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!).

Crocodile Rock

The Yellow Water Cruise in Kakadu National Park was by far one of the coolest things we've done in Australia. We both ranked it up there (but not quite equal to) our time at the Great Barrier Reef. We did the two hour sunset cruise, and the Yellow Water Billabong is an incredible place full of all sorts of plants and wildlife. The main reason we were there was to see the crocodiles, and the cruise did not disappoint!

About thirty minutes into the cruise, this big guy started swimming along next to our boat!

He was so close, I was able to get some great photographs. How cool are these creatures?

Here's a video of this dude swimming alongside us...

On our way back up the river, we ran into him again!

As the sun started to set, we began to see crocodiles everywhere! There was this little one...

And this yellowish one...

Yikes-check out those chompers on this close-up!

These two were quite close to each other. Friends, perhaps?

I just can't get over how prehistoric these things look...

Never smile at a crocodile...

This one was climbing up the bank. It was cool to see it move.

Apparently, crocodiles regulate their body temperature by keeping their mouths open like this. They don't have sweat glands, so they release heat through their mouths.

Zack was happy to finally fulfill his Australian dream of seeing a crocodile in the wild!

Two hot but happy crocodile hunters!

This cruise wasn't just about the crocodiles, though that was our favorite part. My next post will show you some of the other cool things we saw! I'll leave you with one more croc picture, just in case you didn't get enough...