Today we went on the scenic flight of Kakadu 1st thing in the morning. There were some storms in the area since it was wet season and the weather was unpredictable during this time, but they assured us that we would miss the storm. Kakadu is a huge park with some amazing land formations such as cliffs, rifts, and of course waterfalls. On the way to the main sights which were Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls we flew by the landing strip used in the movie Crocodile Dundee.
The Landing Strip for the movie Crocodile Dundee
As we approached the area where the falls were there was a wall of thick gray clouds which our small airplane would be unable to fight so we were forced to turn around.
The uninviting clouds
Since we did not get to see the main attractions the pilot took us to Magela Falls which was gorgeous and also Dinosaur Valley which was stunning. Normally the tour does not include these two locations.
Magela Falls
Dinosaur Valley
On the way back to the airport we got a good look at the uranium mine which was practically in Jabiru, just as it began to rain. After we landed the pilot asked us whether we were going to be around tomorrow and that we could go see Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls then. We were not expecting that, and it instantly brightened the day since we were feeling like we were not getting the most out of Kakadu.
Uranium Mine
After the rain in the afternoon and pizza from the gas station, we went to Nourlangie (or Burrunggui) Rock, which is famous for aboriginal rock paintings. It was a short trek to the art sites which was only bothersome because of the flies. My dad and I definitely preferred the humidity to extreme dry heat, so we were walking along fine, but Hendrik was miserable and kept wishing he was in dry heat.
Me using my fly swatter
Afterward, we had dinner in the Gagudju Lodge in Cooinda which is the second hotel in Kakadu (there are only two not counting camp sites and hostels) which had a less fancy restaurant with cheaper food. There we also purchased tickets for a Yellow Water Cruise for tomorrow afternoon.
Aboriginal Rock Art