Nibbling Fish and Long Stories

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Just before 10am we left the Banyan Tree and drove into Batchelor to mail a few things and then set off for Edith Falls. It was an uneventful trip but it was getting hotter by the minute. Thank goodness for the air conditioning in the ute!


We stopped off at Pine Creek to have some lunch and stretch our legs. The first stop was the Railway Resort for an iced coffee each to cool us down. Unfortunately, it was an American type like Starbucks makes, all ice and hardly any milk. At least it was cold. The inside of the resort bar and meals area looks just like an old railway carriage. They’ve even put the decorative pressed metal on the ceiling and made the bar area look like the station, complete with the usual arched metal struts under the roof.


Outside they had a large LED display showing the time, date and temperature and we were dismayed to see that it read 40.2⁰C. We found a shady table under a tree and ate our picnic quite quickly and then back into the ute and the air-con.


Barry started to get a runny nose and the sneezes so he was glad when we made it to Edith Falls, part of the Katherine National Park. We were put into a site which was more like a passing lane on the highway than a caravan site, but it was one of the few large ones they had. No matter how close in to the wooden posts Barry got, we were still slightly sticking out into the roadway and that was without the slide out. That definitely wouldn’t be used today. We were able to pull the awning out over the wooden bollards to try and get a little shade on one side.

While we were manoeuvring into position, the ute’s air-conditioner made a huge gasp and then started blowing hot air, so Barry quickly turned it off. He thinks it might have given up the ghost. We’ll have to wait and see tomorrow once it’s cooled down.

There was no wind and it was really hot, too, and being a National Park there was no power and we couldn’t use the generator. Time for a dip in the Falls Plunge Pool! There were two entrances to the pool, one led to a deep side with almost nowhere to stand before it got very deep (we tried) and the other led to a narrow area with a sand bar which was quite shallow. We chose this area as we didn’t feel energetic enough to swim and could lay or crouch up to our necks in the water, which was heavenly. It was a bit cool at first but you soon got used to it and it was the first time I’d felt comfortable all day. The two waterfalls were very slim and the gorge was quite high but I must say, I much preferred Wangi Falls. We stayed in and talked to others having a soak, too.

We could see some fish swimming around and after a while I noticed that the small stripy ones were nibbling my legs. They were Banded Grunters and they were picking gently on the dead skin around a scab and an old mosquito bite. It felt very strange. Then Barry shouted, “Ouch” – he’d been bitten by a slightly bigger one and he reckoned it was as bad as a March Fly bite (big woos – a big one had a go at my scab and I could feel it but not that badly). The fish soon gave up on my scabs as they weren’t getting much off, and swam on to other things.

We eventually cooled down enough that Barry started getting cramp in his leg so we climbed out and headed back to the van. It was still really hot and I wasn’t looking forward to cooking without the fan or air con, so when I noticed that the little kiosk was serving meals, I ordered us both a Barra Burger and then went to get some money. It was cooked by the time I was dressed and got back. We ate under the shade of a tree next to the van, as it was the coolest place around. It was still very hot and there was no wind.

There was to be a Ranger Slide Show soon after, at 7pm, so we picked up our chairs and headed back down to the kiosk area to get a good spot. Right on time the Ranger, Roy, came hairing in on a little covered run-about and set up his laptop and projector. Unfortunately, he’d forgotten the power lead for it and the battery was very low so we didn’t get to see much of his presentation. That didn’t stop him though, and he was soon using the local fauna to tell us lots of interesting information. He continued with stories about crocodiles and explained that the large ones only need to eat once a year but they like killing and eating so they will do so whenever they can. He has had several narrow escapes with Salties, one being his own fault, I think. He heard bones crunching and went to investigate, knowing it would be a croc. It was and it was crunching into a thigh bone of what he guessed was a wild pig. He got closer but still out of the croc’s strike range to have a better look. The croc stopped eating and started preparing for a jump – which he did and came within centimetres of Roy’s boots. He beat a hasty retreat.

Another time, he was fishing with his boss and the Barramundi he’d caught flapped off the bank towards the water. He jumped onto it and slid into the water. There was a large croc on the other side of the bank that saw it and was motoring straight for him. Fortunately his boss reached in and hauled him out of the water just in time.

He then heard a noise behind him and shone his light up into the tree to reveal a Tawny Frogmouth perched on the end of a branch. He told us that they were not, despite popular belief, owls but were related more to Night Jars.

He was about to tell us more when someone noticed a Cane Toad hop into the area. Roy immediately pounced on it and caught it. He held it in one hand and gently squeezed and lots of liquid came out which he told us was just water that it stores to allow it to puff up to look large when a predator is around. He also showed us the glands around the top of the front legs, where the poison is produced and stored. He then held up a leaf and squeezed one gland, which squirted a milky liquid. He said you must wash it off if you get any on you, as it can make you quite ill. He showed the length of its legs and various other features, too. He seemed very impressed by it as an animal, but is sorry that it ever came to Australia as it is decimating the goanna, python and Northern Quoll populations, among others. That explains why we haven’t seen any goannas in areas you would expect to.

Roy also talked a lot about raptors as he had been a trainer of the birds at Healesville Sanctuary and Kryall Castle in Victoria, and in Ireland. He told us heaps of fascinating things, most of which I can’t remember now, but one thing that did stick was how difficult it was to train them to come to the lure and how much patience was needed as it took months.

The talk that was supposed to last one hour had now been going for a lot longer but was rudely interrupted when the sprinklers in the lawn we were sitting on started up and sent a strong jet of water right up my leg and over my chair. Everyone scrambled to get off the grass, especially Roy with his computer gear. Fortunately, he had packed most of it away when the battery failed so he was able to get it to safety with the help of others. We then noticed that it was 10pm and we’d been talking and listening for 3 hours!


We helped Roy put his stuff back into the run-about and were saying “goodbye” when he realised he hadn’t told us why he had brought along a large white battered ball so he explained and passed it around. It was a very hard polystyrene fishing float, like the red ones we’d seen in the Katherine Gorge Tour. It had huge holes in it and had been really chewed on one side by an Estuarine Crocodile (Saltie). He re-iterated how dangerous and cunning they were and said to always obey the signs and still keep a watch even in “safe” swimming areas.

We finally called it a night and headed back to the van for an early night.

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Photos

Edith Falls and Plunge Pool
Edith Falls didn't have a lot of water as Kakadu is suffering under the dry season. It will be a roaring torrent in the wet season. We still enjoyed soaking in the cool water on a 40 degree Celcius day.

An Australasian Figbird
Only the male has this lovely colour and the red around the eye, of course!

The Army's in Town
We stopped to get a drink along the Highway and were surprised to see so many military vehicles parked along the road. They'd had the same idea, it seems, on their way to Darwin.

A Jump Up on the Way to Katherine
These escarpments (or jump-ups) are all over the place in Northern Territory. They are actually eroded to leave the rock core rather than jumped up.

Mango Trees
These lovely trees, laden with fruit, were in the middle of the town green at Pine Creek acting as shade trees. What a shame they aren't ripe yet - we could have had some with our lunch.

Sunset at Edith Falls
The sun glowed really red as it set, maybe from the smoke in the area.