These stills were taken between June 25th and July 7th and focus on the highlights of what I saw in and around Katherine, Darwin and Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory.
Butterfly Gorge+
Katherine is about three hours south of Darwin (you've got your map handy, right?) and is famous for it's collection of natural gorges, aptly named 'Katherine Gorge'. All told, we bushwalked 12km along rocky, fairly rough trail barely visible a good portion of the time. The walk ended up at this majestic, water-filled gorge.
Exit Stage Left+
Here's the Butterfly Gorge, looking left.
Cruising for Crocs+
The Northern Territory is famous for its freshwater ('freshies') and saltwater ('salties') crocodiles and many locals rivers are clearly marked with danger signs discouraging swimming. The Adelaide River Crocodile Cruise put us face to face with a few salties, notorious for stalking and attacking humans.
Watchu Lookin' at?+
This is one of the smaller crocodiles I saw on the tour. Due to a reduction in their numbers, attributed to overhunting and poaching, crocodile hunting has been restricted. As their numbers increase, Australians are sure to begin fearing their sneaky salties more than their beloved sharks.
We've got a Jumper+
Here was the biggest we saw, coming in at just over 6 meters long (18+ feet) and over a hundred years old. Salties are capable of (and love to) jump for their food, a trick that comes in handy to snag low-flying birds and unsuspecting tourists.
Kakadu National Park+
Much like Uluru-Kata Tjuta, Kakadu has been returned to its traditional Aboriginal owners and is leased back to the government as a national park. Kakadu is celebrated by conservationists because of its abundant and diverse range of wildlife and vegetation.
Nourlangie Rock+
A 4WD is necessary to explore most areas of Kakadu, but some can be reached by car. During 'The Wet', much of Kakadu is flooded and impassible. During 'The Dry', many of the natural waterfalls and creeks dry up, so you really need to get your timing right to see everything. We spent most of our time exploring Nourlangie Rock and nearby billabongs (large ponds created by rainfall).
Didgeridoo+
Many Aboriginal ceremonies involve the playing of the didgeridoo, a hollow musical instrument made from timber, quite often painted with Aboriginal symbols, with a distinctive sound (go put on your Midnight Oil CD's - they use the didgeridoo quite a bit).
Incest Rock+
Here's another view of Nourlangie Rock. The small balancing rock is important in Aboriginal storytelling, hence the caption above....
Kakadu Art Gallery+
It's said, and I agree, that Australia's best Aboriginal art can be found in Kakadu. The art, mainly depicting cultural stories and legends, ranges from as many as 20,000 years to as few as 10 years old.