Trip To Ubirr Rock

We spent a great Sunday morning, with some drama at Ubirr Rock.


After leaving the car park where I saw this Grevillea pteridifolia, very attractive orange bottle-brush like flowers

we climbed to the top of the escarpment and had a good view of the Kakadu Wetlands.







Note my lack of proper foot wear in this shot.

Once again, I was stupidly not wearing the correct footwear for the conditions and I took a dramatic tumble down the last few metres of the climb, with camera and lenses making a noise on the rocks, people screaming (not me as I knew I had done the wrong thing!!) I was lucky to get away with bruised toes, scrapped knees, wrist and feeling foolish! Even a pretty European backpacker offered first aid.


Also interesting to see this Magela Creek crossing. When I visited with Pauline and Karen earlier this year in March (see March Archive) it was flooded and closed to all traffic.

A Journey to Jabiru

A long trip out to Jabiru. It was quite a warm trip. We returned to Mamukala which we had seen in April 2005. This was a Wren I noticed on the walk in.

We checked into the LakeView Cabins.

The outside temperature registered 42 (at the least the sensor in my car said it was!) We then drove down to Cooinda, enjoyed a Yellow Waters cruise for a couple of hours.
Pied Heron

Jacana



A Jabiru (Xenorhynchus asiaticus) at Yellow Waters
Interesting to note that according to Hilary Thompson and Denise Goodfellow in "Common Birds of the Darwin Area", the name of this stork, Jabiru, (officially a Black-necked Stork), actually derives from Tupi, a South American Indian language, and should actually belong to a South American species of Stork.



There were hundreds of ducks gathering together at Yellow Waters.


Water Lily

And crocodiles basking in the sunset........



Ken thought that the cruise guide Michael and I shared the same bulky body mass but this photo proved him wrong


and then had a meal at the local hotel.

A birthday Party

Jayshree had a dinner party to celebrate her increasing age. Ken and I chatted to a mixed group of people from libraries and the Uni etc.
Ken, Jessie. Rod and Peter

Jayshree and Peter.

Afternoon at the Territory Wildlife Park

We then spent the afternoon at the Territory Wildlife Park, enjoying the Aquarium
, the Avairies,

and the Birds of Prey display.

A visitor from Tasmania

Ken from Devonport arrived for a week in the sun. Ken is an old school friend from 40 years ago. On the public holiday Friday we picked a lecturer colleague, Chris and we went to Fogg Dam.


The usual birdlife was seen,Rainbow Bee-eaters were in abundance,

and great numbers of Egrets, Magpie Geese.




A few Jacana were seen as well.

Barbara's BIG party

Barbara turns a delicate age next week and we organised a birthday party at the Darwin Sailing Club which was attended by lots of her Charles Darwin University workmates, other Darwin friends and even some legal friends from Adelaide.

Jessie and Barb

Barb with Chloe, Anthony with Emma

Sharon, an academic friend of Barbara

Barb and her Darwin friend Robyn

Nicholas and Chloe
It was a happy evening, lots of chatting etc. As usual the sunset was great.

We were even joined by a possum later in the night.

Knuckey's Lagoon

On the way to the airport I diverted to Knuckey's Lagoon to show Pat Lowe a local waterhole.

There was not a lot of birds to see today, some Cattle Egrets(!) with horses,

Also some Water lillies

and also a Cane Toad trap.

Besides her work a as a prison psychologist and a writer, Pat is very involved in environmental work in Broome, through EnvironsKimberley

A surprise visitor to Darwin

Sharyn from Framed Gallery called this afternoon and told me she had a visitor who I might like to meet. It was Patricia Lowe,the widow of the famous indigenous artist,Jimmy Pike whose work I like. I own a couple of prints and some clothing using his designs. I picked Pat up and took her to the Darwin Sailing Club and we had a lovely chat over a meal.


On the Saturday morning I took her to the Parap Market. She said the last time she went there she bought a dress to wear to go to Buckingham Palace. She wrote a childrens picture book,illustrated by Jimmy called "Jimmy and Pat meet the Queen"! Pat is a Clinical Psychologist who has worked in the Western Australian Prison system for many years and is also a writer, especially of childrens books
The DSC was crowded,but the food was good and sunset was great, lots of yachts.