Gunlom Pool - Kakadu National Park

A watering hole with a view.  This was noon on our first day in Kakadu national park.  We had a briefing about the salt water and fresh water crocodiles from Rick the Park Ranger before we decided if it was safe to swim.  Both types of crocodiles can be found in the park.  The rangers do their best to evict the salt water crocodiles from the most popular tourist spots, but they don't make any promises.  And they say the fresh water crocs aren't dangerous, are actually quite shy creatures and bite humans only when provoked.

Well, if they were here, we didn't see them and were certainly thankful they shared their watering hole with us.  We are in the "dry" (dry season) up here in the Northern Territory.  And dry it is!  There are always bush fires this time of year.  Many of them are set on purpose, doing a controlled burn.  The ground is crackling dry and dusty.  It's hard to believe this area can become completely flooded in the "wet".

So after hiking up the cliff, the water in the pool was oh so cool and refreshing.  This must have been the inspiration for the infinity pools now so popular at resorts.  The water collects in the upper pools before tumbling over the cliff and down to the larger pool below. 

The edge of the cliff.  In the wet, there is so much water coming though here that you can't swim in the upper pools.

Me and Betty enjoying a soak in the cool waters of the upper pools.

The lower pool at sunset.  This pool is where the crocs are more likely to hang out.  We did swim here as well. 

A nice lizard basking in the sun at the upper pools.

The camp ranger shared some information on the region and showed us photos of the floods during his slide show last night.  It was interesting to learn the history of the land from the time of the aborigines to the era of bison herding in the early 1900's, to the mining boom of the 1960's and up to the early 80's when status was returned to the original land owner and on his request the area was turned into a national park as it was his desire to protect the many sacred sites for all time.

There are three aborigine tribes running the council today together with government.  It is a balance of sustainable tourism and protection of the land.  They are still working to eradicate the evidence of the open uranium mining.  Curiously enough, from the beginning of time, the aborigines called that area the sick area and they were only allowed to be there for short periods, walking carefully so as not to disturb the sleeping god that had the power to destroy the world.  As we now know, uranium does indeed have the power to destroy the world.  In fact, the world's largest nugget of uranium was found here.