28 March 2013 - Kakadu Lodge & Caravan Park, Jabiru, Northern Territory

My goodness, how it rained last night! It was so heavy that we were unable to hear each other speak, let alone the television. I went to bed early with my book and left Chris to listen to the television with headphones on. Win Win all round! For me it was a muddly night, waking frequently to hear the unceasing rain, worrying about whether we should stay or go as well as wondering if the “Full” light on the toilet cassette was functioning correctly.

When we finally did open the windows to the world, the site and park all around was a mess of mud but the sun was trying to shine through. We decided to run with our original plan of checking out and so we did, amid the filth and the mosquitoes  without too much trouble after all. Thirty six kilometres south of Darwin, we turned east onto the Arnhem Highway. I was keen to call into Humpty Doo which aside from other interesting facts, has an awesome name, don’t you think?

I hoped there might be an information area explaining the failed rice experiment. There wasn’t but there was a shopping centre big enough to surprise for such a small settlement. We went in to buy some fresh bread for lunch and came out empty handed. I also posted some mail to family, hoping the postmark might read “Humpty Doo”, however  suggest it will simply read “Darwin: or even “Adelaide”? Who knows the route mail takes from this end.

Our next port of call was the Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve, the name “Fogg” having nothing to do with any mist that rises up from the extensive wetland area. Mr Fogg was the Managing Director of Utah Australia Limited, the company who with the RAAF constructed the dam back in the 1950s. It was here that we did learn more about the rice project.

There were signs everywhere alerting us to the presence of large estuarine crocodiles. We were not to walk along the dam nor could we undertake any of the other walks normally on offer. We did drive to the Pandannus Lookout, an elevated lookout with views out over this bird refuge which is also apparently a refuge for Water Pythons and Death Adders, neither of which we saw. In fact we did not see too much at all beyond that immediately visible from the landcruiser. The mosquitoes were swarming in massive numbers, impervious to layers of repellent  Have you seen those prats from the city in National Parks wearing their brand new beautifully pressed khaki trousers and long sleeved shirts to match? Well today I wondered where I could buy the same outfit. Failing that, a burka might do the trick.  

I had thought we would travel today only as far as the Mary River and had sussed out a caravan park to suit our needs; this was working on the premise that we would pass several hours enjoying walks at the Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve and enjoying all that the “Window on the Wetlands Visitor Centre” had to offer. While this centre promotes itself more as a random information centre on the wetlands generally, or those in the Mary River area, it is really the headquarters for the Mary River National Park. We were greeted at the door by a friendly and articulate aboriginal girl who explained where everything was and sent us off to explore by ourselves. It is an excellent little “museum” especially if one is prepared to take time to read the detailed information sheets on the walls. Here I learned that Australia has seventy two varieties of mosquito, thirty of which live in the Darwin area. We have no hope of escape with such odds! But then that should be no surprise to anyone that happens upon me; I am covered in red blotches and scratching like a flea ridden dog. This is not a pretty picture.

It was lunch time when we returned to the caravan so we dined then and there, looking out over the floodplains, temporarily protected by the flyscreens from further assault. The road would soon take us over the Adelaide River, that crossed at the settlement of the same name on the Stuart Highway, and on to the Mary River which runs to the west of the Kakadu National Park. We had already decided to take the river cruise on the South Alligator River rather than that promoted at the Parap Market on the Mary, and here was the day only half gone. We decided instead to travel on through to Jabiru,  215 kilometres east of Humpty Doo.

As we crossed the Mary River, we saw the entrance to the Mt Bundey Station which today is home not only to the expected cattle station, but a tourist venture, a Military Training Area and an iron ore mine. It was from here the road trains hauling bulk bins were emerging; the ore is apparently transported through to the wharves in Darwin.

The road rose up from the flood plain and passed through rolling hills of savannah,  water logged and sporting lagoons and rushing streams from the rain of the last few days. It was crossing here that we ran into a fierce storm and had to slow almost to a stop. Then the sun was out again confirming that we had made the right decision to leave Darwin. But the heat coupled with the intense humidity made the trip a drag and we stopped midway for an essential nap.

It was after 4 pm when we closed in on Jabiru and headed for the Bowali Visitor Centre, fortunately still open. Here we purchased our passes at $25 a pop and discussed options of activities with the very pleasant young man behind the counter, who seemed to be the only staff member on duty. Here there is also a nature exhibition, more sophisticated than that at the Window on the Wetland, but less bogged down in detail. Here the customer gets an arty overview, but then normally that is all they want.

We found out that the road  to the north east, that through to Arnham Land and the famous Ubirr aboriginal art area is closed due to flooding, as is the 4WD road to the Jim-Jim falls. The only access to them and the nearby Twin Falls is by helicopter. But we were encouraged to visit the attractions in the Nourlangie Region.

As we left the Centre, Chris suggested that we stay only one night at Jabiru before moving south west to the South Alligator Region. There was much discussion which was not entirely resolved as we checked into this caravan park, paying for just one night with the option of a second to follow. Settled into camp over dinner, I shared my dream vision of us in the Top End gathering the National Park of Katherine, Kakadu and the Kimberleys all in the same pot and seeing us in canyons, viewing aboriginal rock art and birds from boats, walking through beautiful wilderness and swimming in pools that appear like mystical oasis, admitting that none of this allowed for monsoons, mosquitoes and crocodiles, and was prepared to be disillusioned by reality. I added that I did not want us to leave this area feeling short changed through our own fault. He agreed and I think that we will stay a further day providing the weather doesn’t throw anything worse at us than the preceding few days.

In the meantime we are one party of only a few here at this very lovely park, something I did not expect here in Jabiru which is really just a town for the workers at the local uranium mine. And that is another disappointment we have had; the last tour available to the public of the Ranger Mine was back in 2010. It seems that uranium mining is a bit too controversial to allow random tourists through the gates.