Anbangbang Billabong, Nourlangie Creek, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

            Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

Kakadu National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia, 171 km southeast of Darwin.
The park is located within the Alligator Rivers Region of the Northern Territory. It covers an area of 19,804 km2 (7,646 sq mi), extending nearly 200 kilometres from north to south and over 100 kilometres from east to west. It is the size of Slovenia, about one-third the size of Tasmania, or nearly half the size of Switzerland. 
The name Kakadu may come from the mispronunciation of Gaagudju, which is the name of an Aboriginal language spoken in the northern part of the park. This name may derive from the Indonesian word kakatuwah, (via Dutch kaketoe and German Kakadu) subsequently Anglicised as "cockatoo”. 

Aboriginal people have occupied the Kakadu area continuously for at least 40,000 years. Kakadu National Park is renowned for the richness of its Aboriginal cultural sites. There are more than 5,000 recorded art sites illustrating Aboriginal culture over thousands of years. 

The archaeological sites demonstrate Aboriginal occupation for up to 60,000 years.

The cultural and natural values of Kakadu National Park were recognised internationally when the park was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This is an international register of properties that are recognised as having outstanding cultural or natural values of international significance. Kakadu was listed in three stages: stage 1 in 1981, stage 2 in 1987, and the entire park in 1992. 
Approximately half of the land in Kakadu is Aboriginal land under the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, and most of the remaining land is currently under claim by Aboriginal people. The areas of the park that are owned by Aboriginal people are leased by the traditional owners to the Director of National Parks to be managed as a national park. The remaining area is Commonwealth land vested under the Director of National Parks. All of Kakadu is declared a national park under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999. 
The Aboriginal traditional owners of the park are descendants of various clan groups from the Kakadu area and have longstanding affiliations with this country. Their lifestyle has changed in recent years, but their traditional customs and beliefs remain very important. About 500 Aboriginal people live in the park, many of them are traditional owners. All of Kakadu is jointly managed by Aboriginal traditional owners and the Australian Government's Department of the Environment and Water Resources through a division known as Parks Australia. Park Management is directed by the Kakadu Board of Management. 

Anbangbang Billabong

Anbangbang Billabong lies in the shadow of Nourlangie Rock within Kakadu National Park and is a good place to view a wide range of wildlife. Large numbers of water fowl and wading birds inhabit the billabong and many wallabies can be found grazing around the water’s edge. There is a walking trail around the circumference of Anbangbang billabong with many picnic areas. The Anbangbang Billabong is overlooked by the Nawurlandja and Nourlangie plateaus. In the wet season, it is fed by runoff from these plateaus, as well as overflow from Nourlangie Creek, however during the dry season it is cut off. 
Like much of Kakadu, Anbangbang Billabong is home to a particularly large variety of bird life. The fluctuating water levels draw waterfowl such as Magpie Geese, Pelicans, Darters, Spoonbills and Brolga. Other fauna known to frequent the billabong include Wallabies, File Snakes, Long-necked Turtles, Dingoes and Goannas. 
Mangroves lining the billabong support populations of Freshwater mussel. Adjacent woodlands play host to a different ecosystem again. The nearby Nawurlandja plateau supports local populations of Short-eared rock-wallaby and Chestnut-quilled rock pigeon, among other species. 
The swelling billabong promotes seasonal growth of Sedges, Grasses and Water Lilies, and Freshwater mangrove line the water's edge. Swamp areas support many types of paperbark, in particular the Weeping paperbark, Silver-leaved paperbark and Broad-leaved paperbark. 
The woodlands surrounding the billabong are a lush habitat comprising an abundance of plant species. Darwin woollybutt and Darwin Stringybark dominate, with large populations of Fan palms, Kapok, Red Apples, Wattle and Pandanus. 
Like much of Kakadu, the Anbangbang Billabong region's climate is monsoonal. The region's aboriginal owners recognize six seasons, however these can be reduced to vastly differing dry and wet seasons where the billabong is respectively depleted and replenished. 



   

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Taken on: July 22, 2020

Sets appears in: • Kakadu National Park - July 2020 • Fujifilm XT-2 with Fujinon 18-135

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Camera: Fujifilm X-T2, f/3.2, 1/1700 sec, 16mm (=24mm), ISO 800 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Fujifilm X-T2
Lens:	XF16-55mmF2.8 R LM WR
Aperture:	f/3.2
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/1700)
Focal Length:	16mm (35mm equivalent: 24mm)
ISO:	800
Exposure Bias:	+2.67 EV
Flash:	No Flash
Exposure Program:	Aperture-priority AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto bracket
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Elements 17.0 (Windows)
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