The river was infested with crocs. We lost count at around 20, but I’m sure there would have been double.
We arrived at Windjana Gorge with our friends Noor and Ben. We were all keen to see some freshwater crocs, and apparently the river just 500m from our campsite was filled with them. We passed between some large boulders, which were once part of an ancient Great Barrier Reef.
The crocs were basking on the river bank. They appeared smiling and placid, but we were sure to keep a safe distance.
Noor introduced us to bush passion fruit – so not only did we get a dose of Vitamin C, we learnt some new survival skills!
The middle of the day was so hot; we all retreated to the shade and the Kimberely Bush Band was formed.
In the afternoon, we ventured through Tunnel Creek. We had to scramble over some boulders to get into a cave. Inside there was a river, with freshies hanging out of the sand banks. After admiring some aboriginal art on the walls, we plunged into the darkness to follow the tunnel deeper in.
Lucky for us, there was a tour group going through, otherwise we would not have braved the pitch black! There were a few stalactites hanging throughout the cave and fish swimming through the river, with the occasional set of croc eyes watching us pass. We reached an opening in the tunnel – after taking the photo, I noticed it looked like a croc head with the jaws open!
We crossed the river by balancing on some protruding rocks.
This led us to another chasm, with a larger set of stalactites which took on forms of gothic creatures. Above them, hung bats.
Some fun facts about freshwater crocodiles:
- Unlike the salties, they breed at the start of the dry season
- They feed on insects, fish, frogs, crustaceans, small reptiles, birds and small mammals
- They bask during the day and forge for food on warm nights
