"JARRANGBARNMI 1 - THE ROAD FROM MARY RIVER" Kakadu National Park Travelogue by kiwi

We set off from our Mary River base, headed for the Gunlom Area, and Jarrangbarnmi - Koolpin Gorge. For the first time we were armed with our swimming gear hoping to find a swimming hole safe from crocodiles.
You will need a permit and gate key to enter and camp or just visit the Koolpin Gorge, which is obtainable from the Mary River Roadhouse, and entry is restricted to small numbers. You also need to keep to the road, and at the gorge to keep to the water areas to avoid entering sacred burial sights nearby.

Entry to Gunlom can be done all year but Koolpin is restricted to the Dry season for obvious reasons.

Every year the roads need to have a bit of work done to get them open for the coming dry season. We were the first group in after the rangers and came across this machinery that had been clearing things.

River crossing

We stopped at the river crossing to take photos, and just generally take in the location. Constant driving sometimes transports you through magical corners far too speedily, even though you are not travelling fast. We photographed the river, the vehicles, the locality and the wildlife. These were, after all, to be lifetime memories of what we were experiencing.

As you can see, the river wasn't all brown like the previous photos. And we were ever aware that this was the home of crocodiles, so constant alertness was necessary. We had heard the story of the German tourist killed by a croc in recent years!

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