The next day Genny and I went on a 3-day camping trip to Kakadu National Park. What a great experience! It was exhausting but worth it. The fire alarm going off in our hostel at 2am the night before didn't help us get off to a good start. We started the tour at 6:30am!! This was definitely a sign of things to come!
On the first day we saw Barramundi fish swimming in a lake, took a tour of a wetland area that apparently has the highest concentration of wildlife in the world, took a walk through a paperback tree forest, saw giant 10-foot tall termite mounds, and got a chance to eat bush tuckers (ants with green butts), which I politely declined, and then went on an amazing crocodile cruise. This cruise was even better than the first one I had taken.
We got a few feet away from 4meter long crocodiles that would eat anyone in a second if they fell over board. I learned all about crocs and can now tell the difference between the man-eating saltwater crocs (called "salties") and the supposedly not man-eating freshwater crocs ("freshies"). The wildlife and the scenery in the area were breathtaking!
That night at the campsight we were invited to an Aboriginal Corroboree, which is a traditional Aboriginal ceremony. We watched the Aboriginal men, who were all painted and only wearing loin clothes, do dances around the fire and sing and play the didgeridoo. We even got to get our faces painted and join in on the dancing. What a unique experience! The next morning we got up at 5am!!!!!! I had gotten about 2 hours of sleep thanks to all the mozzies (mosquitos) and the uncomfortable bed. It was still dark out when we were forced to get up. The day ahead would prove to be worth the early start though. We went to Ubirr, the sight of ancient Aboriginal rock art dating back 20,000 years old. We were taught all about Aboriginee culture and way of life. We hiked to a gorgeous lookout, which overlooked the floodplains and escarpment country below. That lookout was also where they filmed Crocodile Dundy. Next we hiked to the top of a beautiful waterfall and swam for the rest of the day in the jacuzzi-warm pools of water above the falls.
The next morning we were allowed to 'sleep in' until 5:30am!! We went on a long hike to Jim Jim Falls. Words can't describe how beautiful this place was. We swam under the waterfall surrounded by rock faces 200 feet high. After 6 hours of driving we were back in Darwin and at the end of our tour. That night all 16 of us from our tour partied the night away in a bar in Darwin.
On the first day we saw Barramundi fish swimming in a lake, took a tour of a wetland area that apparently has the highest concentration of wildlife in the world, took a walk through a paperback tree forest, saw giant 10-foot tall termite mounds, and got a chance to eat bush tuckers (ants with green butts), which I politely declined, and then went on an amazing crocodile cruise. This cruise was even better than the first one I had taken. 
We got a few feet away from 4meter long crocodiles that would eat anyone in a second if they fell over board. I learned all about crocs and can now tell the difference between the man-eating saltwater crocs (called "salties") and the supposedly not man-eating freshwater crocs ("freshies"). The wildlife and the scenery in the area were breathtaking!
That night at the campsight we were invited to an Aboriginal Corroboree, which is a traditional Aboriginal ceremony. We watched the Aboriginal men, who were all painted and only wearing loin clothes, do dances around the fire and sing and play the didgeridoo. We even got to get our faces painted and join in on the dancing. What a unique experience! The next morning we got up at 5am!!!!!! I had gotten about 2 hours of sleep thanks to all the mozzies (mosquitos) and the uncomfortable bed. It was still dark out when we were forced to get up. The day ahead would prove to be worth the early start though. We went to Ubirr, the sight of ancient Aboriginal rock art dating back 20,000 years old. We were taught all about Aboriginee culture and way of life. We hiked to a gorgeous lookout, which overlooked the floodplains and escarpment country below. That lookout was also where they filmed Crocodile Dundy. Next we hiked to the top of a beautiful waterfall and swam for the rest of the day in the jacuzzi-warm pools of water above the falls.
The next morning we were allowed to 'sleep in' until 5:30am!! We went on a long hike to Jim Jim Falls. Words can't describe how beautiful this place was. We swam under the waterfall surrounded by rock faces 200 feet high. After 6 hours of driving we were back in Darwin and at the end of our tour. That night all 16 of us from our tour partied the night away in a bar in Darwin.
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