Camping & crocs in El Questro and beyond

G'day Kroozer,

The most crocs I have ever seen were on the Lower Ord. A lot of freshies but a whole lot of salties as well. Some of the salties were quite large including a very large one that came out of the water to take the barra frames at the fishing camp. While I've seem a lot of crocs at Shady Camp and most of these were large, seen some crocs at Kakadu where nearly all were large and some on Cape York where some were large the Lower Ord wins hands down for shear numbers.

There were two "most scary croc story" for me, one that slammed the boat in Kakadu and all the large crocs in the Blue Holes at Derby we didn't see. We were going to do some fishing in the blue holes (we didn't get to launch the boat but that's another story) and one of our contacts adviced us agains going there unarmed!Well we did see hundreds of wallabies but no crocs and with plenty of deep water and muddy banks it scared the cr@p out of me.

Kind regards

Beatit, agree totally with you on the lower Ord mate. My old man used to work out there tackling the Noogoora Burr for years, and we did many trips out there on the weekends and holidays as kids. I estimate that i have spent at least a hundred nights out there camping and fishing. Was and still is my favourite place in the whole world, many memories from out there. Once seen a barra leap from the water and then a huge snap, straight into a crocs mouth, no more then 50 metres from us. The crocs arent as prolific as they use to be back then when it was quarantined, but yes they are still bad. My old man actually trapped crocs for Malcolm Douglas out there, and they were the biggest crocs he had in his farm for many years. In the wet season at night you will often find the bastards on the road laying in puddles, let me tell you it certainly wakes you up as your driving through and see something take off from under the car. There is a place down on the lower Ord, in the saltwater reaches where the crocs are still abundant, and very cheeky. Each time we went there the crocs would actually come to the bank and try climbing up towards us. The bank was too steep for them but it was very scary to witness. They had no fear whatsoever, and there was usaully 4 or 5 waiting at the waters edge. All over 10 foot in length, and with very nice coloured skin. Indicating they were very healthy and well looked after.

As for the Blue holes in Derby, i know idiots who dive there at low tide. Some people just cant be told.