Other Things We Saw

Okay, I promise this is the last post about our Yellow Water Cruise in Kakadu. There's so much more to tell about our trip, and I need to get on to those other posts! But I couldn't help myself when I looked through my pictures and remembered some of the other beautiful sights we witnessed. So here's a taste of the non-crocodile and non-bird sights from that evening.

The lotus lilies were like huge bowls.

And those combined with the lily pads reminded me of a Monet painting.

We saw a tree snake and some strange tree fruit.

And there were awesome landscapes and beautiful wild horses.

This video will give you a taste of the peaceful cruise.

Going at sunset was probably the best decision. The lighting was amazing, especially reflected off Yellow Water Billabong. If you ever find yourself in the Northern Territory, I'd recommend the Yellow Water Cruise at the top of your must-do list! 

Birds of Yellow Water Billabong

Other than the awesome crocodiles, we also saw lots of cool birds on our Yellow Water Cruise. Kakadu National Park is home to 1/3 of Australia's bird species, which means there are over 280 species. I've put pictures of some of them here and tried to label them according to what my Kakadu Birds iPhone app tells me. I might be wrong on some of them, so if there are any bird experts who'd like to correct me, feel free!

Green Pygmy-Geese (a type of duck)

White-Bellied Sea Eagle

Magpie Geese

There are over three million of these in Kakadu. The one on the right was going crazy in the water.

Brolga (probably my favorite)-this big guy's partner was hiding behind a bush. We saw her too.

Comb-Crested Jacana (also called a Lily Walker, Lotus Bird, or Jesus Bird)

Baby version of the bird above (so tiny).

Glossy Ibis and Purple Swamphens

Rufous Night-Heron

Little Pied Cormorant

Forest Kingfisher (so small-you have no idea)

Great Billed Heron

Azure Kingfisher (another super small one)

Great Egret

Another sea eagle with an annoying bird that kept pestering it.

Black-Necked Stork (Jabiru)

Another Great Egret (or maybe an Intermediate Egret)

Australian Darter

Another Sea Eagle eating a fish.

The birds of Kakadu National Park are beautiful (as are the sunsets!).

A Ride Down the River

I had a coupon for a boat rental, so we continued my birthday celebration weekend by using it on Saturday, January 28, which was luckily a hot and sunny day. We picked up our little motorboat in the Docklands, and we spent a couple of hours driving it up and down the Yarra River. It's not exactly known for being the cleanest of water (they say it's brown because of the dirt-I'm not sure that's all!), so we stayed dry and didn't attempt going for a swim.

It was cool to gain a different perspective of Melbourne by going under the bridges and seeing things from the river. I had no idea how ornately some of the bridges were decorated or how much of a tourist attraction the Yarra River was. There were several riverboat cruises on the water that day.

My favorite part was probably going through the Federation Square area and near the Flinders Street Station. I couldn't believe that we were allowed to just motorboat down this river, passing famous sites, with no boating license or permit of any type.

I like this shot because it shows a cool bridge, palm trees, and the Eureka Tower (highest building in the CBD).

Back in the Docklands, we circled around some of the big shipping boats before heading back to turn in our boat. If we had shipped over our household goods, they would have come in a container on a boat like this. These things are huge!

We probably wouldn't have done this without a coupon, but I'm glad we had the chance to enjoy a day viewing beautiful Melbourne from the water on a gorgeous day.

Zack relaxes while I drive for awhile.