2006/06 Australia trip - Black Jungle Spring |
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Sunday June 25th
We found that even the local walks around Muirella were closed. We did a climb up to Mirrai Lookout. It was good exercise but what could have been a great view of the escarpment was mostly hidden by trees. Lookouts and overlooks need to be trimmed regularly!
After lunch at Mardugal we set off to drive the Old Jim Jim Road, a gravel track that used to be the main route between Darwin and Kakadu. It was open to “high-clearance 4wd only”. The road was actually quite good, but the problem was that bits of it were underwater, including the two major crossings of Barramundi Creek and the South Alligator River. That isn’t us crossing in the picture, but it’s a similar vehicle, a Nissan. Luckily, no water came in our doors or through the vents. These are not spots that you want to get stuck in, as both waterways have large croc populations.
There was also a lot of burning going on along the highway. This was standard practice for the aboriginals for thousands of years. Burning off the undergrowth encouraged animals to come and feed on the new growth after the fire, and it also reduced the likelihood of getting a very large destructive fire at the end of the dry season. The practice has now been reintroduced, so on calm days it’s normal to be driving alongside a fire moving through the forest. The termites and trees are not really affected but it’s tough on the lizards. Wherever there are fires there are kites hovering and waiting for the lizards to run from cover. If the lizards are too slow then the kites have a cooked meal.
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Old Jimjim Fire (7.49) |
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We saw lots of birds on the trip including a pair of black and white jabirus, majestic and graceful in flight.
We camped all by ourselves at Black Jungle Springs, a strip of monsoon jungle along a small creek. This 
area had also been burned, which was a shame as it made the area black and sooty, but on the other hand it was unlikely to burn again if the aborigines decided to set fires in the area around us. There are no facilities, just the jungle and the creek. I’d parked on the only flat and clear patch of ground, and after we set up we noticed that we were on top of a large ant colony, an ant metropolis, even. The ants didn’t seem to be too bothered about us, so we stayed put and sat and watched the columns of workers going in and out of the holes.
Sandie heard some large splashes from the creek so we stayed well away, particularly after dark. We heard some grunting and growling during the night, possibly crocs, but likely to be the small ones who inhabit the smaller streams until they are big enough to survive in the major rivers.
Monday June 26th
There was lots of bird song early in the morning, but not too noisy. Even the kookaburras seemed to be toned down, or perhaps the ones in the north don’t have a sense of humour. It was tempting to stay longer in this peaceful spot, but we were already rationing tea bags and milk, so it was time to head for civilization.