Katherine Gorge

Thursday 30th July 2009
We haven't really spent enough time in Kakadu and at some time in the future we will come back and attend all the talks and demonstrations on offer throughout the park. Next time we will also spend a few nights in each location so we get to experience the lot.
The mozzies were out in force last night and this morning - we even had to eat our dinner in the caravan. Last night was coolish again and I have to say that I don't miss those warm and humid nights we had in Darwin.
By 8:45am we were on the Kakadu Highway heading towards the Stuart Highway and through Pine Creek towards Katherine. Along the way we had a 40km detour into Edith Falls (photo 1) which has a very nice plunge pool with clear water and nicely maintained gardens with picnic table not far from the water. It's a very pretty spot which would be great fun for swimming on a hot day but it was only 24°C when we arrived just before lunchtime. The place reminded me a little bit of Litchfield Park but the waterfalls weren't quite as dramatic.
Back onto the Stuart Highway and another 40km down the road and we reached Katherine. We have already travelled through Katherine on our way to Darwin but now is the time where we are finally turning for the cold temperatures at home. Wodonga is still 3500km away so we want get there too soon but we will get there.
We checked out the visitors centre in Katherine, filled up the car, collected our mail, did some shopping at the supermarket, booked a Katherine Gorge boat cruise and then drove out Nitmiluk National Park campground where we parked the caravan and had just enough time to make our way to the boat ramp for the 3pm boat cruise. Katherine Gorge (photo 2) is wide, a little bit like Geikie Gorge at Fitzroy Crossing but much longer. Katherine Gorge consists of a total of 13 Gorges but most tourists only see the first two. Our trip on the cruise boat took us a fair way up until the Gorge came to a rocky end and we had to get out of the boat and walk for about half a kilometer to the start of the next Gorge just after the rocks. We boarded another boat and headed up the second Gorge which was not quite as wide but had very steep and high rock faces on both sides.
At the end of this Gorge the boat did a U-turn and we were on our way back. This little trip took nearly two hours and we spotted a few freshwater crocs on the side of the gorge and a yellow tree snake on the walking path between 1st and 2nd Gorge. All in all quite a nice Gorge in its own right but not quite as spectacular as some of the others we have seen on our trip.
Back at the Caravan we cooked yesterdays Barramundi for dinner and Vicki had a [late] birthday cake for Alexander (photo3) . Ron and Vicki had left Cooinda a couple of days before us but we have caught up again.
Tomorrow we'll be on the move again to our next destination somewhere south of Katherine.