Kakadu and Litchfield for Christmas

Since I have to spend Christmas away from my family anyway, I might as well do something really different!  Outback Adventures organizes 3-day tours to Kakadu and Litchfield national parks. I decide to join one of these, and hopefully see some crocodiles in the wild and learn more about Australian fauna, flora and its original inhabitants, the aborigines. Our guide, Luke, guides us through the bush to show us the most wonderful places, with waterfalls and little lakes (totally crocodile free he assures us) where we can take refreshing swims in between the driving and hiking. We also visit a small museum and have a look at giant termite mounds. There are two types of mounds. The first type looks like a huge brown-reddish castle and the second one is called magnetic termite mound, due to the fact that it faces north. The second type is smaller and flatter than the first one, it actually looks a little like a gravestone.

The absolute highlight of the trip is for me a place called Ubirr… The rocks here are all painted with artistic drawings of fish, turtles and hunting humans. Actually, the aborigines didn’t paint them for art’s sake, but to communicate information or tell educative tales. For example, in this river there are many long-necked turtles, or the tale about the three sisters who didn’t listen to their parents and were turned into fish and caught by their fellow villagers… We hike through different sites with layer upon layer of paintings, slowly ascending towards a plateau overlooking Kakadu National Park. On top of that plateau, I understand why aborigines chose this place to express themselves; it is the perfect place for connecting directly with nature. I am standing there, surrounded by miles and miles of land, with the wind blowing from all directions, swirling around my body, whispering tales from forgotten times in my ears. I feel the wind, its strength, so powerful I could swear I become part of it…

Before driving to Litchfield National Park we go for a “cruise” in the Mary Wetlands. The place is beautiful, with tons of birds and plants growing in the water, and…the highlight: crocodiles in the wild! We see a small freshwater crocodile sunbathing on the shore and several pairs of eyes from saltwater crocs observing us from the depth.

Litchfield is fun, smaller, and not as wild as Kakadu. We swim in Florence Falls, check out the photo, is it a Santa I see in the water? Tolmer Falls, Wanggi Falls are closed because of the crocodiles. In Buley Rockholes we can swim, actually the small river is like a natural SPA with small waterfalls that massage every part of your body. Strange Christmas altogether, I miss everyone so much. Luckily the group was nice, and I got to meet Wendy, a Dutch girl traveling on her own too. We decide to meet in Cairns in two weeks.

photos Kakadu and Litchfield