Katherine NT

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Thursday, 25 August 2011
Driving even further today to Katherine.
Thankfully today was a shorter drive and arrived into Katherine just after lunch. The boys are getting quite adept at setting up quickly.

Katherine is NT’s 3rd largest city and full of modern conveniences, like Woollies (feels like home), and Macca’s.

We visited the Tourist Information Centre to see what there was to do in this town. The Katherine Hot Springs were a hit – well manicured and landscaped. The hot springs flowed at about 32 degrees (so like a luke warm bath), over some rocks to make a small waterfall. The lower pool was deep enough to dive in. It was a nice spot to relax and rejuvenate the muscles.

The Big 4 Low Level caravan park was another great park to stay in. Amenities, BBQs, Pool, bistro, and lawns all welcoming and clean. The washing machines in the laundry were also cheaper than most.

Song of the Day: Land Down Under by Men at Work


Friday, 26 August 2011
Into Katherine Gorge
Katherine Gorge (or Nitmiluk) is another sandstone gorge carved out by a river. The beauty of this gorge was that the river still ran from wall to wall, even in this dry season.

We started the day with a hike up to the lookout over the first gorge. Katherine gorge is actually divided into 13 gorges, each separated by rock walls or rapids. The hike was the hardest we had attempted as a family, first because of the heat (up to 37 degrees), second because of the steep stone steps which were quite uneven. The view was magnificent, looking down from the sandstone cliffs into the river below. In between the cliffs and the water’s edge were trees and bush.

After our hike (we only lasted about an hour), we stopped for lunch by the river, and prepared for the afternoon activity – to canoe into the gorge.

2 double kayaks with Katrina & Toby, Bailey and I, and a single kayak with Anthony set off at the gorge mouth for our adventure into the first gorge. We kayaked for just over an hour to reach the end of the first gorge (3.4kms). There were a number of sand beaches along the way, each had a sign on top, ‘Danger, Do Not Stop Here, Crocodile Nesting Season’. Great – there are signs everywhere about the dangers of man eating crocodiles, which are the saltwater variety (salties). The crocodiles here are the lesser vicious freshwater (freshies), although salties are known to make the odd appearance here. At the end of the first gorge was a deep water swimming area. The water was incredibly fresh and refreshing. We climbed the rocks over to the second gorge, and noticed a number of kayaks tied up. It turns out that you can kayak up through a number of gorges, simply grab your gear from the first gorge, and walk across to number 2, and there will be a corresponding kayak for you there. At the end of the second gorge, you beach your kayak, and carry your gear to the third, etc… Unfortunately, we didn’t have time or energy to keep going. This is definitely a ‘come back to do’ item on my list.

The wind and currents were on our side as we paddled back towards the jetty, and the return trip was only 40 minutes (including a stop to see the crocodile cage – the door was closed, triggered by some fish, as no crocodile was inside).

We climbed back to the car park and noticed the temperature had dropped to 35. Ice creams were most refreshing on our way back to camp, along with another dip in the Hot Springs. When we got back to the caravan, the boys raced to the pool where a massive game of Marco Polo was played with many of the other children of the camp site.

At night, the Katherine Rodeo was on, but we were way too tired to go. Pity really, as I’ve never seen a live rodeo, and would have loved to experience it.

Song of the Day: In the Stillness of your Presence
Game of the Day : Do you see the crocodile?

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