We’d heard it would be busy on the tourist scene in Darwin at this time of year. So we called ahead on our way into the Big Smoke to book a site at a caravan park – just in case. Little did we know that “calling ahead” in Darwin means at least a few weeks ahead. After four parks were totally booked out, we found another place on the net, way up the north end of town. It wasn’t too flash, and had a truck load of permanents, but at least we had a place to set up Trevor. I think I know why this one wasn’t suggested in Lonely Planet.
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Some things are there to make us wonder. Such as the naming of the East Alligator, South Alligator and North Alligator Rivers. Not an alligator in sight. And now it’s the Adelaide River riddle. Just near Darwin. Mmm, things work differently in the Territory.
So to the Adelaide River…..just up the road from the mosquito fest at the South Alligator River. Here, there are a number of operators running large boats along the river, feeding the multitude of crocodiles meat from a rope held over the water. The crocs jump up for the free feed and the tourists are amazed. And we were amazed indeed.

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We camped right next to the South Alligator River. This, in hindsight, was a BIG MISTAKE. If one mosquito sucks just 0.1ml of blood from a human, then I should have lost about 5kg that night. I cannot describe how many mozzie bites I have, so I won’t bother. Yes Mum – I still have good blood – whatever’s left of it.
During dusk, when crocs like to feed, John took the boys for (another) fishing attempt for barramundi.

They saw several crocs just swimming around.
And during the feast the mozzies were having, Harry took this photo, looking west (well, clearly) and you can see smoke from the many fires that burn through the dry season.

So what started out as a pretty sedate river boat cruise ended up with lots of action! After that we were ready for the more sedate activity of seeing aboriginal rock art.
We headed northeast from Cooinda, via Nourlangie, through Jabiru (lunch, email, phone calls, milk and Aerogard), and made our way to Ubirr, right on the edge of the Kakadu National Park. Did I mention this was the biggest National Park in Australia? Well it is.
In Nourlangie we saw extensive rock art from many thousands of years ago.

Just before we got to the Ubirr site, we stopped at Cahills Crossing on the East Alligator River. This is the border between Arnhem Land and, well, the rest of Australia. You’re not allowed to go across the river without a permit, and it’s kind of like a border crossing. Not that I saw anyone checking for permits on our side.
We watched all the fisherman haul in a few barramundi while crocs swam about just metres away.

I can’t say I was completely at ease with small children so close to the water after seeing this morning’s crocodile eating a wallaby.
At Ubirr Rock we saw a huge range of aboriginal art. All very impressive in their detail and volume.
We climbed up to the look out for this amazing view into Arnhem land and towards the Arafura Sea.

And we took the full family pic – compliments of a lovely family from New Zealand that we met a couple of days ago – and keep running into. You get that.

The river cruise was going along nicely, with jokes from the tour guide’s Rule Book, plus a bonus digeridoo playing session. Not bad coming from a white fella. He certainly had the knack. Then we came across a croc that had just pounced on a small wallaby.

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