Jumping Crocs

After catching up with my Aunt and Uncle and being regaled with stories of crocs wandering across backyards and being locked in paddy wagons by local police (what else would you do with a rogue croc after you had caught it?)(wouldn't want to be the next criminal to be busted) we both decided that we needed to search out some of the beasties ourselves.

So we went on one of the jumping croc cruises (apparently something that everyone needs to do while up in the Top End). We chose the Adelaide River Queen (based on an annoyingly catchy internet jingle, the recommendation of my parents and the quirky jumping croc statue on the roadside nearby).

We weren't disappointed.

Seconds after pulling away from the jetty, a little boy on-board shouted out "I can see a real live croc..." We were all thinking "sure, kid - we haven't even properly started the cruise yet", but sure enough there was an ominous looking reptilian body cruising past one of the other jetties. This was shortly followed by half a dozen more sightings as we drifted upstream. If we ever needed more convincing to stay away from NT waterways, this was definitely it - the river was chockers with crocs. Each stretch was owned by a big dominant male with 5 or 6 of his girlfriends hanging around - we stopped and fed each male as they recognized the sound of the boat and swam out to claim an easy meal. At each stop, a chunk of pork was dangled above the water and the crocs would sidle up and eye it off (along with the tasty passengers just on the other side of the glass), then line it up and propel itself out of the water to claim its prize (some of the smaller ones managing to get airborne all the way to having their back legs out of the water)(makes you re-consider how safe you'd be fishing out of a tinnie...). The biggest, oldest male deigned only to bring his head up out of the water (at 5m and 700kg we weren't going to argue).

The boat also stopped along the way to feed a flock of kites. These guys were well used to the boat and swooped in by the dozens to catch scraps of meat thrown out from the top deck (often swooping close enough to feel the rush of air from their wings)(and hoping not to get an over-enthusiastic peck or grab). The guide mentioned that the birds would often fly in front of a bushfire and snap up all the fleeing insects and grasshoppers - and that if they weren't satisfied with their meal, they would pick up embers and spread the fire over a broader front to rustle up some more bugs. Pretty clever!

Anyway, we loved the whole thing (who wouldn't enjoy seeing a 500kg croc launch itself out of the water for a snack??). We rounded the day off by heading out to Buffalo Creek to see if we could finally snare an elusive barra (keeping a wary eye on the water the whole time...). Despite the water seething with baitfish as the tide came in, nothing could be tempted to bite. Maybe tomorrow...

Kakadu - Nourlangie

We planned a couple of stops on the way out of Kakadu the next day based on a few geocaches I wanted to retrieve (I am not addicted, I don't know what you're talking about). My excuse is that its a way to see some parts of the countryside we might not otherwise visit...

Our first stop was Mirrai lookout. This was another hot, steep scramble to a viewing platform on top. Unfortunately, the view was mostly obscured by a thick haze of smoke from burn-offs, but it did make for some nice photos of the distant hills (first photo below).

We then headed a bit further north to Anbangbang Billabong and Nawurlandja Lookout. The billabong was covered in flowering waterlillies with a multitude of birdlife enjoying the water (and who knows what else lurking beneath) - needless to say, we didn't go anywhere near the edge. It was a beautiful, tranquil spot (which we didn't really appreciate till we experienced hordes of tourists further on).

The lookout was at the top of a huge, sloping conglomerate stone face and gave impressive views over the nearby sandstone outcrop as well as the billabong and an expanse of greenery leading off to the horizon (the smoke must have cleared a bit). This one is highly recommended (just do it in the morning before it gets too hot).

After venturing that far into the Nourlangie region, we decided to finish off our trip by visiting the rock art galleries at the end of the road. This is where we finally ran into the tourist trade in all its glory (the place was PACKED). We joined the throng for a walk through the main rock-art shelters, which, despite somewhat lacking in ambience due to the crowds, were some of the most detailed and impressive examples of Aboriginal painting either of us had seen. The walk wound up and between massive slabs of rock (which also made it nice and shady and cool) and included viewing platforms alongside maybe 4 or 5 rock shelters filled with art. We were glad we made the last-minute decision to come!

After that, though, we were out of time and had to high-tail it back to Darwin. We think we could easily spend several more weekends exploring Kakadu (and we will). Just a question of what to see next...

(POST-SCRIPT: Just came back to the computer to investigate a cry of distress from Ryan. Was he hurt? Did he just remember some important job that had been overlooked from the weekend? Was the internet broken? The truth was in fact much worse than all that - he just remembered that in his quest to be an efficient and well-organised camper this morning her had accidentally rolled up his pyjamas inside his sleeping bag (but decided to leave them there because in his own words "I've never managed to roll it up that good before"). He has now just realized that he can't go to bed until he unrolls the whole thing and retrieves his one pair of boxers... I probably could have been slightly more sympathetic :)

Kakadu - Jim Jim Falls

So we finally made it to Jim Jim!

The walk into the gorge here was about 1km - skirting the side of a peaceful looking pool (sporting croc traps and warning signs to stay away from the edge)(with the occasional illiterate tourist sunbaking on the waterside rocks). The path then turned to rock scrambling, then climbing over progressively larger boulders which tumbled down into the final pool.

The falls themselves were not much more than a fine spray of water, which was just a damp slick on the rocks by the time it reached the bottom. But the pool there was huge and clear (and cold judging by the shouts of various people brave enough to swim)(crocs couldn't get in past all the rocks). It was pretty crowded with tourists (obviously seeking it out as one of the few places in Kakadu safe enough to swim), but we stayed for a while anyway watching for fish and enjoying the shade of the towering gorge walls. Neither of us were daring enough to actually get wet (not sure what could be lurking in the black depths of the water)(although Ryan at least put his feet in).

We were planning to also climb the escarpment at Jim Jim, but by the time we walked out of the gorge it was stinking hot and after another look at the hillside above us (and what was promising to be a hard/long/steep scramble) we elected instead to go back to the campground and relax. This ended up being even more chockers, albeit with a different crowd, but still a nice enough place to stay.

Kakadu - Twin Falls

I couldn't spend a whole week off without doing some proper exploring, so Ryan got himself a long weekend (love the public service) and we headed off to Kakadu.

Ever since seeing an old episode of the Leyland Brothers where they visited Jim Jim Falls in the middle of the wet season sometime back in the 70's, Jim Jim had become something of a pilgrimage for us. We were hoping our trip might be slightly easier than their bush-bashing through flooded scrub at a rate of 400m in 6hrs...

We headed out into Kakadu, pretty much just making a beeline for the nearest camping ground to the falls - Garnamarr. This was at the end of 60km of very corrugated dirt (with a blinding dustcloud everytime a tour bus-truck flew by). The camping ground was nice enough, and pretty much deserted when we got there (although with a few abandoned tents). By night-time it was chockers. We tucked in for the night with plans to see the falls in the morning.

Of the two sets of falls in the area - Twin Falls and Jim Jim, we decided to head to Twin Falls first at the farthest end of the road. This road was very much 4WD only - intermittently rough, sandy, rutted with plenty of steep-sided dry creekbeds and the infamous Jim Jim creek crossing (we had been watching You-Tube clips of people drowning their 4WDs in it for months before we moved up here). It turned out to be only 50cm deep, with good concrete ramps into and out of the water (made slightly more exciting by the threat of crocs should you actually fail and need to exit halfway)(in fact a BMW X5 apparently got stuck there just 2 weeks ago). We, however, made it with no trouble.

At Twin Falls, we first took a walk up to the top of the escarpment - a hot, steep scramble over loose rocks, but with an expansive view as a reward. Once on top, we were walking through cool forest growing in and around huge boulders and slabs of rock, complete with butterflies flitting in and out of the trees. The walk led to one lookout over the falls (limited view), but then continued on to the creek at the top of the gorge. We were able to walk right out onto the rock at the top of the falls - the creek here was actually dry, with the water pouring out an opening from the rocks onto a plateau a bit lower down, then disappearing into another hole in the rock and shooting out over the falls themselves lower down. The dry rock where we stood was worn smooth by the force of the water that must thunder over the falls at the height of the wet. An aerial tour in the wet is now on the cards :)

Exploring further upstream - the creek finally did appear in a series of clear pools fringed by pandanus. At a point maybe 100m from the falls, these also disappeared under the rock. Although by this point it was pretty hot, the geology and landscape was so interesting, that we were both very glad we made the effort. On the way back we didn't have the heart to tell the other tourists struggling up the slope with their swimmers and towels hoping for a swim, that most of the pools up there were only knee-deep.

Back at the bottom, we then took the short boat-ride to the falls themselves. Ryan, I think, saw the boat-ride as the highlight of his day - through the gorge over deep, crystal-clear water teeming with fish (and promising crocs). This ended with a 400m scramble over rocks (and a croc-proof bridge over the final pool) to the falls. Twin Falls was a huge series of cascades which split into two as they came down the cliff (with plenty of water coming down, despite it being the middle of the dry). We spent some time just sitting (in the shade)(well away from the edge of the water). Beautiful.

Then the short boat-ride back (with Ryan again practically hanging over the edge - swore he saw a couple of (baby) Barra). And on to Jim Jim.

I caught a fish!

Yep - my first fish. So it wasn't exactly the whopper barra I was hoping for, but I am at least one up on Ryan :)

I'm now in the middle of a week off (following a week of night shifts) and today was the first day that I haven't had any chores to do (like sleep)(and get the BT serviced) so I decided to take the GPS and my bike and go geocaching.

Although I had plans to go all over the place (plenty of choice with around 250 geocaches within a 25km radius of the hospital), I ended up pretty much sticking to the half-a-dozen or so caches between here and Lee Point. Since most of these were well hidden in the bush alongside the track (which is full of wait-a-while)(they weren't kidding), it took a bit more effort than I was imagining. Heaps of fun though.

We spent the evening (after me picking up Ryan from work) by going fishing in Cullen Bay. Ryan bought me a rod a couple of weeks ago and I have to confess to being just a leetle bit addicted (even though I hadn't actually caught anything until today). Unfortunately the fish didn't quite enjoy the experience quite as much, and swam (floated) off upside-down after being thrown back :(

Then finally we rounded it all off with a trip to Mindil Beach Markets for some food (enjoyed while watching the sunset from the beach)(along with several hundred other people). Very crowded as always, but enough good stalls and good food to make it worthwhile.

The croc pictured below is from Ryan's trip to Crocodylas Park (visited over the weekend while I was sleeping). In Ryan's own words "it was alright" (and "that's why I don't blog...").

There are also a couple of shots from Charles Darwin National Park - the local mountain bike mecca (although with the noticeable absence of anything that could remotely be described as a mountain). Nice views over to the city though.

Darwin Nights

Right now its about 5 o'clock in the morning on night shift number 5 of 7. Things are disconcertingly quiet, and I am fighting the urge to take a nap (the minute I lie down I can almost guarantee some surgical disaster hitting the ED), so I thought I might write a bit about work here.

Night shifts here are crazy (not counting tonight - one of those nights were I am paging myself just to make sure the thing is working). The other nights this week have been like some weird, sadistic test of endurance where I am amazed to finally emerge into the daylight come morning. Maybe two thirds of my cases are minor surgical bits and pieces - mostly infected wounds/burns/ulcers that have been neglected and allowed to fester (or partially treated in hospital with the patient then absconding or being non-compliant with further treatment). The other one third are at the complete other end of the spectrum - major traumas (beatings, stabbings, MVAs) and very sick patients with surgical disasters (perforated bowel, nectrotising fasciitis, renal abscesses, advanced erosive cancer).

I did my first fasciotomy tonight (cutting open the skin and underlying fascia on someone's leg to relieve the pressure building from inflamed muscles trapped within a closed space); I debrided my first case of necrotising fasciitis two nights ago (very nasty infection of the subcutanous tissues/fascia/muscles that spreads and kills very quickly - treatment is by cutting away all the skin and underlying tissue that appears involved - usually a huge area and a very messy operation)(my shoes have since been soaking in a bucket at home...) and three nights ago I saw more faeces coming out from someone's abdomen than I have ever seen before (should be INSIDE the bowel, not pouring out of the incision we were making)(horrible).

You know its a busy shift when you have to keep triaging your list of jobs - I should see that patient first because free intra-abdominal air means he is going to need an operation ASAP; I could squeeze that one in so that I can call the radiologist about his CT before it gets past midnight; I've got ten minutes between theatre cases - I can review that patient who ICU are worried about; the infected hand can start on some antibiotics and wait; I need to see that guy because ED have now called me three times and the patient is threatening to abscond; that pancreatitis doesn't sound too sick...

I have to admit, though, that it is very satisfying to get to the end of each of these shifts knowing that I have managed things alright (and that all of the patients have survived to the morning along with me). I'm still living in fear of the first time I will land a patient that needs a burrhole (or even worse - a craniectomy)(the realm of neurosurgeons in the other hospitals I have worked). Here general surgery means everything - neurosurgery, plastic surgery, urology, cardiothoracics, paediatric surgery. At least by the end of six months I should be able to do a whole bunch of new operations that I wouldn't normally get exposure to.

If I can survive that long.