14 June 2012

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After a slow start to the morning we left Manbulloo Station and headed to Nitmiluk National Park which is situated about 30 kilometres out of Katherine.

The National Park areas in the Northern Territory continue to amaze.<span> There are plenty of ways to enjoy Nitmiluk including various walk trails, boat cruises and canoe adventures.

Rachel and I decided the walking trails could wait and we hired a canoe for four hours and headed out along Katherine Gorge just after lunch.<span> To say we are novices in a canoe is an understatement and to a seasoned campaigner we must have looked like a pair of 16 year olds behind the wheel of a car on their first driving lesson.

It did not take too long to get ourselves paddling in unison and from there we paddled upstream andtook in the breathtaking views of the Gorge.<span> On the way up some people near us spotted a fresh water croc basking in the sun on the banks but unfortunately I couldn’t get the camera out in time.

The half way point of the journey came at a little beach where we were able to get out of the canoe and enjoy some lunch.<span> Just a quick pit stop as the day was heating up fast.

Fortunately the current was working with us on the way back so it was very easy going as we gently paddled along and let the water do the rest as the afternoon sun started to dip behind the Gorge walls.<span> A couple ahead of us stopped to take a few snaps towards a shadey bank and as we approached we realised there was another fresh water croc in the shallows and this time the camera was on hand to capture the moment.

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