Darwin - Day Five - Kakadu NP and Katherine Gorge

This was the halfway point of my holiday, and (as usual) I was up with the lark (actually no larks, just kites and butcherbirds).   I went to Yellow Water Billabong. The dawn was so calm, with mist gently sitting on the water, but with sky lightening above and the moon clearly visible.

After soaking up the atmosphere for what seemed like hours, I roused my self for some birding.   Just along the road I noticed a movement and there were my first Long-tailed Finches - what a delightful little bird!

 

Nearby was this Black Kite, taking a rest from soaring, and a tree full of Flying Foxes (Fruit Bats) taking a rest from ........er flying I suppose!)

I had a long drive ahead, so I headed south towards Katherine.  A few stops en-route didn't yield many photos, except this Blue-winged Kookaburra, who was happy to stay put on his wire.

Katherine Gorge National Park consists of a series of gorges cut into sandstone and limestone by the Katherine River.  There are 13 gorges in all and I took a boat trip to see the first two.  They are separated by rocks and rapids, but in the wet season the water is high enough to take a boat over them.  After the wet season they put crocodile traps out to catch any Estuarine (Saltwater) Crocs that may have come down the river.   Last pic shows a Great-billed Heron - not a great shot as I had the wrong lens on the camera!