This morning we packed up the van and moved across to Jabiru, a distance of just under 70km. We are staying at the Anbinik Kakadu Resort that only has 17 caravan sites, all with en-suite. It is also one of the cheapest places we have stayed so far this trip. It is lovely here and we probably should have been staying here all along. There is a Thai Restaurant attached to the resort that comes recommended so we will eat there tonight.
But before we can think about eating we decided to visit Nourlangie Rock today. We have to back-track around 30km to get to this amazing place but just seeing it from the air yesterday made the decision to visit a no-brainer. We also decided to go later in the day as it has really warmed up with quite high humidity. Dark clouds loom in the north east so we might look forward to some rain.
The drive into Nourlangie Rock is stunning with huge mountains looming on either side of us but to see Nourlangie Rock is mind boggling and to be walking in its shadow is something you only dream of doing. Of course we are here to see the rock paintings, of which there are many at the base of Nourlangie Rock and in remarkably good condition. Some are still relatively new with art being added to the rocks up until just a few years ago. I absolutely understand the importance of this place to the Aborigines and the need to preserve and protect it as much as possible.
The walk to the lookout is only 1.5km with just a little steep section near the top but wow, was it worth the walk. A young girl was sitting on one of the rocks when we arrived and appeared to be in a mediative state and I envied her because she probably chose the best place in the entire world to reflect.
We spent quite a bit of time at the lookout before making our way back down the short steep hill. We stopped at another place on our way back to the car where there was more exceptionally well preserved rock art. The aboriginals were terribly smart to pick places for their art that is protected from all the elements and we are now fortunate enough to enjoy this beautiful artwork.
It was almost 6.00 pm before we arrived home and we quickly showered and dressed and headed the few short steps to the Thai Restaurant. We ordered Coconut Prawns (4) for entree and then we shared a Chicken Pad Thai and a Beef Red Curry with Rice. The food was delicious. No alcohol served in this restaurant, in fact you can't buy any alcohol in Kakadu National Park, but we noticed that it was BYO if you so wished. We chose to go soft with a Lemongrass Iced Tea for Philip and I chose a Mint Slushy. They were perfect with our meal.
Tomorrow we head to Arnhem Land and we are both very excited to be doing this full day tour that will take us to places that you can't get to by yourself. We will see some more rock art and we will be crossing Cahills Crossing. We will also be visiting Ubirr that is apparently amazing. Be prepared for a long blog after this trip!
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