Just Another Bushfire!

Technologically Advanced ! (or challenged??)

Ant & I are feeling a little bit technologically advanced, as we ended up setting up for the day at the Dripstone Cliffs, Darwin. We set up both lap tops, the generator, networked the computers, accessed the internet via wireless connection. Oohh!! (& all the while, the kids were happy playing in the shallow pool below us!) What a beautiful day.

Sorry to leave the last page unfinished. Yes, of course, we have survived that little bush fire.

Every Visitor centre we go to, starts with a heading of "Bush Fires are a Natural Way of Life Here".

But you still don't know if it was a purposely set fire or accidental fire. As it turned out, when we were driving away, 3 fire engines & the police all arrived! I guess it was not a planned fire.

Continuing on from the previous blog though ...

Corroboree Billabong

Poppy & Gran have offered to save us the cost of a boat ride in Kakadu, by taking us out in Pop's tinny here in Corroboree. (Oh, and Pop got to troll a lure behind the boat on this cruise!!!)

After only 2 minutes, we came across our first croc -sunbaking!

After only another minute, we passed our first jabiru (national bird of NT).

We spent a couple of hours, enjoying the billabong (& Lance enjoying the fishing). (We lost count of the crocs after about 20 or so!)

The second day here, Pop took us out again, with Nat & Lis. We travelled down the other direction of the billabong (a couple of km's). This time we couldn't believe what we were seeing - 3 crocs all sitting on the bank in the same area!

Poppy was kind enough to cut the engine, and let us drift in towards the bank, so that the boat was steady enough for Lis to take some photos.

However, by the time Lis had clicked this photo, we realised that another 3 crocs were surfacing, we decided to get the boat going and back out. (Can you spot all 6 crocs?)

Unfortunately, we had drifted too close, and were now in the thick weeds. Lance tried starting the outboard, but it was too wrapped in weeds and wouldn't start!

Then, we realised another croc had surfaced only 4-5 metres from the boat. He didn't seem too worried by us, but slowly started swimming towards us.

You will notice that there are no more photos from here on in this boat ride!

Dad yelled, "Just grab an ore and start paddling backwards! Don't hang anything over the side of the boat!"

(I remember at the time, thinking, "well, how am I going to paddle backwards?"

Then he yelled, "Just paddle backwards & don't stop - no matter what happens?"

("What was going to happen that would stop us from paddling backwards?" I wondered.)

We got far enough out of the weeds, that Dad tried the Outboard again. As soon as he got it going, we were out of there! Or so we thought. The outboard spluttered, stawled, started again, stawled again, and finally started, and yes, we were definately out of there.

Nat's words were, "Yes, I think it's time to go home again."

Mind you, when we got back, pulled the boat up onto the bank, and started walking back to camp, what should be between us and the bank? But this little fella!

He was only a bit over a metre long. We couldn't tell if he was freshwater or saltwater, and didn't want to take too many chances with him. (But still managed to get a few metres from him for a good photo) Then he just grunted and walked away!

Noah will tell you that "The Saltwaters are the very dangerous crocs".

I think Nat has seen enough crocs for a while.

The next morning, Lis woke up with her elbow leaning against the mozzie screen on the side of our bed. A sudden, sharp stinging woke her, and when she looked over, she realised that a dozen, fat mozzies were sitting on the outside of the screen licking their lips! Youch!