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