Ngurrungurrudjba
Sounds like a made up word, right?
But it’s not.
It’s the local Aboriginal word for Yellow Water -
an amazing wetlands area in Kakadu National Park.
Kakadu National Park is huge and, driving through it,
it’s just a big area of bushland. The road passes through the bushland and seems to stretch forever.
But there are so many
very special places in Kakadu.
Yellow Water is just one of them.
Yellow Water is an enormous billabong...
Sitting in a small boat...
moving through Yellow Water,
is a fantastic way to explore the wetlands.
Birds fill the trees.
Herons and egrets stand on branches,
wings spread wide to dry in the sun.
Brolgas do actually dance on the plains!
“Jesus” birds walk from one lily pad to another.
Ducks squabble on the muddy banks.
The noise is incredible.
And, under the water… they lie, waiting.
The crocodiles.
Sudden ripples break the surface of the water.
(It’s the first clue to their presence.)
A dark snout and two eyes rise from the surface.
Water falls away as a snout emerges.
Silently, the crocodile moves through the water,
partially hidden by huge lily pads.
The birds, however, seem to mock the crocodiles,
glancing briefly in their direction
before moving away.
And, the rapid clicks begin,
as tourists take their photos!
I admit it… I was the one taking the photos!
Being there, surrounded by the wetlands,
watching the scenery drift by, listening to sudden splashes
as animals move in the water….
It is incredible.
Kakadu is the second largest National Park in the world. The number of plants and animals living there is amazing… There's 280 species of birds and over 123 species of reptiles, for instance.
Today is World Wetlands Day.
It’s the perfect day to spend a moment
thinking about Ngurrungurrudjba –
Yellow Water.
It’s definitely worth a visit.
Definitely worth protecting.
http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/kakadu/visitor-activities/regionyellow.html
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