Adventure across Arnhem Land

[kookaburra75]

Late to this Trip Report, and thanks for putting it together. MrsK and I did a four day trip into Kakadu from Darwin several years ago, but it wasn't as luxe as yours.

And the aircraft you spotted, are a pair of Cessna 310's

 

[JohnM]

Late afternoon and a boat excursion/sundowner on the lagoon. Burnt spinifex, Wet-stained trees and brolgas on the way out.



Jacana - aka ‘Jesus bird’, owing to its appearance of walking on water, and jabiru.



Magpie geese and jabiru.

 

[JohnM]

Nice barra caught by jabiru, which then flew back to join its mate and juvenile sprog.



Plenty of crocs – including a monster that looked like it had swallowed a whole pig.

 

[JohnM]

A freshwater croc.

 

[JohnM]

Dragonflies galore.



There were early signs of the build-up on quite a few days during the trip.



The pigs – I suspect one buddy short this evening.



And another great day comes to an end.

 

[tgh]

super pics , memory lane, that was a big freshie.. thanks for the tr

 

[JohnM]

Next morning it was moving on, and our last sector in the 4WD coach as we prepared to transfer to Seven Spirit Bay for the next three nights.



Another dingo spotted as we departed Mt Borradaile. Tall kentia palms among the eucalypts are an unusual aspect unique to this area. Morning tea stop near a river crossing.



The locals were not hostile…

And evidence of other locals.



One more pit stop. Cool fire-adapted eucalypt with very flaky bark on the lower trunk. Can’t recall the name.

 

[JohnM]

Then we reached our final coach-travel destination, the National Park ranger station and museum at Black Point Ranger Station around midday and had a brief look at the museum while the boat that had come over from Seven Spirit Bay lodge was loaded with our luggage.

There was a long tradition of Macassan trepang(sea cucumber)-gatherers staying on Australian shores for a season, processing their catch and trading with the indigenous people.

 

[JohnM]

The coach was secured and we boarded the boat for the approximately 30 minute (direct) journey across the bay (Port Essington), partaking of some delicious lodge-baked baguette-like rolls for lunch on the way.



Port Essington is noted as the second-largest (after Darwin) natural harbour in Australia and was the site of the ill-fated Victoria settlement founded in 1838 but abandoned in 1849 (Port Essington - Wikipedia.)



I had barely finished my lunch before we encountered a pod of pilot whales. Apparently it was the first such sighting of the season. It turned out that our group had the best wildlife sightings in general so far this season.



Seven Spirit Bay.



Resident sharks. A bit of splashing with a broom and in they come.

 

[jastel]

After lunch, we ventured out in the open-top LandCruisers. Franky and Graeme were our TO guides. A couple of characters. Franky would rattle off a great string of explanations in his own language, with great gesticulating, while Graeme would be nodding and laughing. Then Keith, the Murwangi manager would interpret.

We felt that Franky was really saying, or at least adding, “Look at these whitefella chumps, Graeme!” as they p!ssed themselves laughing.

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Green ants are ubiquitous in northern Australia, forming clustered-leaf nests by weaving the silk of butterfly larvae they tend (Green Tree Ant - Museum of Tropical Queensland). When disturbed, the ants swarm out of the nest.

The ants are harmless and when squashed or bitten, the abdomen releases a sharp citrus-tasting liquid that is quite pleasant to taste.

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Franky in full flight at a cathedral-type termite mound while his sidekick watches on ready for the big laugh. Magnetic termite mounds are thin on the N-S axis and wide on the E-W axis for thermoregulation, as this species of termite has no underground galleries as it occurs in wetter areas. And the ‘up yours’ termite mound shape.

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Try cutting down a tree with a greenants nest in it...see if they are still harmless...lol.
True they wont kill you but you soon drop the chainsaw and start doing the greenant dance.

 

[JohnM]

Try cutting down a tree with a greenants nest in it...see if they are still harmless...lol.
True they wont kill you but you soon drop the chainsaw and start doing the greenant dance.

True. They do go berserk - or as PJM would say when I was demonstrating what they do: “You’ve made them cross.”

She’s a city kid…

 

[JohnM]

 

[JohnM]

More wildlife...

 

[JohnM]

The bungalows are well-separated.



Metal louvres were great. We kept it closed up with the A/C on during the day, but opened them at night. Our bungalow faced almost due east and into the rising sun.

 

[JohnM]

The Max’s was a cracker. And that brought the day to a close.

 

[Daver6]

That accommodation looks a bit swish for you.

 

[JohnM]

That accommodation looks a bit swish for you.

Bloody pest again. Get back to work.

 

[JohnM]

Cometh the dawn.

 

[JohnM]

Excursion to Victoria Settlement.



The marker on Smith Point, the NE promontory of Essington Harbour and lookout for intruders when there was fear of French, Dutch and others laying claims.

Then moving S along the E side of the bay.



Disembarking near Victoria Settlement.

 

[JohnM]

The settlement was spread out and has largely been destroyed and overgrown. It’s a 3.7km circuit on flat ground. Next stop the brick kiln.