Truth be known, I have yearned to visit Australia since 1986 and the first time I saw the movie Crocodile Dundee with Paul Hogan.  That yearning was stoked in 2017 when I attended a lecture by two Australian archaeologists on the campus of Texas State University.  The focus of that lecture was not rock art, but after the lecture I retired to the library to explore Australian archaeology on the internet.  I was fascinated by what I found —  the rock art of Australia, especially northern Australia, is really something special.  As a result, I placed the Northern Territory of Australia firmly near the brim of my bucket list.  In the Fall of 2018 I began to form the outlines of a trip.  Honestly, the planning of a trip of this magnitude is almost as much as taking the trip!  I spent many, many hours, contentedly exploring Australia and Australian rock art on the internet, as the trip took shape.  The fruit of that labor is what you see on this blog post, my 2019 Australian Rock Art Adventure.  I hope you enjoy my digital recollections of this wonderful experience…

During the planning phase of my trip, it did not take me long to decide that my first stop would be Kakadu National Park.  Kakadu is the crown jewel of the Australian parks in the north part of the country, and, in recognition of it’s amazing rock art, was named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  To get to Kakadu, I decided to drive to the DFW/Forth Worth airport and take a direct Quantas flight to Sydney, then board a 5 hour flight north from Sydney to Darwin, which would serve as my staging point for Kakadu and the Northern Territory.  I boarded Quantas flight QF8 on the evening of Thursday, September 5, 2019.  We departed at 10:30 p.m. and arrived in Sydney at 6:25 a.m., Saturday, September 7, 2019.  The math is beyond me, but the actual flight time was 17 hours…I left on a Thursday and landed on Saturday!  After a rather frenzied dash through Australian customs and relocating to a domestic terminal, I boarded Quantas flight QF 840.  We took off around 9:00 a.m. and landed in Darwin at 1:30 p.m., Saturday, September 7, 2019.  Oh, and lest I forget, I stopped in Waco on the way to the DFW airport and visited the Mammoth National Monument…it was a great way to stretch my legs!

Upon arrival at the Darwin airport, I collected my baggage and took a short cab ride over to Britz, where my hired Toyota Landcruiser and camping gear was waiting.  It took several hours to watch videos (how to operate the vehicle, the roof top tent, etc.) and for a young employee of Britz to show me all the features of the vehicle and my gear.  I don’t know if it was the jet lag, but by the time I pulled out of the Britz parking lot I was feeling a little overwhelmed.  I was quite nervous as I negotiated the drive to my accommodations in Cullen Bay.  Driving on the wrong side of the road is a challenge at first, but I managed it without freaking out too many Aussies in the process.  I checked in to my sixth floor room, walked to the marina, and grabbed a bite to eat.  By seven p.m. I was in bed.  I slept soundly until midnight.  Unable to sleep, I took a long walk along the beach, the marina, and other areas around Cullen bay.  Then it was back to bed for a few more hours of shut-eye.

Sunday morning, September 8, 2019, found me up early, refreshed, and raring to go.  My goals for the day were to purchase necessary supplies, to see some sights around Darwin, and to get in significant driving time.  So I began my day by driving to  the Coolalinga area outside Darwin, where I knew there was a large Cole’s grocery store in a mall.  I had breakfast at the nicest McDonalds I have ever been to, then spent a couple of hours shopping for my supplies.

I departed Coolalinga, and headed east after turning onto the Arnhem Highway.  My goal was to get some driving time under my belt, and see some of the sites in the area, so I decided the Adelaide River would be my ultimate destination that morning.  It was a beautiful morning and I enjoyed the drive.  I spotted my first “kangaroo” (in truth, a wallaby), and my first termite mounds.  Unfortunately the wallaby was roadkill, by the side of the road.  I would see that often over the next weeks, very similar to the deer that are killed along roadways in central Texas.  I was so excited to see termite mounds!  Little did I know that they are literally everywhere, and I would see them every day for the rest of my trip.

I stopped at Beatrice Hill and Window on the Wetlands, which is a very nice informational facility that sits high on a hill overlooking the Adelaide River wetlands and floodplain.  I enjoyed the exhibits at the facility, and they helped me understand a number of things about the landscape, animals, and flora of the Northern Territory.

From the Window on the Wetlands, I made the short drive down to a landing on the Adelaide River where one of the “Jumping Crocodile” enterprises is located (there are three in this area).  I chose the “Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise” because it was convenient, and, as a smaller operation, supposedly had smaller boats and a more intimate experience.  Make no mistake, I had reservations about participating in this touristy activity, but I am glad I did.  I learned a lot about the crocs, and I doubt the practice of feeding them like this will probably not be allowed much longer.  Had I known that I would see many, many crocs in the wild during my time in the bush, I might have passed on the cruise.  I guess I wanted to make sure I could say I saw some crocs while in Australia.

After my crocodile cruise, I headed back toward Darwin on the Arnhem Highway. I stopped at a small aboriginal community at Pudakul, and gave away my first gift to a little aboriginal girl named Rose.  They didn’t allow pictures there but trust me when I tell you she was extremely happy to receive a Texas coin purse filled with goodies from a strange talking visitor! I attended an AA meeting at 2 p.m. that afternoon in the little town of Humpty Doo.  We sat outside a small church, and shared our experience, strength, and hope.  They were very nice people, and treated me like a long lost friend.  AA is like that!  After my meeting, I stopped at the “world famous” Humpty Doo Hotel for a late lunch.  I had the mixed grill of buffalo, baramundi, chicken, and ribs, and it was delicious!

After finishing my late lunch in Humpty Doo, I drove into downtown Darwin to see some of the urban sights.  Downtown Darwin is quite nice, sitting high above the harbour.  I was drawn to Christ Church Cathedral, a historic Anglican church, and spent some time enjoying the art and history of the worship space.  I also took advantage of this sacred place to spend a little time to relax, pray, and meditate.  I enjoyed the public spaces, the public art, and the wonderful views before heading back to Cullen Bay.

After spending time downtown, I made the short drive back to Cullen Bay.  I was not really hungry, so I decided to make the 30 minute walk to Mindil Beach, which is known for it’s beautiful sunsets and the Sunday night market.  It was a pleasant way to spend my last night in Darwin.  Here are some photos from my walk to Mindil Beach…

I  left Darwin early Monday morning (September 9, 2019) headed for Jabiru, in the heart of Kakadu National Park.  I stopped at the magnificent McDonalds in Coolalinga for breakfast, then enjoyed a pleasant drive into the park.  There is a nice bathroom and informational exhibit near the entry to the park, but not a manned ranger station.  Kakadu is huge, and it took several hours to get from the park entrance to Jabiru.

I arrived in Jabiru shortly before noon, and headed to the Bowali Park Visitor Center.  Most of the National Parks I visited in Australia didn’t have formal visitor centers, but the one at Kakadu was quite nice.  I spent a couple of hours looking at the exhibits, having lunch, and checking out the gift shop.  There was a young aboriginal man at the main information desk, in a ranger uniform.  He seemed very ill at ease and uncomfortable as I tried to ask a few questions, and seemed completely out of his element.  It is my impression that the programs that try to integrate aboriginals into roles such as this (Home Valley Station is the best known) have met with limited success.  Perhaps it was his first day on the job, but I felt sorry for him, as he awkwardly struggled in his role at the park.

After spending time at the Bowali Visitor Center, I decided to head to Nourlangie Rock to get my first taste of the rock art in the park.  Nourlangie Rock is the common name for the area, while the aboriginals prefer that it be called Burrunggui (the upper part of the site) and Anbangbang (the lower part of the site).  After about a thirty minute drive, I found myself at the parking area.  Nourlangie is well signed, and has nice easy trails.  I spent a couple of hours exploring the shelter area, and the galleries at the site.  I began at the Anbangbang Shelter, then worked my way past the unamed gallery behind the shelter, the Incline Gallery (where you find the signature dance panel), and then on to the Main Anbangbang Gallery.  The rock art was plentiful, and interesting.  I enjoyed my time there, and did my best to take some photos that would capture the essence of this special place.  As a side note, on the trail I was introduced to the infamous Australian “Green Ants”.  I noticed an old gentleman in some distress, so I stopped to help him.  He had stepped off trail to break off a small branch of a bush to help keep the flies off of him and inadvertently got a branch that contained a next of Green Ants.  I helped him get his shirt off and rid of the pests.  It was the first of many times on this trip that I had to deal with Green Ants!

After spending time at Nourlangie Rock, I decided to make the drive up to Cahill’s Crossing, where I would be crossing the East Alligator River early Wednesday morning on the way to Mount Borradaille.  I was quite nervous about making my first major river crossing, and I wanted to check it out and determine how long it took to drive to it from Jabiru.  Upon arrival, I parked at the carpark and walked over to the crossing.  It was low tide, so there was very little water over the roadway.  I watched several vehicles make the crossing, and it eased my mind.  Before returning to Jabiru I also stopped in the Border Store, where I checked on the tide schedules for Wednesday morning.  The gentelman at the store assured me that since high tide was at 9:30 on Wednesday morning, I should have no problem if I planned on crossing at first light.

After calming my mind with a visit to Cahill’s Crossing, I decided to drive on north to the Ubirr Rock Art Site.  It was late afternoon, and, in retrospect, I probably should have allotted more time at this place.  But, I was able to see most of the art at Ubirr and the light was pretty good, so it worked out okay.  If I ever make it back to Kakadu, I would enjoy a more leisurely visit to Ubirr —  one that including some exploring and a hike to the viewpoint area.

I finished up at Ubirr just before dark and drove back to Jabiru as the sun set.  It was a beautiful evening along the floodplain of the East Alligator River!  I checked into my accomodations at the Anbinik Kakadu Resort, grabbed a bite to eat and hit the sack.  I was one tired old man after a long and exciting day.  But early the next morning I was feeling refreshed as I drove south of Jaribu to the Nanguluwur Trailhead.  I had read that Nanguluwur involved a much longer hike than the other Kakadu sites, and that it was best photographed in the early morning light.

Just as I reached the Nangulurwurr site, I realized that I had not remembered to put my battery back into the Nikon after charging it the night before.  So I turned around and hiked back to the trailhead and loaded my spare battery into the camera.  I really didn’t mind, because it was a really pleasant morning for a hike!  I really enjoyed this site.  In fact, of the three sites I visited in Kakadu, this site was my favorite.  The art included a variety of styles and was better protected than Ubirr and Nourlangie.  I spent several hours enjoying this special place!

By the time I finished up at Nangulurwur, it was almost 2 p.m.  I thought about driving back up to Ubirr, but instead, I headed further south into the park.  I had a relaxed lunch at the Cooinda Lodge (and drove around the Yellowwater Area) then visited the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre.  I headed back to Jaribu, had a shower, then enjoyed steak night at the  Jabiru Sports and Social Club.  I went to bed early that Tuesday night, excited to be heading to Mt. Borradaile early the next morning.  I slept well, and had sweet dreams about Kakadu!