East Alligator River and Ubirr

We took our second guided river tour today, this time along the East Alligator River. This forms the border between Kakadu and Arnhem Land - an enormous reservation (at 100,000 sq km, it is bigger than Ireland) that is off limits to non-Aboriginal people unless you have a special permit.
 
Although the first white man set foot in Arnhem Land in the late 18th Century, the whitest man didn't set foot there until today!
 
It might look tempting to have a quick dip when it's over 40C and humid as hell. But the salties are never too far away.
 
The word that kept coming into my head as we cruised along was 'pristine'. With the exception of the above warning sign at the boat ramp, there is little other evidence of mankind.
 
After the river trip, we went to see the Aboriginal rock paintings just a few km away at Ubirr. They are up to 40,000 years old but still very clear and vibrant.
 
 
There's a nice vantage point at Ubirr from where we could see a big thunderstorm moving in over the escarpments in Arnhem Land.