Exploring Kakadu: A paradise to see
The sun is settling across the horizon of the wetlands; thousands of birds are already in place on the calm waters, while many more are making their way across the sky in group formation to where they will rest for the night.
It’s a warm evening with a light breeze and our bush oven is flavouring our bush tucker dinner that was collected during the day.
The sun is setting now which means that our fresh barramundi, wild magpie goose and water buffalo will be ready soon.
Happy and with new friends, we settle in to enjoy the spectacular sunset with a cup of freshly made billy tea with smiles on our faces.
Animal Tracks Safaris are no ordinary tours as we soon find out: it’s the real deal and definitely one of the best tours we have enjoyed anywhere in the world. Owner and tour guide Sean’s passion for Kakadu is complimented by our aboriginal bush guide Patsy who provides us with an insight into traditional living and hunting across this remarkable land.
Our open sided tour bus is comfortable and allows us to all see, hear and smell the bush. It really is a magnificent setting. On our tour is a group of mixed nations aged from 10 years old up to my Mum, Judy, who had recently arrived in Darwin on the Ghan from Adelaide who is in her early 70’s.
Meeting our local guide Patsy really feels like an honour. Patsy is shy at first but warmed to us all as we did to her. Learning how to gather bush tucker and about the history of the area from her was an amazing experience. To me I’ve always looked at the bush landscape as just bush but Patsy helped show me that it’s really a remarkable provider of food and resources to sustain life.
The amount of birds on the water and in the skies around us is hard to imagine as are the sunsets. Kakadu is a paradise and should be at the top of everyone’s to do list.
Kakadu’s Yellow Water Cruise which operates from near Cooinda Lodge is also a great way to experience the abundance of wildlife amongst stunning waterways.
Our guide gives a really informative commentary and is an expert in naming the wide variety of bird life that we come across. On our morning cruise we were certainly treated to a great show by the local crocodiles which were basking in the sunshine along the banks and swimming with surprising grace past our boat.
It ‘s too hard to describe Kakadu without using all of the usual superlatives, in fact Kakadu probably inspired the creation of many superlatives in the first place. Amazing, magic, inspiring, a must see!
Written by Lynton Jones. Republished with permission of Wyza.com.au.