Not just another sunset.

This was a very special sunset.

Yesterday we got up ultra-early for the sunrise cruise on Yellow Water at Kakadu and a handy little hint is that if when you buy one cruise you can get another one for just $25! "And would you like fries with that?"
I think they made us an offer we couldn't refuse.

It was different.
The birds seemed more active somehow.
We saw a lot of the same ones, or the same type (not sure if they were exactly the same ones)
We saw some different ones - including brolgas, forest kingfishers...
and we saw heaps of crocs!

Juvenile Nankeen Night Heron -

Egret, not sure if it's a Small, Intermediate or Large (those really are the names)

And then it was time to play Spot the Croc!

 

The late afternoon light on the lotus lillies was gorgeous.

Can you see him?

Beautiful Pied Heron.

There he is!

A very obliging pair of Sea Eagles.
We saw 2 pairs.

The pandanus is pretty too.

Look! There's one!

Darter drying its wings.

This one was huge!
The biggest one our tour guide had seen.
He was very obliging too - sitting in a nice sunny spot and opening his mouth on cue.

Then the sun set.

A magical morning

We listened to all the people who said "go on a Yellow Water cruise when you go to Kakadu" and despite not being morning people (well one of us isn't a morning person) we opted for the sunrise version.

 It was pretty special - the super moon setting on one side and the sun rising on the other.
A slight mist over the water.

And lots and lots of birds.
Seen here  -whistling ducks, magpie geese, Nankeen Night heron,

plus egrets, ibis and spoonbills - you'll just have to trust me on that.

 This is a jabiru, Australia's only stork.

 Lots and lots of whistling ducks - safety in numbers I guess,

because now it's time to Spot The Croc!

White breasted sea eagle - we actually saw 3.

Lotus. An asian import.

As the morning warmed up the crocs decide to do the same and come out onto the banks to bask.
These are saltwater or estuarine crocodiles which are the ones that will eat you if they are hungry.

So swimming in the billabongs and creeks is a big no-no here, there are plenty of signs to remind you.

We were so brainwashed by the whole no -swimming thing that when we went to Maguk the day before we didn't even think to take our cossies.
Of course there is a beautiful rock pool below the waterfall which has been cleared for swimming.

So, yes, we did go in in our undies and tshirts!

The creek below is very pretty but not recommended for swimming!

A story from G about Edith

The pre dawn light over the campground and Edith River is pacifying....

...and the sunrise inspiring

...with a swim in the big pool at the base of the falls enticing
 

...enticing from many angles in fact...
 

...and from up the top...
 

 ...it still looks good...

...so we had a swim (that is Tess backed by towering cliffs) and a swim to the falls is quite a way...
 

...but wait, there is more. A short walk takes you to the upper pool area that is like a water fun park...
 

...with great falls...
 

...and pools at the top of the falls...

...and more falls and pools at the top of those falls (no one goes here though so worth the easy scramble)...

 ...to get a different perspective on the rock formations... 

...that may have beautiful smoothness and circularity (sorry about the contrast problem here)...
 

  
...and plants that have idyllic outlooks like the red sundews here waiting for an unsuspecting insect to wander along the lovely pool...

...and to look down on the 'water park' from a different spot...
 

...and to find views that others don't look for. This is a falls below the water park...
 

...looking back up those falls with Tess waiting patiently and taking in the view...
 

...and the bottom of the falls with a cave in the large rock.

 
The campsite was pleasant though the dead trees here don't make it look so good...

 
...but it highlights the contrast in this land between the watered spots near a creek and the unwatered away from the creek as shown graphically here. No transition zone, just wet or dry...

 
...and the wet supports huge paperbarks, grevilleas, wattles and gums...

...and looks lovely.