First we ate lunch in front of Waterfall Creek, at the exact same spot where Paul Hogan and Linda Kozlowski ate goana & yams and shared their first onscreen kiss. There being neither a lizard nor a busty blonde in sight, I sat on a rock and ate some Vegemite sandwiches. (Vegemite -- only known to me previously as an odd-sounding food doled out by an unnamed muscular man in that old Men At Work song -- turns out to be the premier sandwich spread in Australia. It is concentrated yeast extract, which you spread thinly on toast. The result resembles the smeared deposits in a baby's diaper and tastes no better at first [very salty], but I've since acquired a taste for it).
Next, some friends and I decided to climb to the top of the waterfall from which the creek got its name, whereupon we took some impressive photos of cliffs, falls and water pools. I don't want to overstate the danger I faced in acquiring one particular shot, but few would deny that I risked life and limb wading across a murky stagnant pond -- over slippery, algae infested rocks and through the dark, dank depths, where slimy, scaly unknown creatures lurked (undoubtedly snakes and crocs!) -- in order to snap a close-up of a goana sunning itself on a rock.
------------------------------A Goana Soaks Up The Sun---------------------------
After a brief stop at our hotel, the crew and I returned to Kakadu to see Obiri Rock. As we scaled this escarpment, we passed right through the place where Crocodile Dundee and his New York Newsday reporter girlfriend stood and looked out over the Magela Wetlands. We also had an opportunity to see a prominent display of authentic Aboriginal rock art. Some of the etchings dated back 20,000 years, although most of the discernable artwork was considerably younger (some as recent as 30 years old). We saw depictions of fish (some in an x-ray style), kangaroos, turtles, people and even one Tasmanian Tiger, long since extinct. Scott told us a little bit about how the Aborigines created the paint they used -- they mixed clay and ochre (mainly red and yellow-hued) with animal fat, adding additional ingredients to get other colors (ash to make white or charcoal to make black, for example). Scott went on to explain that over time, a natural coating formed on the rock faces, which has served to protect the paintings all these long years. He ended his mini-lesson with a warning: much of the artwork at Obiri revolved around the Rainbow Serpent, an important figure in Aboriginal mythology, and it is said that if you dare to touch the rock art or disturb the Rainbow Serpent in any way, the unspecified reprisal will be quick and deadly.
After viewing the art, we camped out at the apex of Obiri Rock, awaiting the dusk. The setting sun brought about a stunning change to the surrounding wetlands/ food plains as the colors shifted. Once again on this trip, I disregarded all sound advice and stared directly at the glowing orange orb. I snapped several photos, and I hope they develop well (especially one of a flock of birds flying right across the blazing disc).
When darkness fully descended, I noticed a fire down in the wetlands which was rapidly spreading and gaining strength. I was deeply concerned until someone informed me that the blaze was deliberately set by the park rangers as part of their controlled burn program.
Soon it was time to head back to the hotel, where I dined on barramundi and swigged back my first Toohey's Red (good brew). A bunch of Contiki's decided to have "boat races" with a Connections group, but with my solemn vow to eschew drinking games (and that awful Kitty Licker nausea) still fresh in my mind, I ducked out early and went to bed.
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