Kakadu: Gunlom, Maguk and Garrnama

We travelled to Gunlom campground on the day it opened. The caretaker told us usually there would be over 200 people staying, but because of the covid restrictions, we were only twelve campers. During the night, several packs of dingoes howled beneath the full moon. Apart from a lone brumby, during the day, we had a lean dingo lope past us on the lookout for handouts, but instead the crows relentlessly mobbed him until he slunk off into the long grass.

The ranger stopped for a chat and mentioned it is impossible to say for sure the lower plunge pool of Gunlom Falls doesn't contain a croc. We walked to the sandy beach at the pool and Robert gingerly took a dip in the magnificent surroundings together with Indian and Nepali daytrippers.

Gunlom plunge pool is the location called Echo Pond in the Crocodile Dundee film, when Mick Dundee, after checking his pal's watch, pretends to tell the time by watching the sun.

Next day we drove the very scenic route to Maguk car park.

Then We walked and boulder-hopped a shady, forest path to Maguk Falls lower plunge pool in a beautiful setting below the falls.

From Maguk, we headed to a heaving campground of screaming kids and hassled parents at Cooinda. Such a contrast to our previous, peaceful camping experience. Our neighbour bounced babies and mentioned she'd heard a croc had just been spotted that day in Gunlom lower plunge pool which was now closed until rangers caught the miscreant croc! So much for my bathing there!

Leaving the campground bedlam, we took a good, 50km, dirt road to Garrnama or Jim Jim Falls Campground.







After chatting with the caretaker, we decided the final 5kms of tight turns to the Jim Jim Falls car park weren't feasible. The campsite had lovely, afternoon views of the escarpment.




 

In the evening, bush curlews wailed next to us. Regular visitors to this campground, they had previously placed their curlew babies under the caretaker's ute for protection from marauding dingos.

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Kakadu, Northern Territory, NT, Gunlom, Maguk