Northern Territory

Sunrise at Katherine Gorge

/ brisbanefrannie / 3 Comments

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!

Funny sign. Under new wifeship!
Loved this sign of what NOT to take into WA.

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.

Made it to WA.

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.

Entrance to our hotel.

Litchfield NT. Waterfalls & Waterholes

/ brisbanefrannie / 4 Comments

Another early start. Touring is not for the lazy! A 7am pick up at our apartment for day out of Darwin to Litchfield National Park and a swim at the falls.

Our driver Mel arrived and we went to a few pick up stops and suddenly the bus was full. A big group off the Ghan joined us. I hope they haven’t got covid. Most were wearing masks!

The driving was good along well maintained roads. Mel gave us a little introduction and then in an hour we arrived at Batchelor for morning coffee. The coffee was good.

Batchelor had a big uranium mine which has closed and the town is more an area for camping and a jump off to Litchfield.

Next stop was a viewing of the giant termite mounds.

They are generally a honey coloured mound until they’ve reached the end of their life they become grey.

Litchfield is a favourite waterfall & water hole for swimming.

There are 120 steps down – all steel steps with a rail so quite safe. There is an alternate route a 15 minute flat walk which crosses the stream several times.

We decided to walk the steps down and walk the track back yet dry out.

Good decision.

There were two falls dropping into the waterhole and easy steps down into it.

It was delicious! Cool but not cold. Under the waterfall it was like a pins & needles massage.

Beautiful in the water.

We were told there would probably be a few saltwater crocodiles around but they wouldn’t bother us. Ok!

Fortunately no scary sightings.

The walk back along the slate path was just lovely. Shaded and quite tropical it criss crossed the creek and back to the car park.

Wangi Falls was our next stop and it’s a beautiful little oasis. Access to the swimming hole is easy. Only problem is there was at least one big crocodile spotted recently and there has to be at least 21 day without sighting a croc. So no swimming.

It would be great to have a swim. It is very beautiful. The walk to the outlook was easy.

Lunch on the verandah of the cafe was fine.

Last stop : fish feeding at Howard Springs.

Howard Springs became famous as a good place to do quarantine during covid. Perhaps not in summer. But the weather today is absolutely beautiful.

It’s a lovely little place with beautiful gardens and a fish sanctuary where we did some fish feeing. Lots of turtles, barramundi and all other types were plentiful in the water.