Tuesday September 16th and Thursday, September 18th, 2025 - Kakadu, Northern Territory, The Top End

 

Sunset From Ubirr Rock

A four and a half hour plane ride from Sydney, found Frances and I picking up a car in Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory. After nearly three hours of driving east, we were in Jabiru, where we planned to stay for four nights. Jabiru is the only town built within a national park in Australia and was established in 1982. Its development followed the opening of the Ranger Uranium Mine not far away, which opened in 1980 and closed operations in 2021. (It might come as no surprise to know that the Aboriginal people here had identified the area as 'sickness country' - in addition to the uranium, there were high amounts of arsenic, mercury and lead.) 

Arnhem Highway (Photo by Frances Peters)

With the establishment of the mine, the previously dirt road was built into a highway, which led to easier access to this beautiful area and more tourism. To support both the mine and tourism, Jabiru was developed, for accommodation and a as a regional service center. There was a hotel, several resorts, caravan park, supermarket and gas station.

Notice - Bowali Visitor Centre

We can thank the Bininj (Bining) and Mungguy (Moong-gooy) people for creating art work and caring for the land here for millennia. Archeological research within Kakadu has uncovered artifacts dating back at least 65,000 years. These include stone tools, spear tips, ochres for rock paintings and food remnants. This has led to the area earning listings in two UNESCO World Heritage categories - one for its natural features of wetlands, rivers, and varied and dynamic landscapes. The other UNESCO category is for the cultural aspects of ancient Aboriginal heritage - such as rock art and archeological sites - and the living culture which maintains Aboriginal community and spiritual connection to the land which is a central tenet of indigenous life here.

'Cool' Burn - Photo By Frances Peters From the Car Window

Fire is a big part of caring for land here and has been for millennia. We drove through an number of areas that were still actively burning. It was a little tough to be certain it was safe, as in our part of the world and in other parts of the world, fire will burn out of control and cause great destruction. We also did not see any personnel monitoring the burn. The Aboriginal people carried firesticks in the past and when the time was right in the dry season and there was no wind, they set cool-burning fires. When the vegetation grew back, new game was attracted to the fresh growth and the environment was safer from the large raging fires that we fear in our world. The fires we drove through had been set by the park rangers. No one appeared concerned about them.

Road to East Alligator River

One of the prominent features of this part of the world is numerous rocky outcrops, along with wetlands. Much like Florida, one can presume that any body of water is probably host to a rather unfriendly and dangerous inhabitant - the salt water crocodile. 

Salt Water Crocodile on East Alligator River

I did not expect to be impressed by these creatures, presuming that my exposure to similar animals in Florida and Georgia was sufficient for one lifetime. However, I must tell you that they were quite enormous! It is the largest reptile on the planet, reaching up to 23 feet and 2,200 pounds. On top of that, they are territorial and hence aggressive, resulting in several dozen attacks on people each year.

Strongest Bite in the Animal World

Referred to here as 'salties', they have up to 66 teeth that can be up to five inches long and have the greatest bite pressure of any animal in the world. 

Just Lying in Wait

Like the alligators in Florida, they sit at the surface of the water when they are not sunning at the banks of the river. With a superpower of being able to hold their breath for up to eight hours, they are the perfect predator. The only saving grace is that their food needs are light - averaging 50 full meals per year. Adults can go up to a year without feeding due to their slow metabolism and ability to store energy.

East Alligator River

In order to enjoy these views, we had signed up for a cruise along the East Alligator River, which now forms the border between Kakadu and Arnhem Land. Now you might ask, where are the alligators? Well, in fact, it is a misnomer. The English navigator who named the river in 1818, was unaware that these reptiles were crocodiles and not alligators, but the name has stuck all these years. It is possible that I might have made the same mistake had I discovered them here, but thanks to Google, I can tell you that the crocodile has a V- shaped jaw, compared to the alligator's 'U'. The crocodile also lets his teeth hang out for all to see and fear, while the alligator's teeth can't be seen when the mouth is closed. In addition, alligators are generally less aggressive and prefer fresh water to salt water.

Blue Water Lilies

In some places, the sides of the river were very pretty, with blue lilies. (And yes, that's actually its name - Nymphaea violacea.)

Rock Art

We had come to this part of the world in hope of seeing some Aboriginal rock art, and even from the middle of the river, we could clearly see the paintings on the wall of this overhang. Because the fish have whiskers, we were told it means that there is catfish here. On the very left of the picture, you can see a handprint. I will not claim that I have come to understand this art form at a very deep level, but it sems that much of what we saw was basically a menu, telling others what type of food can be found nearby. The handprint is the signature of the artist, from what I can gather.

Sandstone Oddities

The predominant rock in the area is a sandstone, which has weathered into quite interesting shapes in some places. I thought this formation looked rather like a cat!

Billabong

We stepped ashore for a moment to see a small billabong, or oxbow lake, not far off the eastern shore. You might be familiar with the famous song - Waltzing Matilda - about the swagman who was sitting by a billabong, This one was probably much more lush than the one in the song, as there was no sign of sheep here. The tree with the drooping leaves you see is a pandanus, who's leaves are used by Aboriginal women to weave baskets, dillybags and mats. It also can be used to make rope, and provides food and medicine. It was abundant anywhere near water.

Fishing With Spear and Woomera

Our guide was a gentle and soft spoken Aboriginal man who demonstrated the effectiveness of the woomera to help launch his spear. You can see it in his right hand - a second object, about a third of the spear in length. 

The Woomera

It is a woomera, which provides additional leverage. With it, the spear traveled an impressive distance. He said the spears he uses for fishing have three barbs at the end, which are made from anteater spines. When he retrieved the spears from the water (after we were back on the river) he joked about the nearby crocodile. His humor was quite consistent in suggesting that he keeps a very respectful distance from the salties. He said that only works half of the year, as he lives on a island that becomes marooned in the high waters of the wet. He certainly gave the impression that he is able to live without access to a grocery store - a skillset that I found quite enviable! (Although I don't aspire to try it!)

Following our cruise on the East Alligator River, we went on to nearby Ubirr, a site within Kakadu National Park that has extensive rock art and a beautiful view over the vast plains of Kakadu and into Arnhemland. The outcrop with the view is very popular at sunset.

Miyamiya Warning

This painting showing the swollen joints and bones of a condition called miyamiya was accompanied by a sign explaining that the illness is due to a spiritual sickness that can be contracted if one disturbs the stones of sacred sites. There were a few places where signs requested that we not take photos and with the prospect that one could get muyamiya, I found it easy to oblige. 

The Rainbow Serpent

As you might imagine, it is much like visiting an art gallery with many paintings depicting a great variety of things, I'm not able to explain everything I saw. Some of the paintings have been dated back to 30,000 to 40,000 years ago, while others are more recent. The medium used, is ochre, which was ground into a powder and mixed with water, some type of animal fat and sometimes even blood. Because the substrate is sandstone, the 'paint' penetrates into the pores of the rock, accounting for its durability. The painting also are often placed in caves and overhangs where they are protected from rain and wind. 

The Rainbow Serpent, shown above, is an important creation being, Garranga'relli, who painted the landscape and all it contains. She painted this rock to remind people of her visit. The painting was also accompanied by a story telling about a time when the usually peaceful being became upset to hear the ongoing crying of a child coming from an Ulbu camp. The Rainbow Serpent  rushed into the camp after the night of continual crying and trapped the child and all the people in its huge circled body and swallowed the child and most of the people! The side note to this terrifying story was that it is unusual to hear Aboriginal children crying without being comforted.

X-Ray Painting

There were excellent examples of a style of art called X-Ray art, where the painting shows the internal structure of the animal's bones. Generally speaking, the predominant colors were red, yellow and white. To some extend, one can see that the red is the paint that lasts the longest. The white disappears first, and the yellow is somewhere between. This one is mostly red and has a little yellow still.

White Man

It would be no surprise then, to suggest that this one, in white ochre, is quite modern. The man is dressed, with hands in his pockets and large boots. Clearly this painting is only several centuries old and would have been a means of recording contact with white people - whether it was drawn to warn or educate is unknown. The sign next to it said the arrival of Europeans would have been a major event! No doubt!

Mimih Spirits

If you remember back to the lane in Sydney, with the angelic looking figures handing above it, this image, on the roof of a high overhang, is an authentic representation of this type of spirit, called mimih. They are believed to be the spirits that taught the people how to hunt and survive in the bush, along with the skill of painting. They also have special abilities that the people don't, as their images are always found in very high places, which are out of the reach of regular humans. It is believed that they are very tall and thin, or that they simply pull the rocks down, paint on them and then put them back up in place. The mimih are extremely shy and timid, inhabit rocky escarpments and and only emerge on days with no wind, as they are very fragile and a stiff breeze could be fatal for them. They are invisible to most people.

No Photography, Please

Every now and then, an area would be signposted to let us know it as not available for photography. While there is no monitoring, I always respected these requests. Even if there is no one to hold me to account, I can't deny to myself that I've 'broken trust' and wonder how that might manifest in my life. There are mysteries surrounding Aboriginal spiritual powers that lead me to be cautious! (I will share stories about this when we get to Uluru.)

Mimih Home?

There were many excellent examples of rock art in addition to the ones I've shared, but the sunset was calling us and we headed to the escarpment where many others were gathering in the golden glow.

A Great Vantage Point for Sunset

Fran and I were very pleased that we were able to scramble up to this point of the Ubirr sunset viewing area. We did not climb the final rise, as it was crowded and we could see ourselves being overwhelmed by the numerous and much younger and able-bodies souls when the beautiful display came to an end. You can see in the first photo of this blog the beautiful and lush landscape that stretched out before us.

Looking Toward Arnhem Land

The light really was vibrant. This is my favorite photo capturing the golden light of this fabulous time of day.

Toilets at Anbangbang (Nourlangie)

The following day, Wednesday, we went on a day tour to Arnhemland. I will tell you about that in a separate post, so now we'll move onto our second Kakadu adventure further south of Jabiru, to a rock called Nourlangie and later, Cooinda. I have no idea why I'm giving you a photo of the bathroom, except that it shows that things were pretty decent here. There were flushing toilets, clean, with toilet paper and most had hand soap. Things were well developed for tourists.

Nourlangie -  Burrunggui

The area referred to as Nourlangie was Warramal clan land, but they are no longer here, so it is being looked after by members of neighboring clans, in adherence to traditional law. The name Nourlangie, which identifies it on road maps and signage is actually incorrect: a misunderstanding by the Non-Aboriginal people who came. The top of the rock is called Burrunggui (Boo-rong-goy), while the base is called Anbangbang (Arn-barng barng).

Signage at Anbangbang

I was struck by this sign from the caretakers of this site (they are the Djok, Mirrarr and Murrumburr). Not only are they caring for the land of their deceased neighbors, but they respectfully share it with us, although they live elsewhere. To me it seemed very thoughtful - allowing us a window into this world of the past, but not wanting their own lives to be interrupted, or claiming ownership of this abandoned land for themselves. This national park is one that is jointly managed by indigenous communities and government personnel.

Kangaroo or Wallaby is on the Menu Now

Further north, in Ubirr, we had seen frequent references to fish on the walls. This southern area was not so close to the water, so images of kangaroos were more common. Here you see the hunter using his spear and woomera to hunt a kangaroo for his family's dinner. We were disappointed that we didn't see kangaroos. There were a couple of much smaller wallabies that had been hit by cars on the side of the road.

Namarrkon, the Lightning Man

The artwork in the shelters at Angbangbang was exceptional. One of my favorites was the Lightning Man - Namarrkon, who is an ancestral being associated with the power of thunderstorms - using thunder to communicate. His wife, Barginj, and he are parents to the Leichhardt's grasshopper, which appears when the first storms of the wet season break. To me, he looks like a grasshopper with a bolt of lightning around his head.

On the Way to Ceremony

One of the other reasons I liked this site, is that it also showed the people going about their life. Here, the sign told us, was a family group of men and women on their way to ceremony. The sign also told us that the women with the markings on their breasts, were breastfeeding. I liked the shape of their hairdos. The white figure above them, is the wife of Lightning Man - Barginj. She also looks like a grasshopper.

Anbangbang Shelter

The temperatures here are, surprisingly, not too extreme - ranging between the 80's and 100's Fahrenheit. It is likely that the proximity to the ocean moderates them from being too extreme. However, they do have an annual rainfall of 95 inches, so one can appreciate that shelters like this one, under big rocks, must have been an enormous blessing in the wet season. In the large, flat rock on the lower right of the photo, one can see holes where the women would grind seeds for making 'flour' cakes. From artifacts found here, anthropologists estimate that this shelter has been used for 20,000 years. 

Lookout to the East

We did not climb to the top of this magnificent escarpment, but there was a lower lookout that gave a view across to the east. I was drawn to the beauty of the trees as you see here. There is nothing quite like the smooth trunk of a eucalypt glimmering in the sunshine. 

Timor Imperial Pigeon

After spending time at Anbangbang, we sought our own 21st Century shelter, with lunch and a swim at a fancy resort, Cooinda. It was delightful watching this little Timor Imperial pigeon enjoying his own lunch of fruit from a palm tree near the pool in Cooinda.

Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre. 

We ended the day with a visit to the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre. This was also a place where they requested no photography. While it had a great deal of information, I regret that my brain was already pretty full, so I can't tell you much about it!

'Sorry Business' in Jabiru

Before we leave this area to go back to Darwin, I want to share with you a few images from Jabiru. The first one is to illustrate an observation of grieving - the red line that we saw, smeared at shoulder height, around many of the public buildings here. Fran and I were puzzled - it was systematic and extensive - far too ubiquitous to just be careless graffiti. Googling for an answer revealed that it is a mark of mourning for a young woman who was killed in a car accident. The note I found said she faced a promising future, as one who 'walked a path between modern ways and traditional living'. Here's a link for more images if you're interested. https://andrearowe.com.au/sorry-business-in-kakadu/

Sulphur Crested Cockatoos Settling Down For the Night

Finally, I share a photo of cockatoos settling into a tree for the night. It was quite dark, so the photo from my phone is not great, but we were very amused to hear the squawking and seeming cries of distress as they jostled for position in the tree. It seemed about as crazy as watching the egrets settle in Simmons Lake in Amelia Park - birds that insist on being at the top of the tree, perching on branches that seem way too small for them. It must be a case of safety in numbers!

Next blog will share from our day in Arnhem Land.