Monday, August 10, 2015

northern territory : kakadu, gagadju, maguk

Maguk Falls was a short drive in (on dirt) from the Gungurul free camp ($6.60/n) on the Kakadu Highway. It's about a kilometre up to the falls on a raised boardwalk and then along a rocky path. The waterhole is huge and beautiful.



Thanks to my mum for these three photos. 

We needed a swim after a hot walk in to the falls and it wasn't long before the kids and J were jumping off the rocks in to the cool water. Soon after B was scaling the five metre high cliffs and jumping in to the water hole and coming up beaming. Our boy has certainly gained a mountain of confidence since we left Sydney eight months ago. 


You can just see the colours of Bs rash vest as he's plunging in to the water hole!


Nothing can compare to the black kites which soar the Kimberley and top end skies. You'll be outside only to have a shadow fly overhead and look up to see the unmistakable outline of the scalloped tail and distal wings of the black kite.  

Slowly the black kites have been replaced by the whistling kite with their distinctive cries. These birds both hone in on the fire fronts when traditional burning takes place in the Kimberley and Kakadu, searching for small prey who scuttle out from the bush in search of safety from the fire. 

Traditional Burning takes place in the dry season and continues to be a practice used by National Parks to maintain biodiversity in this region. Fires are critical for the reproduction of some plants while others suffer under the conditions so a balance is necessary in considering the needs of a range of species in the parks. 


No comments:

Post a Comment