Day 33

Day 33 Wednesday

Up early again to the sound of a text message coming through on my phone, It was from Shane and all it said was there is a story on the front page of the paper that may interest you. I jumped on the internet on my phone to the NT News website to see the headlines “Croc Attacks Woman at Berry Springs” OMG it turned out the croc that we were swimming around was a Saltwater one!!!! Luck may have played a part that it wasn’t one of us that got attacked and that woman who I said was silly just happened to be the one that got bitten. If we had of stayed another ½ hour we probably would have seen it happen. I have kept all the paper clippings of the story. Packing up the van we headed for Kakadu.  On the way we booked a Croc jumping tour on the Adelaide River. Arriving early for our tour we sat and had a game of UNO that the lady at the tour company provided for us to fill in the time. 11.00 oclock came and we were ushered onto the boat by “Harry” our guide for the trip. Well this bloke made Steve Irwin sound like a foreign tourist and was as ocker as they come but he was just what you wanted as a guide as his personality really made the trip worthwhile.

Captain Harry

We got to see “The Dominator” first which was a 6 metre monster of a croc and was about a metre wide. He was lazing in the mud on the bank and was not fazed that we were around until “Harry” drove the boat up on the bank and over the end of his tail!!!! Then he decided to come and see what we were all about. Harry then rewarded him with a bit of Buffalo meat if he jumped for it. He did this 2 or 3 times before Harry in his ocker drawl said ”don’t worry folks we will swing the boat around for those on the other side to get some photos   gotta make it fair for everyone” which turned out a bit of a catch cry for the trip “Gotta make it fair for everyone” along with “Dont worry mate this is real, no bloody zoo stuff out er’e” in reference to some not so encouraging media reports about “Fake” photos of Brututs the 3 legged Croc that had appeared in the paper recently. These pics went  viral around the world with American TV companies wanting Exclusive interviews etc about this big croc that jumps out of the water!!!! That morning on the Sunrise Program apparently they had shit canned the photos saying they were fake and that they wouldn’t have a croc that big jump so close to the boat.... Well Harry was not too impressed by that and was adamant that they should come and see it for real. (I totally agree as it was no fake I have seen it for myself)

The Dominator

Next was “Brutus” himself he only had 3 legs left as he had a tangle with a shark and came off second best. He was around 5.5 metres long and was very active around the boat as I think he knew what was coming, a free feed if had wanted to launch himself out of the water to get it. This he did with aplomb, helping us to get some amazing pics of this giant croc in his natural state (This is real mate no bloody zoo stuff out er’e ya know!!!!) Brutus performed magnificently for the crowd and then just disappeared without a trace leaving us with no idea where he went or where he was gunna pop up next.  Harry then moved us a bit further upstream to feed some smaller crocs and see some nests.

On the way back whilst we were cruising along “Brutus” made a surprise appearance just in front of the boat scaring the Bejesus out of some women at the front of the boat. Before once again disappearing out of sight. Along the way back Harry impressed the kids by showing them his 357 Magnum Revolver that he keeps in his bag for “Just in case” as you know “Its no bloody Zoo out ere mate this is real” “and if one grabs ya I might just be able ta save ya” Arriving back near the departure point “Harry” whistled up “Charlie” a Whistling kite that would swoop by and take a piece of meat out of the air that Harry would toss up. As we got off the boat a woman was waiting for Harry with a gift. It was the woman that took the famous picture of Brutus that has caused all the kerfuffle and she presented to him a large signed copy of “Brutus” in full flight. This is no fake I tell Ya.................

Back in the Car and off to Kakadu we found our campground (Malabanjbanjdju) don’t know how to pronounce it but thats how you spell it. After setting up we had some lunch and then went into Jabiru to the park information office where we got some info about what to see and do. We then headed for Ubirr rock for the sunset. This the place where in the movie Crocodile Dundee said to Linda Koslowski.. “Down there, that’s where he got me” it is also a significant Aboriginal site. But the best part is to sit on top and watch the sunset over the flood plains. When the sun had set we followed the Andersons back to their camp in Jabiru where we had a drink and the kids swam in the pool. Home we went to camp for sleep.