Day three of my trip sees me now travel south on the Stuart Highway to Katherine and the Katherine Gorge. This is further away from the coast so the crocs that inhabit this region are generally freshwater, rather than saltwater crocs. This is good. Freshwater crocs are much less aggressive, but can still take a nasty bite out of you if you’re not careful. However, getting into a steel boat to go along yet another river, when the guide said “these boats are unsinkable” I did feel like asking “isn’t that what they said about the Titanic….” And when he announced that we were actually going to enter a tidal part of the river where Salties and sharks have been spotted, I hoped he was right! I was on the lookout for crocs, but sadly the only ones I saw that day were on other tourists’ feet….
We also stop at Edith Falls where there was the opportunity of a swim. As waterfalls go, it was a bit of a disappointment - only about four metres apparently. But I think you need to spend a couple of days here and walk up to the other falls to really appreciate it. The lake that is underneath the waterfalls becomes landlocked at this time of year as the waters recede and create a pool isolated from the rest of the river system. The Park rangers check that no crocs are present and then open it for swimming until the wet arrives again and connects it back to the river system. Today was the first day of the season it was open for swimming. But it’s quite a big lake and am not sure how a Park Ranger can be sure it’s empty of nasty things, so surprise, surprise don’t take a dip! But quite a few others were in there and also lots of nervous mothers hovering at the bank making sure their kids didn’t come back with bits missing.
Then on to the town of Katherine – small and so isolated, not a place I would want to live.
There was a disastrous cyclone and floods here in 1998 when the river rose to over twenty metres. Not sure the stories about Salties swimming up the High Street and being found in the meat department of Coles were anything more than apocryphal, but it’s a good story nonetheless. And then on another river trip, this time along the Katherine Gorge, pretty spectacular stuff with limestone cliffs rising above the narrow channel. Still a bit early to be clear of crocs, but Ant and Kev took a dip here when they visited…. and as you would expect, I didn’t!
We make a stop on the long journey home for “barra and chips” at a roadhouse. In the bar is a fully grown stuffed buffalo – well I guess this is Australia…….
We also stop at Edith Falls where there was the opportunity of a swim. As waterfalls go, it was a bit of a disappointment - only about four metres apparently. But I think you need to spend a couple of days here and walk up to the other falls to really appreciate it. The lake that is underneath the waterfalls becomes landlocked at this time of year as the waters recede and create a pool isolated from the rest of the river system. The Park rangers check that no crocs are present and then open it for swimming until the wet arrives again and connects it back to the river system. Today was the first day of the season it was open for swimming. But it’s quite a big lake and am not sure how a Park Ranger can be sure it’s empty of nasty things, so surprise, surprise don’t take a dip! But quite a few others were in there and also lots of nervous mothers hovering at the bank making sure their kids didn’t come back with bits missing.
Then on to the town of Katherine – small and so isolated, not a place I would want to live.
There was a disastrous cyclone and floods here in 1998 when the river rose to over twenty metres. Not sure the stories about Salties swimming up the High Street and being found in the meat department of Coles were anything more than apocryphal, but it’s a good story nonetheless. And then on another river trip, this time along the Katherine Gorge, pretty spectacular stuff with limestone cliffs rising above the narrow channel. Still a bit early to be clear of crocs, but Ant and Kev took a dip here when they visited…. and as you would expect, I didn’t!
We make a stop on the long journey home for “barra and chips” at a roadhouse. In the bar is a fully grown stuffed buffalo – well I guess this is Australia…….
