Kakadu- arrival

We drove int Kakadu National Park today.Contrary to information we had received, we do have mobile reception here, so I can update this page after all. 
The Arnhem Highway from Humpty Doo winds through the tropical woodlands we have become familiar with over the last few weeks.  What I had not expected to see were the fruit orchards- row upon row of mango trees, interspersed with the occasional bananas and some other fruit trees I didn't recognise. It's hard to take a good picture from the moving car, but this gives a bit of an impression.  Unfortunately the mangoes are still not quite ripe...

We stopped and had lunch at the Mamukala wetlands.  Getting out of the airconditioned car it was a shock to find how hot it was!  I was quite overcast and didn't look like a warm day, but the temperature had reached 39 degrees by then, and the 100 metre walk to the bird hide overlooking the lagoon was quite an effort. What a sight, though!  At this time of the year- the end of the dry season- thousands of magpie geese gather at the lagoons and waterholes.  We saw several groups of these, as well as a number of other species of water birds including tall white egrets, whistling dicks, darters and plovers.  The waterlilies, with their huge leaves and big pink blooms made a beautiful backdrop to the scene, while closer to the hide there were some with tiny white flowers.

A hot walk through dry woodlands to get to the lagoon!

I love the way the pandanus palm's leaves spiral around the stem!

We arrived at our destination- the caravan park at Cooinda- by about three o'clock.  Our original plan had been to stay at a bush camping site nearby, but when we realised just how hot it was going to be we decided to opt for the powered site at a resort-style park instead.  Not really adventurous, I know- but the temperatures don't drop much, even overnight, and there is a lot to be said for a good night's sleep.  Arthur (of course) chatted to a man who was cleaning some fish, asking him what he'd caught.  A little later, the man came over and gave us two big barramundi fillets!  So, while the boys cooked the fish on the barbie, Esther helped me make some salad and we had a delicious meal of freshly caught "barra" for tea! 

Both of the children are sleeping peacefully... and I think I'll follow their example shortly!