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This project was supported by funding from the Australian Government’s National Environmental Research Program. For more information on the Northern Australia hub go to www.nerpnorthern.edu.au
This calendar was produced under a research permit from Parks Australia.
The wetlands of Kakadu National Park, including Ngurrungurrudjba – Yellow Water – are listed under the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (the Ramsar Convention) for their outstanding
ecological, botanical, zoological, and hydrological features.
Credits: Kundjeyhmi language and ecological knowledge provided by Violet Lawson.
Compilation and production: Barbara McKaige CSIRO (2016)
Images: Craig Nieminski, Shutterstock, Tourism NT, Peter Eve, Greg Miles, Jeremy Cresswell, Keith McGuinness, Peter Christophersen, Violet Lawson, Finn Andersen, Jacinda Brown, Ian Morris, Emma
Ligtermoet, Nick Smith, Gunther Schmida/Lochman Transparencies, Neil Armstrong, Mick Burns, Russell Dahms, Kakadu National Park, Barbara McKaige, Lorraine Williams, Emma Woodward.
Graphic design: First Class in Graphic Design© Copyright owned by Violet Lawson and CSIRO. This calendar cannot be reproduced without prior informed consent of Violet Lawson and CSIRO.
Further information: CSIRO Darwin, Phone 08 8944 8400
yellow water, kakadu nation
al park–n
orth
ern territory–
australia
Ngu
rrun
gurr
udjb
a Sea
sons
Kudjewk
Ban
gkerreng
Yekke
Wurrkeng
Kurr
ung
Kunumeleng
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPT
EMBE
RO
CTO
BER
DECEMBER
NOVEMBE
R
with
oth
er w
ater
bird
s an
d ar
e ea
sy to
hun
t. T
hu
nde
rclo
uds
sta
rt t
o b
uild
hig
h in
th
e sk
y
signal
ling
the
retu
rn o
f Kun
umel
eng.
f owers, it is tim
e to start burning the woodlands.
properly before eating.
needs to be prepared
is a ‘cheeky’ round yam that
Ankinjdjek (Dioscorea bulbifera)
Bamurru (Magpie Geese, Anseranas semipalmata) are nesting and their eggs are a favoured source of food.
Kudjewk is the hot, wet and humid monsoon season. Barra, the north-west monsoon winds, bring thunderstorms,
thrive in the hot, wet and humid conditions. It is a good time to hunt for animals stranded by f oodw
aters.
lightning and f ooding rain. The wetlands are lush and green, and swollen with water. Plants and animals
ready to eat. When the fruits fall into the creeks
and billabongs they are eaten by Ngarderrhwo
Floods force Bolokko (Water Pyth
on, Liasis
(Short-necked Turtles, Emydura victoriae) and
fuscus) and other animals to take refu
ge in
Dunbuhmanj or Nakerdmi (Black Bream
,
the trees – making th
em easier to h
un
t.
Hephaestus fuliginosus). Flying foxes and
birds also eat the fruits.
Anboyberre (Syzygium forte) fruits are ripe and
good to eat.
When Andjurrukumarlba
fruits are red-black
they are sweet and
(Antidesma ghaesem
billa) Fox, Pteropus scapulatus)
Kuluban (Little Red Flying
are hunted when A
ndarl
are used for cooking
and the papery
bark is used for
food plates and
f oor mats.
f owering. A
ndarl leaves
(Melaleuca viridif ora) are
In Bangkerreng knock ‘em dow
n storms, the last of the w
et
season, f atten Anbedje (Spear grass, Sorghum
intrans).
The rain clouds disperse and clear skies return.
As the f oodplains drain into the rivers and creeks,
Nam
arnkorl (Barramundi, Lates calcarifer) feast
on small f sh, tadpoles and crustaceans.
Carettochelys insculpta) are
fat at this tim
e of the year
Warradjan
(Pig-nosed Turtles, an
d are good to eat.
transversa) are a favoured food. The long, thin
yams are dug up and roasted on hot coals.
The call of Yamidj (Green Katydid,
Hexacentrus sp.) tells us that yams
are ready. Karrbarda (Dioscorea
Yekke is a relatively cool time with low humidity. Djimurru, the dry wind from the
is covered with Andem
f owers (Waterlilies). When Andjalen (Eucalyptus miniata)
south-east, blows. Early m
orning mists hang low over the wetlands. Ngurrungurrudjba
Wurrkeng is the coolest and driest season. The humidity is low. The f oodplains are
drying out and many creeks have stopped f owing. Cool, dry winds blow from th
e south-east.
The nectar from Andjalen (Eucalyptus miniata) f owers provides food for animals
such as possums, birds and f ying foxes. Nabiwo (Native bees, Tetragonula mellipes)
feed on the nectar to produce Ankung – sugarbag or bush honey. When Andjalen
stops f owering it is time to stop burning.
ferdinandiana) are ready to eat.Anmorlak (Terminalia
The yellow-green fruits of
Yellow Andjedj (Cochlospermum fraseri) f owers tell u
s that th
e Kumoken (Fresh
water
Crocodiles, Crocodylus johnsoni) are laying their eggs on sandy creek banks.
Waterlilies are f owering and seeding.
The seeds of Wurrmarninj (Nelumbo
either eaten raw or roasted on coals. nucifera) are good to eat. They are We use our f
eet to f
nd the
root
s
of Andem (N
ym
phaea vi
olac
ea)
roasted befo
re eatin
g. The
stems are
eaten ra
w a
nd
taste
like ce
lery
.
in the w
ater.
The roots
are
Kurrung is
the
seas
on o
f hot
dry
wea
ther
. Whi
rly
whi
rlie
s –
Nad
jurl
um
– a
re c
omm
on. M
ahbi
lil, t
he
salt
Ankurladj (
Eleo
char
is du
lcis
) cor
ms
and
are
good
to
eat.
Th
ey c
row
d ar
oun
d t
he
shri
nki
ng
billa
bon
gs
wate
r win
d, b
low
s in
the
even
ings
. Bam
urru
hav
e gr
own
fat
on A
nde
m (N
ymph
aea
viol
acea
) an
d
As
the
wet
land
s dr
y ou
t M
udja
(Hym
enac
hne
acut
iglu
ma)
is b
urnt
. M
ahbi
lil w
inds
from
the
nort
h he
lp t
o dr
ive
the
f re
bac
k an
d fo
rth
over
the
wet
land
s. T
he w
etla
nds
may
sm
ould
er fo
r wee
ks. M
udja
cho
kes
the
wet
land
s –
othe
r pla
nts
can’
t gro
w,
wat
er b
irds
can
’t fe
ed a
nd p
eopl
e ha
ve tr
oubl
e hu
ntin
g an
d ga
ther
ing
food
.
Wit
h go
od f
re m
anag
emen
t, ar
eas
once
cov
ered
in M
udja
now
hav
e w
ater
bird
s su
ch a
s Dju
rrbi
yuk
(Plu
med
Whi
stlin
g-du
ck,
Den
droc
ygna
eyt
oni).
mor
e op
en w
ater
, wat
erlil
ies,
and
dry
mud
.st
icks
into
the
them
by
poki
ng
tuck
er. W
e hu
nt fo
r ob
long
a) a
re g
ood
Alm
angi
yi (N
orth
ern
Long
-ne
cked
Tur
tle ,
Che
lodi
na
In K
unum
elen
g the air
becom
es more and m
ore humid and thunderstorms build in the afternoons.
Rain
on th
e dry
f oodplain
s brin
gs rapid growth. Balmarradja, the wind from the west, starts
(Barra
mundi, L
ates calcarife
r) travel up the rivers to the estuaries to breed.
to b
low. W
aterb
irds s
pread out as th
e area of surface water increases. Namarnkorl
are
good to
eat. The f
sh are w
rapped
pape
rbar
k fro
m A
ndarl (Melaleuca
are
breed
ing. B
oth
the f s
h and eggs
Kulu
ybirr
(Sara
toga, S
clero
pages jardinii)
virid
if or
a) and ro
asted in
the f r
e.
Almakkawarri (Fork-tailed Catf sh,
Neoarius graeffei) are caught and eaten all year round.
Andjarduk suborbiculare), the Red Bush Apple, is soft when it is ready to eat.
(Syzygium
Nawan
dak (Arafu
ra File Snake, Acrochordus arafurae) have eggs
at th
is tim
e of y
ear. We hunt th
e snakes and eat them with the
eggs
insid
e. T
heir white
meat tastes like f sh. We used to
swim
in th
e billabongs and creeks for Nawandak but
now there are too many crocodiles.
to eat. The fruits can
be collected off green when they are
Milky Plum, turn yellow-
(Persoonia falcata), the
ripe and ready
the ground.
The fruits of Andak
(Freshwater
Mussels, Velesunio
harvest Kurruk It’s a good time to
the year but their eggs are only
available now. The eggs – kinga
porosus) are hunted throughout
Kinga (Saltwater Crocodiles, Crocodylus
dabu – are boiled before eating.
angasi). We
cook them on
hot coals.
Plu
m, w
hen the fru
it is green
b
ut soft
to touch.
We e
at A
ndudjmi (B
uchanania obovata), the Green
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