The most common term used to descibe everyone's best friend - the fly. It can also be a term given to any buzzing creatures; mosquito, sandfly, horsefly, mud wasp, midge, or if helicopters are too low! (is that what you called them Mum?)
Here in the Northern Territory, but specifically around Kakadu, they're everywhere! At Bowali Visitor Centre they proudly tell everyone there's over 1,000 different species of fly in the Park. If this was my National Park, I wouldn't have to tell everyone as they'd already know.
Mosquitos are such a menace that at Merl campground, one of the Park-managed campsites, their reputation preceeds them. Several times we've got set up with citronella candles, long trousers, Bushman spray, people have said, "have you stayed at Merl?", to the reply, "Oh yes"!
In fact I reckon that all the species of fly or buzzy thing in the park have at some point in the week we've been in Kakadu swarmed around us! I'm not sure whether that qualifies us to be flyologists but it should at least get a bit of discount from our $25 park fee..
Trish foresaw our little problem and kindly bought me a net specifically for covering you head whilst walking - some have stopped us and said, 'what a brilliant idea', whilst others, normally Aussies have said, 'it's only the Poms that buy those nets!'. One such occurence took place at Jim Jim Falls, by an Aussie, who was at the time swatting the flies around his head away...strange, but I in a way conquering :)
The litte beauts have even created, in their own unique way, a kind of groupie. Couples you bump into kindly swap stories about their own 'nibbling' occurrence and proudly tell you their 'secret' remedy to not only repel but also curing the itch. Most, however, are the same with only slight changes to the Dettol and Baby Oil recipe. Additions are lavender oil and white vinegar...
The worse part of it is that they’re all over Australia and we’ve only just started…bloody things!
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