungalow with breakfast
Driven: 84 km
Vehicle: 4x4 Mitsubishi Outlander
Animal sightings: lots of birds, ducks, horses, buffaloes, and tons of crocodiles!
Weather: Sunny with 35 degrees!
Conclusion: A boat trip that is fun!
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