Beware of Crocodiles

"You can see their eyes if you shine the torch over there.." said my tour guide.

I was in the Top End of Australia on board a 3 day kakadu tour and we were about to set camp in an area named Jim Jim Billabong where years before, an unlucky german backpacker was taken by a large crocodile.

"Those little lights in the water are reflections of the crocodiles eyes that are submerged" he said.

The tour guide stood holding a torch shining it into a nearby billabong where literally hundreds of little eye balls gleamed back at us from the torch light. Its true what they say, anywhere you go swimming in the topend of Australia will most likely have a crocodile in it, and from the amount of eyes staring back at me, I believe it.

Kakadu National Park, one of Australia's highlighted attractions is home to hundreds of thousands of crocodiles. In years passed there have been a number of unlucky travellers and locals who have been taken. The park is filled with wetlands, river systems and billabongs where these ancient reptiles live. Locals arent allowed to hunt them either as they are a protected species that, over millions of years are one of the last examples of what the dinosaurs might have resembled.

For those travelling around the Topend of Australia, in particular on a Kakadu tour, here are a few steps which my tour guide told me to avoid getting too close to Crocodiles.

Always looking out for Crocodile Warning Signs when thinking about swimming. If travelling in remote/unknown areas, don't go swimming at all! Dont camp near waters edge in billabongs, rivers or lakes. If camping near a water system, dont live food laying around. Crocodile are very fast runners in short distances, so be careful. Always play it safe and use common sense. So remember, when travelling around the Topend or on a Kakadu tour, play it safe, ask locals where to swim, and remember that where ever there's water.. there is likely to be a croc!

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About the Author

Michael is a designer who predominantly specialises in travel related products. Having been born, raised and worked in touristy Darwin/Australia, he has had much exposure to the tourism world and its characters and stories.