Northern Territory Road trip (Part VI – Arnhem Hwy and Mary River )

Northern Territory Road trip (Part VI – Arnhem Hwy and Mary River )



Driving along ArnhemHighway that connects Kakadu to Darwin is a great way to see more of Northern Territory’s wildlife, particularly at night. And there are plenty of eco lodges along the way that offer various wildlife watching opportunities.

Kakadu – Mary River

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Fresh water crocodile

Fresh water crocodile

Mary River is a great place to see Fresh water crocodiles and Azure kingfishers, as well as Great-billed heron. The lodge at Mary River operates boat cruises and it is also possible to hire a smaller boat for a few hours and explore the river at your own pace. Other birds we spotted from the boat were: Lemon-bellied flycatcher, Varied triller, Rainbow bee-eater and Yellow oriole.

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White-bellied sea eagle

White-bellied sea eagle

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Azure kingfisher

Azure kingfisher

In the afternoon, just before the boat cruise I watched a group of Agile wallabies grazing on the lawn in front of our tent. And as I watched them, two young males decided to practice their boxing skills giving me a few good photo opportunities.

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Agile wallabies sorting out their differences

Agile wallabies sorting out their differences

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Agile wallabies

Agile wallabies

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Agile wallabies

Agile wallabies

The walk around the camp site in the morning turned up a beautiful Green tree snake.

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Green tree snake

Green tree snake

Driving along Arnhem Highway the following day we came across a small wetland on the side of the road that was absolutely teaming with birdlife. I could not believe my eyes when I saw a few Jabirus there. We spent days searching for them in Kakadu and there they were – scraping in the mud on the side of the road!

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Jabiru stork

Jabiru stork

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Jabiru

Jabiru

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Jubiru

Jabiru

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Juvenile Jabiru

Juvenile Jabiru

Apart from the magnificent Jabirus there were Pied herons, Great and Intermediate egrets, Gull-billed terns, and a few Magpie geese ona nearby tree.

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Pied heron

Pied heron

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Magpie geese

Magpie geese

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Margarita Steinhardt

I am a wildlife ecologist by training but more of a naturalist by inclination. I have been photographing wildlife for a number of years, throughout my travels in Thailand, India, Africa, and Russia, as well as my life in Australia. What drives me is the excitement of a new destination and the new species to be discovered and photographed.

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Margarita Steinhardt

Margarita Steinhardt is a wildlife ecologist by training but more of a naturalist by inclination. She has graduated with Master of Wildlife Conservation degree from Macquarie University in Sydney and is currently based in Australia. Margarita has been photographing wildlife for a number of years, throughout her work and travels in Thailand, India, Africa, and Russia, as well as Australia. What drives Margarita is the excitement of a new destination and new species to be found and photographed there.

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