Darwin/Kakadu National Park

Take a four and a half hour flight north from Melbourne in August and the contrast could be greater. Leave the cold and windy Melbourne winter behind to arrive in Darwin's sunny, tropical climate where clouds are the exception to the rule rather than the norm. Joints and muscles stiffened by the cold winter are suddenly free again, whilst spirits are lifted as the mind and body responds to the therapeutic properties of the sun and the warm tropical air. Very liberating.

I enjoyed a week touring the north spending most of the time exploring the splendour of Kakadu National Park - the scenery, flora and fauna and the night skies. Sunrises and sunsets were especially noteworthy. Darwin has a much deserved reputation for the quality of sunrises and sunsets - these were augmented by smoke particles produced by the significant burning off of scrub in the region. Sunsets were incredibly fiery and the red twilight colours persisted to make some of the most colourful scenes that I've witnessed for quite a while.

Kakadu is renowned for its flora and fauna and I wasn't disappointed. Birds were especially numerous and I enjoyed watching and photographing them. The Yellow Waters Cruise is highly recommended for the wealth of birdlife on show and for safely getting close-up views of the many large and dangerous crocodiles found in the waterways there. Add to this the awesome scenery, Aboriginal Cultural heritage and rock art, and you couldn't ask for any more.

 

Darwin Kakadu Birds Night photography

 

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