Kakadu and Arnhem Land

When I wrote my last post, little did I know that at that time bushfires were already raging in the Northern Territory and other parts of Australia. This is August, when the far north is still experiencing the Dry Season. And with our prolonged drought conditions, fires are breaking out all over the place. What is just unbelievable is that many have been deliberately lit. Lighting strikes also cause many. 

But back to my story of Kakadu. That evening we stayed in tented cabins at a special campsite within the Kakadu National Park. Unfortunately there were lots of mosquitoes around. And during the night I heard a scratching noise from under the floor boards. I shone my torch through the cracks to see what it was, but could not see any creatures. I felt rather worried, though. What creatures might crawl up through the cracks in the night? I shuddered to think. Early the next morning on the way to breakfast I shone my torch under the floor, and to my horror saw that a large number of cane toads were sheltering under there. 

Cane toads are a completely destructive menace in Australia. They were brought into Australia to rid our sugar cane crops in Queensland of a particulate beetle that was infecting them. But this decision was made in complete ignorance of what harm cane toads might do when introduced into a land where they had no natural enemies. I doubt scientists were consulted. It proved to be a disastrous mistake! Cane toads have now spread right across much of the warmer parts of Australia, killing native animals everywhere they go. They are extremely poisonous, and have even been been known to kill humans by spraying them in the face with a highly toxic fluid. 

That morning we arrived at a special narrow river crossing that links Kakadu with Arnhem Land called ‘The Causeway’.  Arnhem Land is a region that is far more extensive than Kakadu, which itself is about half the size of Switzerland. It is entirely under the control of certain tribes of Aboriginal people; you can only enter their territory if they have issued you with a special permit some time beforehand. Fortunately our driver had a permit for our group.  

Now Chappy gave us a grave warning about The Causeway before we went near it. The East Alligator River (a strange name, given we have crocodiles but not alligators in Australia!) is a tidal river, so there is only a very narrow band of time during which you can cross over, before The Causeway is completely flooded. Waters rise over it very rapidly and with it come countless crocodiles that will leap over it to reach the barramundi fish that also leap over it to try to get away fro the crocodiles.  

Chappy told us about a local fisherman who was standing on The Causeway fishing for barramundi with his son and a couple of mates. The water started to rise and his mates urged him to get off The causeway. “In a minute!” he yelled. “I will just finish landing my fish”! They were the last words he ever uttered.  A crocodile rose up and bit off his head in front of his horrified son and mates! (Sometimes locals can get too complacent!) 

With Chappy’s warning to stay at least four metres from the water’s edge and not stand on The Causeway, even though some others were doing so, we were very careful. The problem is you cannot see the crocodiles until the moment they leap out of the water, since the water is a milky colour. But I did manage a couple of photos of this infamous spot as the water started to rise over it. 

We all breathed a sigh of relief when we were safely on the other side and driving through a picturesque rocky region of Arnhem Land. One place of great interest was a fascinating art gallery in a little Aboriginal township, where we watched an Aboriginal artist make a fine paint brush from reeds, and saw some of the very talented artists at work. These included women weavers, sitting under a shelter outside. Their work was stunning. 

You can see some of their work in my photos. 

The warning sign just before The Causeway.

The Causeway just before the waters rose over it.

Looking along the river from near The Causeway.

All the disturbance in the water was made by the large barramundi fish threshing about trying to escape over The Causeway. You can see two of the crocodiles chasing them. 

You can just make out some of the fish, with a crocodile in chase. 

At the Art gallery. This Aboriginal elder was doing some fine work.

A view from behind the art gallery.

And another view, of which the Aboriginals were very proud.

Two of the weavers. It was really hot out there.