Aussie man's 'wild' commute home: 'Can't believe it'
Top End tour guide David McMahon is often stopped in his tracks by hungry crocodiles at the famous Cahill's Crossing.
An Aussie man's "wild" and unique commute home from work has frightened many who admit the Top End might be a "beautiful" place to live, but say it's far "too scary" given tour guide David McMahon's regular encounters. He says he takes on the infamous Cahill's Crossing and its 10,000 crocodiles regularly, just to reach his home.
Detailing his journey McMahon, who lives in the Northern Territory, told Yahoo News Australia he works in Arnhem Land on the Cobourg Peninsula, east of Darwin. Part of his journey home is to pass Cahill's Crossing — a viewing area on the western bank of the East Alligator River — but he is often stopped in his tracks by high tides and a float of hungry crocodiles.
"There's only one way for me to get home from work, and that's to cross the river. The tide's rushing in. I've got a little window here before it gets too high. To get it wrong, you get it really wrong," he said in a video on social media standing by the water's edge after jumping out of his car.
"Behind me [is] probably about 20, 30 crocodiles all lined up here eating fish. They don't seem to mind. It's a wild place."
Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, McMahon said he crosses regularly from May through to October during peak tourism season. During the wet season, the other months of the year, "it’s completely impassable," he said because it's usually flooded. "The water can flood six metres high," he added.
"At the start of the season it’s the floodwaters and the tides you’ve got to worry about and you’ve only got a small window at low tide to cross," he explained. "As the water from the wet season drains it’s only high tide that will get you, with over seven-metre tides".
Visitors and locals warned against crossing during high tide
Locals and tourists are often warned of the dangers associated with crossing the river during high tide, but many choose to do it anyway. This week McMahon shared a video of a ute dangerously navigating the high tide while trying to cross, narrowly avoiding disaster.
Previously, two local men were spotted wading in known crocodile waters seemingly unalarmed as they submerged themselves waist-high. Meanwhile, visitors are known to stand too close to the water's edge, often ignoring signs erected around the crossing.
"The rule of thumb when crossing Cahill’s is never cross above 0.6 of a metre, and unless you have a high clearance 4x4 with a snorkel," McMahon explained. "You have to wait for dead low tide when the water is only trickling over."
The tour guide said he "often gets stuck waiting for the tide" but there’s "always something to watch at Cahill’s"
"High tide is when all the crocs congregate and wait for the diamond scale mullet and barramundi to flood across the crossing," he said, which is what's shown in the video. "There can be so many crocs eating fish that you can smell the fish oil in the air.
"If it’s a big tide you can wait an hour and a half".
Cahill's Crossing video shocks: 'Too scary'
The video shocked people who appeared to be from overseas with one saying "this is the most insane video".
"Beautiful place but too scary for me," another responded in the comments. "It’s a wild place mate, crocodiles everywhere, I can’t believe it," said a third.
Another joked,"Imagine calling your insurance... I've got some bumper damage from hitting a croc". While someone else said, "you couldn't pay me any amount to risk driving across that thing".
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