Fogg Dam

Heading out of Darwin on the Arnhem Highway towards Kakadu we stopped at Fogg Dam - our first experience of the incredibly beautiful wetlands which dominate this area. The water lilies were stunning and the bird life amazing. This is a bird lovers paradise and the boys loved spotting all the different varieties of birds - particularly the Jabiru.



This was also our first major saltwater croc spotting in the wild...



Egrets and Magpie geese galore - apparently more tasty than turkey or chicken!!



Mary River National Park was next on our list of places to visit before reaching Kakadu. We really didn't know much about this National Park but were particularly influenced by the promise of great barramundi fishing - Michael and Harry still desperate for the elusive barra! This will not make our top 10 list of best places to go! We set off with grand expectations of a great campsite with croc viewing platforms and plenty of barra. We were greeted by strange stares from seasoned fishermen and a warning from one old crusty fisherman "Have you been warned about the mossies? You know you can't go outside after dark the mossies are so bad." "Crocs - no you can't see any from here" There didn't seem to be much on offer for the amateur family fishermen. The mossie warning was enough to turn me off with the thoughts of Ross River Fever running through my mind, particularly as 20 mins down the road was a campground which according to the girl at reception had no mossies! So we headed back down the road to Point Stuart Wilderness Camp and set up just in time for the mossie onslaught - I have never seen so many mossies - 100s and 100s hovering all around us. So much for no mossies - more thoughts of Ross River Fever! Nothing else to do but head to the Saloon Bar. Well this was real mens territory - hard core fishing and pig shooting country - beer, bundy rum and the State of Origin! Just felt slightly out of place with the 3 kids - what an experience! Needless to say no barra was caught the next morning when Michael and the boys faced the mossies and headed back up to the river to fish. No one is going to rest until at least one barra is caught!