An early start for our Katherine Gorge trip. It really is the best part of the day. I’m not usually a morning person but when I do get up early I love it.

We drove for 30 mins out of Katherine to the entrance of the Gorge. We were early and we beat the guides there.

An early morning cuppa and some fruit and we boarded as first light was coming.

It gives off a very spiritual feeling being in the gorge this early. Sadly the sun was hidden behind clouds that looked remarkably like rain clouds. And surprisingly for June it did rain!

Our Guide gave us a detailed description of the make up of the rock formations. It’s all sandstone.

It floods during the wet season. It’s made up of 9 gorges.

We heard the story of the explorer Stuart who was sponsored by a man called Chambers who was hoping he would find some valuable things like gold/ silver. They weren’t found but several of the place names came from the Chambers family. Katherine Gorge. Flora river, Edith falls.

We changed boats to get to the second chamber. There was walk of about 800 metre. It passed some rock art about 10,000 years old. It’s still clear on the wall. Amazing as it’s in the open and is covered with water during the flood season. The colours used have leached into the rock so deeply it’s imprinted.

The 2nd chamber is as impressive as the first. It comes to a corner where it then straighten up like a highway until the next chamber.

This would be magnificent flying over in a helicopter.

We finished the tour & returned to the hotel packed up and headed out of town on A1 road towards Kununurra . We were a bit sorry we were missing the Junk Festival.

The road to Kununurra is very good. Straight and not much traffic. A light refreshment stop at A petrol stop at Victoria River – with a very funny sign . A long way from anywhere!

Lunch stop at Timber Creek. A big stop and last petrol before Kununurra. There were all types of vehicles there. Caravans, mobile homes, a group of jeeps, a garbage truck on a semi trailer, lots of 4 wheel drives, and the odd motorbike rider. Dress is optional. Singlets are a big favourite with the men. Thongs are popular , shorts in all lengths, sizes and colours for the women. It’s a western fashion parade.

There’s a lot of land out here. And a lot of nothing. But you can see there are cattle stations like Bullo River Station made famous by Sara Henderson who wrote a book about reading naming the station after her husband died.

We made it to WA disposing of the fruit we hadn’t managed to eat. Then into Kununurra. We went to the view point overlooking the town.

We drove through the streets which looked unkept and just rather sad. Groups of people sitting around amidst the mess. So many businesses closed.

Jill and I went for a walk to Lilly Lagoon which looked towards a rock formation called reclining Buddha.

Back to our hotel – the Country Club hotel for a swim and dinner on the verandah. The temperature is beautiful though a little more rain is predicted tomorrow. We hope not as we are heading out early for a scenic flight to the Bungle Bungles.