A side trip to Katherine Gorge

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Geo: -14.4657, 132.264

We woke to a brilliant sunrise before showering in our on-suite and heading down to breakfast. This morning we are seated with two gay guys who were a little hard to talk to but we managed. They were on board with a set of elderly parents and were doing the same Katherine Gorge tour as us.

We pulled into Katherine Station at 9.00 am and on stepping off the train the mercury had already climbed to 32 degrees and the humidity hit us like a sledge hammer. Welcome to the tropics I said as Deb stood there frowning, We all boarded AATKing tour buses taking off in different directions and ours was heading to Nitmulik National Park. On arriving at the gorge the trees were filled with fruit bats as we made our way to the waters edge trying to avoid getting pooed on.

We were given cold drinks and a container of fruit salad and were soon heading down river with some spectacular scenery to ogle at. Our guide told very funny stories without being corny and pointed out a huge cliff face where they shot one of the scenes from the film Jedda, made in 1952. Not long after the gorge ran out of water and we had to scramble over some rocks to the second gorge where we boarded another boat. Once again we meandered along the river taking in the spectacular scenery and listening to the guides many and varied stories. We then turned around and did the whole trip in reverse. Apparently there are seventeen gorges you can work your way through if you have a kayak and there is not supposed to be any salties, only fresh water crocks but you wouldn't catch me in that water for quids.

Back on the bus we cooled down and it wasn't long before we were boarding the Ghan where our beds had been put back up our cabin tidied and a scrumptious lunch awaited. We had a cold beer each in the saloon car before being seated with another retired couple who had boarded in Adelaide and were catching a Pearl Lugger in Darwin on its way to Broome. Now that's a good idea for a future holiday I thought.

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