Wednesday, 16th June
It is one month since we sailed from Devonport.
Today we visited the Katherine Gorge and did a four hour boat and hiking tour through the first three gorges. Thank goodness we decided on the 9.00 am tour, as with the afternoon temperature in Katherine hovering around 35 degrees, we probably wouldn’t have lasted the distance. The tour group (nearly 60 people) occupied a large flat bottomed punt with a couple of outboard motors and when we went faster than walking pace, the bow wave came over the front and we sloshed about with wet feet. Between the gorges we were forced to walk around the rapids – not exactly hard work as the sandstone rocks seem to have evolved over the years into a substance resembling concrete, which made walking very easy. Our guide pointed out some Aboriginal rock paintings between the first two gorges. The second gorge is the one most photographed and contains the cliff used for the last scene in the film “Jedda.” After transferring to our last boat in the third gorge, we virtually floated across the gorge and landed on a small sandy beach. This is when the 4WD shoes really were needed, as we climbed the small cliff and followed a creek inland to a large pool at the base of a waterfall. Some members of the group had a swim here while the rest of us ate our provided morning tea and watched. A large, dead cane toad was also floating about in the pool.
We returned the same way, passing the sandy beaches used by the freshwater crocodiles for nesting, even being lucky enough to come close to a couple of freshwater crocodiles. There is a large trap in the first gorge for saltwater crocodiles – four have been trapped in the last two years. As the wet season only finished officially two weeks ago (very late this year), the water level is too high for canoes to use the gorges and swimming is not allowed yet, not only because of the water level but because Parks & Wildlife aren’t sure there are no salties.
Lunch was a very expensive, very thin sandwich each at the visitors’ centre – we decided to give the $5.50 Cornettos a miss.
Returning from Katherine Gorge, we stopped at the Katherine Museum for a look and spent nearly half an hour watching a video about the 1998 floods in Katherine. They had quite an interesting display on World War II in the area, as well as the obligatory old farm machinery, etc. The two little grey Fergies had definitely seen better days. Cat was very interested in the seed cleaning machine, first patented in 1972.
Then is was refuel ($131.1 with Woolworths’ discount) and back to the caravan to find the “fongs” and have a rest.
It is one month since we sailed from Devonport.
Today we visited the Katherine Gorge and did a four hour boat and hiking tour through the first three gorges. Thank goodness we decided on the 9.00 am tour, as with the afternoon temperature in Katherine hovering around 35 degrees, we probably wouldn’t have lasted the distance. The tour group (nearly 60 people) occupied a large flat bottomed punt with a couple of outboard motors and when we went faster than walking pace, the bow wave came over the front and we sloshed about with wet feet. Between the gorges we were forced to walk around the rapids – not exactly hard work as the sandstone rocks seem to have evolved over the years into a substance resembling concrete, which made walking very easy. Our guide pointed out some Aboriginal rock paintings between the first two gorges. The second gorge is the one most photographed and contains the cliff used for the last scene in the film “Jedda.” After transferring to our last boat in the third gorge, we virtually floated across the gorge and landed on a small sandy beach. This is when the 4WD shoes really were needed, as we climbed the small cliff and followed a creek inland to a large pool at the base of a waterfall. Some members of the group had a swim here while the rest of us ate our provided morning tea and watched. A large, dead cane toad was also floating about in the pool.
We returned the same way, passing the sandy beaches used by the freshwater crocodiles for nesting, even being lucky enough to come close to a couple of freshwater crocodiles. There is a large trap in the first gorge for saltwater crocodiles – four have been trapped in the last two years. As the wet season only finished officially two weeks ago (very late this year), the water level is too high for canoes to use the gorges and swimming is not allowed yet, not only because of the water level but because Parks & Wildlife aren’t sure there are no salties.
Lunch was a very expensive, very thin sandwich each at the visitors’ centre – we decided to give the $5.50 Cornettos a miss.
Returning from Katherine Gorge, we stopped at the Katherine Museum for a look and spent nearly half an hour watching a video about the 1998 floods in Katherine. They had quite an interesting display on World War II in the area, as well as the obligatory old farm machinery, etc. The two little grey Fergies had definitely seen better days. Cat was very interested in the seed cleaning machine, first patented in 1972.
Then is was refuel ($131.1 with Woolworths’ discount) and back to the caravan to find the “fongs” and have a rest.
1 comment:
Nice to see the walking poles getting a work out Dad!
Where is the photo of the seed cleaning machine??!!
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