Author / Nicola Billens

The Traditional Owners of Australia have a different (and probably much more accurate) view of our cycles of nature, after-all they have lived here for up to 50,000 years.

Over the past ten years the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) has been working with the below groups of Aboriginals to learn and document their ecological and scientific knowledge of Australia’s fragile ecosystems.

• Gulumoerrgin/Larrakia people from the Darwin region in the Northern Territory
• Ngan’gi, MalakMalak and Wagiman people from the Daly River region in the Northern Territory
• Tiwi people from the Tiwi Islands, north of Darwin in the Northern Territory
• Kunwinjku people from western Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory
• Gooniyandi and Walmajarri people from the Fitzroy River area in the Kimberley region of Western Australia
• Ngadju people from the Great Western Woodlands region in south-west Western Australia
• Kundjeyhmi people from the Ngurrungurrudjba (Yellow Water) region in Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory

The Alquemie team enjoyed a private tour of Kakadu National Park in the Top End with Australia’s cheekiest guide Sab Lord in May 2017 (Yekke Season) and learnt first-hand about the stunning Ngurrungurrudjba (Yellow Water) region. We watched as small fires were lit to manage the tall spear grass that had sprung up after the wet season. By keeping this under control, it prevents big bushfires later in the year.

Below are the six annual seasons of the Ngurrungurrudjba (Yellow Water) region that were documented by the CSRIO in conjunction with Violet Lawson, a Traditional Owner from the Ngurrungurrudjba region, whose knowledge of the area was passed down to her from her mother.

Ngurrungurrudjba Seasons (source: CSIRO)

Kudjewk (January, February, March)

Kudjewk is the hot, wet and humid monsoon season. Barra, the north-west monsoon winds, bring thunderstorms, lightning and flooding rain. The wetlands are lush and green, and swollen with water. Plants and animals thrive in the hot, wet and humid conditions. It is a good time to hunt for animals stranded by floodwaters. Bamurru (Magpie Geese, Anseranas semipalmata) are nesting and their eggs are a favoured source of food.

Bangkerreng (April)

In Bangkerreng knock ’em down storms, the last of the wet season, flatten Anbedje (Spear grass, Sorghum intrans). The rain clouds disperse and clear skies return. As the floodplains drain into the rivers and creeks, Namarnkorl (Barramundi, Lates calcarifer) feast on small fish, tadpoles and crustaceans.

Yekke (May, June)

Yekke is a relatively cool time with low humidity. Djimurru, the dry wind from the south-east, blows. Early morning mists hang low over the wetlands. Ngurrungurrudjba is covered with Andem (waterlily) flowers. When Andjalen (Eucalyptus miniata) flowers, it is time to start burning the woodlands.

Wurrkeng (July, August)

Wurrkeng is the coolest and driest season. The humidity is low. The floodplains are drying out, and many creeks have stopped flowing. Cool, dry winds blow from the south-east. Yellow Andjedj (Cochlospermum fraseri) flowers tell us that the Kumoken (Freshwater Crocodiles, Crocodylus johnsoni) are laying their eggs on sandy creek banks.

Kurrung (September, October)

Kurrung is the season of hot dry weather. Whirly whirlies – Nadjurlum – are common. Mahbilil, the salt water wind, blows in the evenings. Bamurru have grown fat on Andem (Nymphaea violacea) and Ankurladj (Eleocharis dulcis) corms and are good to eat. They crowd around the shrinking billabongs with other water birds and are easy to hunt. Thunderclouds start to build high in the sky signalling the return of Kunumeleng.

Kunumeleng (November, December)

In Kunumeleng the air becomes more and more humid and thunderstorms build in the afternoons. Rain on the dry floodplains brings bring rapid growth. Balmarradja, the wind from the west, starts to blow. Waterbirds spread out as the area of surface water increases. Namarnkorl (Barramundi) travel up the rivers to the estuaries to breed.

When’s the best time to visit Kakadu?

Generally between about May (when the Dry season begins – before that it’s usually quite flooded) and October. In May, some of the main waterfalls may still not be open due to crocodiles however there are less tourists and you can still find the most amazing places to visit.

Learn more about our private guide – Sab Lord – who grew up in Kakadu with the local Aboriginals as his closest friends. His knowledge of the area is second to none.

Click here to find out more about Australian travel with Alquemie

A 1.5 hour charter flight south-west from Darwin takes you to Bullo River Station – 500,000 acres of privately owned countryside – the perfect place for families and adventurous groups of friends who like to get hands on.

Bullo River Station is encircled by the coffee coloured waters of the Victoria River and rugged hills inscribed with Aboriginal rock art. This vast property is not only home to around 9,000 Brahman-cross cattle but a huge variety of local fauna species including wallabies, dingoes, wild buffalo, a myriad of native and migratory birds, fish and the omnipresent crocodile. The ‘Boab’ is Bullo’s symbol and these proud trees dot the entire property lending their stature to what is already an impressive landscape.

At Bullo the nearest neighbour is over 2 hours drive away, and the property encompasses half a million acres. So remote is this region that there are waterholes and Aboriginal art galleries that have remained unseen and untouched for hundreds of years.

Guest accommodation is comfortable and simple; all rooms have private en suite bathrooms, air-conditioning and ceiling fan and floor to ceiling windows so that you can wake to the expanse of it all.

There’s also an option for guests to stay at one of a pair of huts which are accessible either by helicopter or vehicle and sit along a sandstone ridgeline and overlook a lake where buffalo and cattle come to drink. Each hut has a queen size bed and ensuite bathroom with shower and toilet. Guests can sit on the decking with nothing to interrupt the cattle station views at sunset and they offer complete privacy.

Home cooked meals are prepared by the station cook and your own just-caught Barramundi is bound to be the best fish you will ever eat. Breakfast is often al fresco on the wide stone verandah, lunch might be a picnic, perhaps by some beautiful freshwater swimming hole and dinner is usually served in the main dining room. You are encouraged to make yourself at home in the large living rooms of the homestead and there is a small swimming pool for those hot afternoons.

The friendly station hands plan your stay to take into account the seasons and your interests, your time with them might include:

• Taking part in the daily activities of a working cattle station such as bull catching or mustering
• Horse riding (some competency is required)
• Boat cruises on the Bullo River Gorge
• 4WD safaris and quad biking
• Helicopter flights to the outer edges of the station (additional cost)
• Wildlife viewing – Wallaroos, wallabies, dingos, crocodiles and buffalo are all regular sightings
• River and coastal fishing – Barramundi are almost guaranteed at Bullo!
• Aboriginal art interpretation and viewing
• Swimming in freshwater rock pools, picnics washed down with billy tea, you can even swag out (camp out) by a water hole if you are feeling very adventurous

Heli trip to the Cascades

One of the highlights is a helicopter trip to the Cascades.  Franz will take you on a spectacular flight across the vast cattle plains, over a huge billabong and the Bullo River before rising up above the escarpment and the stony country on the western edge of the station. He will leave you at The Cascades but before he goes he will roll out your ‘swag’, the bedding of choice for generations of Bushmen, and set up your camp for the night. Once the helicopter has been unpacked and Franz has shown you how to use the satellite phone, the place is yours. Take a dip in one of the waterholes, go for a hike or just relax on the beach. Bullo River will pack a gourmet picnic with provisions for you to cook your dinner on the campfire and this will of course include bacon and eggs for breakfast the next day!

There is no doubt that Australia has some of the most spectacular scenery in the world. Our red sand deserts are well known, as is the iconic Sydney Opera House, Great Barrier Reef and Uluru (Ayres Rock). But you can discover many more by watching TV and film (or even David Bowie video clips!).

Here are 5 of our favourite.

Crocodile Dundee (of course!)
Where? Kakadu in the Northern Territory and McKinlay in Queensland

Red Dog
Where? Dampier, Pilbara, Karratha in Western Australia, parts of South Australia

The Man from Snowy River
Where? Merijig & Mansfield, Central Victoria

Tracks
Where? Flinders Ranges, South Australia

The Adventures of Priscilla – The Queen of the Desert

Where? Sydney & Broken Hill in New South Wales, Kings Canyon & Alice Springs in the Northern Territory,  Cooper Pedy, South Australia