10 October 2005
A drive to the Ngukurr Store, to the Klinik,
to the river and to Yellow Water billabong
This is a hot place and this is a dry season,
so you have to look to find the colours in some places
— but these flowers cover the canopy of a poinciana tree
in the main street between the store and government offices
and under this tree is a favoured place for people,
especially older people, to sit during the mornings.
Here is the view from the carpark near the store and government offices, looking east
These pictures are taken in the heat of the afternoon, when we went to the Klinic
Trees are wonderful street assets
and there are many different acacias in particular
There are human landscapes — not easy to dispose of metal car bodies way out here
and the roads eat them fast
We drove alongside to the river
We were told that to see Flowerpot,
the big salt water crocodile who lives in the river near the ramp,
we should go down to the barge ramp and throw something in the water
–
rock, slow dog, that kind of thing. Or put a big stick in and stir it around.
This would attract Flowerpot's attention, she lives on the other side of the river.
... and not to drive the car right down to the ramp, because if Flowerpot saw the car,
she wouldn't swim across.
...oh and also maybe just have a bit of a look around
before walking from the car to the river in case Flowerpot is on this side of the river.
OK...
...
We went on down the floodplain to Yellow Water billabong.
You will have to take our word for it that there was quite a bit of bird life.
This is the state of the billabong at the end of the dry season,
there having been no serious wet season last year.
