Spirited away in the outback

Jon and I set out for a weekend of camping in the outback with 17 other brave souls and our guide Jordan. About an hour into the ride out to Kakadu National Park we made an unexpected stop when Jordan spotted something on the side of the road. Jordan slammed on the brakes and brought our bus to a stop before he jumped up and out to make his way toward whatever it was that caught his eye. We sat on the bus, clueless but interested, as we watched Jordan remove his hat and use it to shield his hand as he plucked a frill-neck lizard off of a tree. Jordan made his way nearer to the bus so we could all get a closer look, even asking one of the girls to take a step closer to enrage the lizard so it would expand its neck for us. Jordan's performance was impressive and we were not even in the bush yet...we had high hopes for the weekend with so much action in just the first hour of our trip.

Once we entered Kakadu National Park, a massive 7,646 square mile area within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory, we noticed a lot of burnt areas of land. Our first thought was that wild fires had done damage to the area during the dry season. However, Jordan mentioned how aboriginal people have burned the country for thousands of years as a way of caring for the land. Signs in nature tell the aboriginal people when it is time to burn so minimal harm would be done and yield the most benefits. 

Kakadu is composed of six landforms and is one of the few World Heritage places listed for its cultural and natural values. The creation ancestors gave the Bininj/Mungguy people a kinship system linking people to all things and the cultural responsibility to look after them all. People visit the park to relax, sit on the country, and feel the spirits so they can then go home and feel the same way. With an open heart, a visit to Kakadu can be a spiritual experience. 

Our first stop in the park was Ubirr, located in the Jabiru region. We hiked our way into the area to view the famous two thousand year old aboriginal rock paintings depicting creation ancestors and animals from the region. Once on top of Ubirr Rock we were treated to panoramic views of the surrounding floodplains and escarpments. 

We left Ubirr and made our way over to Cooinda in the Yellow Water region to take a cruise through the famous wetlands. Our local aboriginal guide Lionel, from Yellow River Cruises, took us out onto the Jim Jim Billabong and surrounding water ways. The area we visited was owned by three sisters and three large birch trees line the water in one spot in memory of them. We spotted numerous birds, fish and crocodiles along the cruise. Our favorite spotting was the Jesus walker, a tiny and stunning bird that effortlessly walks across the lilly pads of the wetlands. 

Everyone was busy snapping pictures of the breathtaking landscape and views as we cruised the Yellow River. In an effort to better connect us with the land and have a better appreciation for the aboriginal way of life, Lionel had us go silent and close our eyes. There we sat, really listening to the sounds of the animals and nature around us, opening our ears and hearts to the magic of the aboriginal land. The mental picture I felt in those ten minutes of silence beats any picture taken through the lens of my Sony camera. 

We made camp at the Gagudju lodge for the evening and fell into bed physically exhausted from the day but mentally alive from the experience of our first day in the outback and the blessing of being on aboriginal land. 

Our guide Jordan as he handled the frill-neck lizard.

Jon and me at the entrance to Kakadu National Park.

Aboriginal rock art in Ubirr.

Nadia atop of Ubirr Rock.

A panoramic view of the floodplains and escarpments surrounding Ubirr.

Nadia and Jon cruising the Yellow River.

The birch trees honoring the three sisters of Cooinda. 

The Jesus walker on the banks of the billabong. 

Approaching sunset on the wetlands of the Yellow River.

Water, one of the large crocs who lives in the Yellow River.