Darwin to Kakadu National Park

We had a pricey buffet breakfast at the hotel and enjoyed the hell out of it although did avoid the baked beans and spaghetti (standard tucker for the Aussies.) After asking a few people - we'll literally approach anyone for help - we start toward Kakdu. I'm busy reading or writing after getting us going the right direction so miss the 2 dead kangaroos Ron spots on the side of the road. Hadn't seen any animals on this road, but suddendly Ron yells "Kangaroo", I look up, see nothing, but hear a sickening thump and know the worst has happened. Ron and I both felt horrible. We discussed it for awhile, trying to make it okay, but cannot. Hard. We find our lodge after a few hour's drive through country that reminds us of the Everglades. We enjoy crossing the rivers, seeing the wetlands, and being surrounded by green. This is the end of the "Dry" and what the Aborigines consider the time for pre-monsoon storms - one of six seasons they identify. At one of the visitors' centers, we get advice from the ranger and sign up for a 90-minute yellow water cruise that's up the way an hour or so. We get quite lost. We visit the Waradjian Aborigine Cultural Centre where I'd love to buy an Aboriginal painting, but don't want to deal with shipping. I content myself with a modest item that I can secrete in my luggage. At Gagadju, we board the little cruise boat and the skipper narrates throughout, stopping whenever we spot "salties" (estruarine crocodiles) and great birds, including an eagle, kingfishers, and other large and interesting indiginous creatures. Our guide was excellent, courteous, and freindly. Good folk on the boat, too. Easy to make friends. Post cruise, we decide to drive to Noulangie to take a 1.5 km walk past an ancient Aboriginal shelter and several art sites. We fumble our way there, sorely missing the excellent signage in our National Parks, and end up at the Anbangbang Shelter which is where one starts the walk to Nourlangie. Who would make that connection unless familiar, one asks. Word of the day: Intrepid. we exit the car to incredible heat - record breaking, we find out. It was 106 degrees with high humidity and the deal breaker? Swarm after swarm of small flys that immediately surrounded our heads. DEET? FUGGEDABOUDID! They could care less. I tried to spray an area around my head and step into it for some relief. None came. We walked a few feet and scuttled back to the car like the losers we were. Okay, "You got to know when to hold 'em" and, in this case, when to fold 'em. Thanks to Kenny Rogers and Joan for this bit of wisdom. I really regretted not seeing more of the park, but we got the hell out of there and drove the hour plus back to our digs. This was an interesting place with literally hundreds of raucous sulphur crested cockatoos who swooped from spot to spot on the grounds, hanging upside down from the trees and bouncing onto impossibly small branches. They were quite an entertainmnet. After a sorely needed clean-up, we had dinner. Me = baramundi, Ron = pizza. Sigh. we agreed that breakfast was always the best bet. Off to our room with an odd A/C unit that brought the room temp down to a balmy 85 degrees. The other challenges of the day have already been recounted here.