PToday (Monday 15th) we said goodbye to Berry Springs heading for Kakadu NP.
We ended up going only the 104 km to Mary River Wilderness Retreat (on the Arnhem Highway) where we booked for a 2x night stay. We stayed here because we decided we would do a Wetlands Sunset Cruise on the Corroboree Billabong.
Along our journey today we happened on the "Windows on the Wetlands" centre where we stopped in to view their exhibits. It turned into a longer stop than planned - with us ending up there at least a good hour. The exhibits were really interesting with lots of interactive things to help us learn about the wetlands creatures. It was a very well presented gem of a place and we were really glad we stopped.
They also made really good coffee which we enjoyed whilst watching an informative video about the changing seasons in the wetlands of Kakadu.
Heading off we made our booking for the Wetlands Cruise this evening and checked into the Mary River Wilderness Retreat.
This campground is located between Darwin and Kakadu NP and is a family owned and operated accomodation. They have a few walks on the grounds and even have golf buggy hire for those that would like to explore but don't want to or cannot do the walking. We explored the Bamboo Walk one morning whilst here. It's a shaded walk through a bamboo forest. We saw some nice birdlife along this walk but did not spot any crocs in the billabong. Yes we did walk - no buggy for us!
We also see lovely orange bloom in the trees
And - an interesting fruit that the birds are eating. It has a hard shell pod that opens to display little buds of fruit.
They also have a pretty nice (even if a bit smallish) pool for guests and we spent some time here each day cooling off and as usual chatting with other travellers. The camping areas are very green since they seem to water quite constantly (from the Mary River) - this provides lots of good eating for the considerable mobs of wallabies that inhabit the campground most of the day.
I don't think I have mentioned that most of this trip since leaving home we have had quite hot days and some very warm nights to go with them. Lots of days over 30 degrees and many around the 33-34 degree mark. It's been a bit hotter than we hoped for - but generally the dry heat up here at the moment hasn't bothered us too much - especially when we have lots of places to swim (either natural or man made).
Also at Berry Springs we were getting some humidity which made for sultry nights that were quite warm in the tvan. We have now started using the fan in the tvan either for the heat or for the bugs & mozzies that sneak in at night when we are opening and closing the screen doors. We have never really used the fan before but it does a pretty good job and doesn't seem to draw much power from the battery.
I seem to have digressed a bit with my narrative on the weather.
Really the highlight of our stay here was the 1.5hr Wetlands Sunset cruise.
It was just awesome - and I know I am using that word way too much. It was a very relaxing and informative cruise on the picturesque Corroboree Billabong and we saw quite a few, very skiddish crocs that would frantically disappear when we got near, as well as heaps of birdlife and a gorgeous sunset.
Corroboree Billabong is part of the Mary River Wetlands and is said to be teeming with birdlife and saltwater crocs.
You can see here some of the many birds we managed to photograph along the cruise and hopefully the photographs will relay how beautiful and serene this cruise was.
Well I did get a photo of one smallish "saltie" - before he jumped into the water.
We saw lots of the Red-Combed Jacana. These little birds (also known as the "Jesus Bird") walk around on the lily pads and have the appearance of "walking on water".
The lily pads are in fact quite water resistant and you can see beads of water on many of them
There are lots of the gorgeous pink lotus flowers and lily pads all around the billabong - this is because they did not get a big wet season this year - so where they would normally be washed away by the flooding - and they need to re-establish - this year they did not get washed away so are a bit overgrown on the billabong.
This Whistling Kite was guarding a dead turtle that it was eating
A gorgeous Rainbow Bee-eater
The skiddish "Azure Kingfisher" - which was very hard to get a photo of - and this photo does not show off all the orange colours on his breast and the red legs
See if you can find the juvenile Rufous Night Heron in this photo - he blends in very well
We saw lots of different Egrets --
At the end of the cruise we watched the sunset before heading back to shore - it was very beautiful. Yes I know another photo of a sunset - but I just love them
And our last treat just heading back in - in the fading light - was a Jabiru standing at the waters edge that was happily posing for us as we slowly cruised by him.
Interesting fact: the Jabiru is the only stork we have in Australia
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