Destination Darwin: Into the Wild

The crown jewel of tours in Darwin, is the Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise.



Looking at the headlines of the Northern Territory over the years and you get a good idea of how crocodiles are a huge part of their lives, welcomed or otherwise!



Before getting on board, they brought out a couple of animals such as a snake and this ridiculously cute baby wallaby. Its mom got knocked down on the highway and they managed to save the little one. It seems happy being taken care by humans but Darwin's really not short of wallabies!



The cruise brings you down a short stretch of Adelaide River, but already it feels like another world out there. Gigantic saltwater crocs leap out of the water, in your face, and so close that you could touch them, if you don't mind losing an arm! It's a wicked feeling watching them approach the bait. They swim diagonally towards the boat, always using the fact that its eyes are on both sides of its head to its advantage. One eye on the bait, one eye on you. No funny business.



Now that's quite a scary sight isn't it! Generally crocs that grow to a grand age and a huge length like this one, are more cautious or their carelessness would've cost them their life! One of the crocs was missing a leg, but swam normally and was as ferocious as any other.

If that hasn't put you off crocodiles, head this way for more fantastic photos by your truly of the crocodiles gathering speed and making a leap out of the water, exposing their gorgeous white bellies and showing why, after a gazillion years, these creatures have not changed much. Undoubtedly one of the most powerful hunters on Earth!



We got a special treat when they also fed the kites!

These birds swooped down one after another, giving each other a go at the meat that was being thrown to them. They flew towards our seasoned guide - right in front of us - as if it were an airport run way! It was the most amazing experience getting up close with them.



And here I am, getting up close and personal with a croc. ;)

After that we got up our mini-bus, which was christened "Loose Mary" as "she'd been around a lot"! The bus was small-ish and much less powerful that what our guide, Nick, was used to. Apparently there was a flood that only subsided a couple of days before and there was some damage being dealt to the road that leading to our next destination, the Wildman Wilderness Lodge, which was why we had to ride Loose Mary.

The Wildman Wilderness Lodge was nothing short of stunning. We reached there in the late afternoon, just as the sun was going down and were unbelievably excited about getting the opportunity to stay there. We were face-to-face with the wetlands, plenty of wallabies and it seemed as though we were living among the termite nests. We were that close to nature!



Opposite the reception was a small corner full of memorabilia. Didn't buy any, which was a pity but I'm sure I'll be back!

We were greeted by the yummy welcome drinks and Jason, who ran the place. He was extremely warm and welcoming and that was a really comforting feeling because we were really in the middle of nowhere and it was great to have this guy who was confidently in charge, introducing the lodge and its surroundings to us.

There were two types of accomodation - the air-conditioned and fully-sealed Habitat, which was where Edric and I stayed, and the more adventurous, Safari Tent. There was quite a bit of difference when night fell as it became the only place for miles around that had light. Inevitably, insects swarmed around and you really need to be armed with more than just a lack of fear of insects to be able get on top the situation!



Aside from that, I'm not sure if you can see this strip of bare, grass-less land in front of the Habitat. We asked around and that, ladies and gentlemen, is a freaking runway for planes, should you be inclined to fly to the Wildman Wilderness Lodge.



The Habitat is really gorgeous, really comfortable and you feel safe from the elements being in it! For some people, it might defeat the purpose of coming all the way here, but for those who want hotel-like luxury, Habitat's truly got it.

The shower's rather exciting too - there's a glass panel reaching all the way to your feet, so you can be as naked as the wallabies looking at you taking your shower! (There're no promises that other guests won't walk in front of your lodge, but the staff will only come round the back) For the more inhibited, you could lower the blinds, which is certainly not as thrilling as showering with the full view of the Mary River Wetlands. As conservatively (NOT!) Asian as I am I'd feel a little more comfortable if it was frosted bottom-up till my crotch maybe, but it was a really cool experience!



Gorgeous.



The dining area had a bar, and this cosy corner where you could look out into the sunset. You could take a dip in the pool too.



Having a wine in hand in the midst of soft chatter, and being out there, out in the wide open space, was just liberating. The temperature dipped but we had a little fireplace...



... where we saw the birds fly off across the magnificent orange sky.

Dinner was not too bad, with exotic Australian fare - crocodile and kangaroo meat - and yes, the bugs were a bit much but you learn to take it in your stride. I's definitely one of the more exciting aspects of the dinner, being bugged by bugs, but it was bearable and after that, we ran to take shelter in the air-conditioned bar.

Staff at the lodge came from all over the world. This young lady, told us of how she was hiding in the staff quarters when the aforementioned thunderstorm, that caused the roads to breakdown. The water came so close to where they were living that there was a distinct dangerous possibility of crocodiles having them for a meal!

It was during our chats that we also learned that Nick, our guide, studied to be a lawyer before embarking on this crazy job that required him to drive visitors to lodges and show them Australia!

***

We woke up the next morning to a simple breakfast and continued exploring the area. There was supposed to be a walk at daybreak, which got cancelled, again due to the weather the past few days and some bits of the trail being submerged in water.



This is the tent, which some of our friends slept in. It doesn't look half bad but from what I heard it might become a little challenging to stay in at night, well, because of the bug situation!



The wallabies watched us closely, never allowing us to get too close.



Lucky them! They got a short ride around the premises.



There were plenty of birds as well, perched on the trees nearby.



What a grand tree!

We headed off a couple of hours later for Litchfield National Park! I was really amazed by the parks - how they had really great paths / routes to follow, useful maps and signs. You could drive in and visit the attractions one by one on your own and it wouldn't be more difficult than, say, visiting the convenience store to buy groceries! It was well-maintained and I believe the experienced park rangers and other folks kept the places under close watch, careful to let the public know if the pools were safe for swimming or merely looking.

With that many crocodiles in the area, you can never be too sure.



We visited Wangi Falls, which was nice, but not as spectacular as the Florence Falls where we all tried to get "into" the falls before realising that we weren't as powerful swimmers as we thought we were! We had a lot of fun though. The water was refreshingly cool and there weren't too many people visiting. We practically had the place to ourselves.



There were toilets and places to get changed too so you never feel that you're too far from basic amenities.



I was really sorry to leave but was really thankful for the chance to be there! The climb back up took my breath away in more ways than one...



... but the feeling of being in the middle of nature was well worth it!

Next up - how I spent a day alone in Darwin!

Destination Darwin: The First Step

Who would've thought that my first step on Australian soil would be taken in sunny Darwin? When we got off the inaugural SilkAir flight, the heat was the first thing that I remembered. The locals, though, were definitely warmer. Their hospitality was amazing. They greeted with, "How's it going?", which is not only a "Hello!" but the beginning of a conversation.



We made our way to Medina Grand Darwin Waterfront & Vibe Hotel Darwin, which was located at the Darwin Waterfront. We felt like we were in another world as we made our way there by coach. It wasn't crowded, the buildings didn't tower over us and the traffic was smooth. Immediately I felt more relaxed.





Upon checking in to the hotel, we had a wonderfully expensive (by Singaporean standards) lunch at the Curve. It was well worth the money - especially my tapas of sausage and prawn. It was delightfully flavourful, with the strong sour juices soaked up by the slightly salty sausage and the fresh prawns, that were slightly more dry than expected. It was almost as if every fibre of the prawn could be tasted!













We made our way to the Darwin CBD area where the streets were uncomplicated and quiet. It was approaching 6pm and the shops were closed. It seemed that most people had gotten off work as the area started to transform, flirting with its charming night-life of pubs and restaurants.









The first attraction we visited was the Crocosaurs Cove - a zoo for crocodiles in the middle of the CBD! It was home to the famous Cage of Death, where visitors were housed in a glass tank before being put into the enclosure with crocodiles the length of a bus!





It was cleverly chosen for SilkAir's launch event of this new route to Darwin. We had the chance to rub shoulders with representatives from Tourism NT, listen to a snippet of Aboriginal music, munch on crocodile meat, drink some beer and make merry. The highlight, however, was when we got to feed the crocodiles with a fishing rod. The crocodiles were young, probably about 2-3 years old and an eighth of meter in length. We were thrilled for the opportunity to be in such proximity and interact with these creatures.













The next morning, we went for the Batji Walking Tour, where we got to learn about the Larrakia people. Robert brought us on the tour and shared interesting facts about the Aboriginal culture, such as showing us where "Woman Land" and "Man Land" were and how they used fire and smoke signals to communicate with other people from across the sea. He also did a special welcoming ceremony for us. Being welcomed by the Aboriginal people was not just permission to be on their land, but to also bless us with a safe journey ahead.









Shopping was something we were familiar with and we had the chance to take a look at the luxury items from Di Croco and Paspaley. The former sells products made of crocodile leather while the latter housed gorgeous pearls. It was a relief to be in a place with air-conditioning. I'm an outdoors person but it was truly hot! I had my eye on the crocodile laptop case and got to try on a manly pearl necklace while having a flute of champagne. Some of the leather stuff like keychains went for about 25 - 35 AUD. I regretted not getting them! The pearl necklace was about 7000 AUD. Well, I'll get that too - it's only a matter of time!















Before having our lunch at Il Lido Restaurant, we went for a splash at the Wave Pool which was situated at the Waterfront, just in front of our hotel. The crowd was relatively young, playful and out for a good time. The guys on duty were terrific as well, helping us get up on our boards as we body-surfed the waves. It was a terrific experience - I went at it again and again and was amazed at how far I could ride the wave!





My next aim would be to stand up on the board and really surf! I wonder when that would happen. Haha...