Keeping Cool

I've been trying for days to get a photo of one of these lizards! It's a long nosed dragon, otherwise known as a "ta-ta lizard" because of its comical habit of waving one of it's "hands" when it runs away.  It's very funny to watch it run really fast on its hind legs, pause, wave and run on- but catching it on camera isn't easy.  I finally managed this morning, using the zoom lens so I didn't need to get too close. 

We took some sausages and bread and went back to Berry Springs today.  Most of the Top End is tropical woodland- fairly dry at this time of year.  Near the creeks and rivers there is often a belt of monsoonal rainforest.  Berry Springs nature park is an example of the latter, with lush rainforest vegetation all year round.  This time I had the camera, but as I spent most of the time floating in the lovely warm water, I didn't take many photos.  There are dozens of little fish swimming around, and if you stay still for a minute you feel them nibbling at your ankles. It feels funny, though- like a series of little electric shocks- so we took care not to keep our feet still for long!  Apparently there are places where you pay to let similar fish clean the dead skin from your feet.
Arthur loves his swimming vest, and is gaining confidence in the water all the time.  Esther was enjoying it too, until she suddenly saw a rock that she thought looked like a crocodile. She knew it wasn't a real one, but nonetheless she preferred to sit on the edge of the water and watch the fish!  After we got out we got into conversation with a young man who had grown up locally.  He was a really nice chap, who told us about all the best places to include in our travels... and also told us about a tourist who had been bitten by a freshwater crocodile a few weeks ago, in this very pool! She had been swimming underwater to take some close-up photos, and got too close for the croc's comfort. She survived, but it wasn't pretty! Freshies don't usually attack people without provocation, and then only in self defence rather than to kill, but as our friend said, he never smiles at a crocodile, salt or fresh, giving them all a respectful berth if he meets them!