Cruising Yellow Water Billabong
We departed from our mini home before the sun was over the horizon and made our way through the lodge grounds to the Home Billabong and on board our craft for a two-hour cruise for what turned out to be the absolute best way to experience the wetlands of Kakadu.
Yellow Water Cruise state “It will be an experience remembered for a lifetime.”
I have no other choice but to agree.
Located at the end of Jim Jim Creek, Yellow Water Billabong, Kakadu’s most famous wetland, is a tributary of the South Alligator River. The entire river system is the largest in Kakadu and is made up of river channels, floodplains and backwater swamps.
It’s into this extensive wetland that the cruise takes you.
Approximately one-third of all Australia’s bird species are represented in Kakadu National Park, and at least 60 species are found in the wetlands. We were in for a treat with Whistling Ducks and Magpie Geese the most abundant, we certainly saw plenty of them. But we also saw a majestic White-breasted Sea Eagle, a male Black-necked Stork fly to its nest and greet its partner (they mate for life), and the Comb-crested Jacana, more frequently referred to as the Jesus Bird for its ability to ‘walk on water’ due to its long legs and oversized feet allowing it to walk across the lily pads.
The lilies and lotus flowers were so abundant our ‘skipper’ said he’d never seen so many before.
We saw three crocodiles, one even swam alongside the boat for quite some time, our skipper declaring he was looking at us and thinking: “Mmmm, bain-marie.” That did nothing to calm my nerves.
I’m not sure what was more frightening, seeing him or thinking about where he was when we couldn’t see him.
Our experience in the wetlands was incredible, ad I’m not sure my photos do it justice.
Yellow Water Billabong
CLARE'S COSMOS 
Lovely photos of a stunning place. You deserved to get those photos having been out of bed so early!
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Thank Sue. I’m thrilled I got such lovely photos.
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