The Journey continues..

Katherine Gorge     -    Nitmiluk National Park

14 Jun 08    Day 14.

30c today and the sun is shining. Beautiful!  This morning I got all energetic and washed the car and van before we headed into town to exchange the shorts Geraldine bought. Size 18 doesn't cut it anymore!  Into Target Country store and we bought her a pair of men's shorts that fitted better and were cheaper. Then over to the Information Centre to book a Gorge cruise for the afternoon.  We got on the 3pm Nit Nit Dreaming cruise for $53 pp.  After lunch at the van we drove out to the Nitmiluk National Park which is about 30kms east of Katherine and waited for the cruise to start.  We were here last about 15 years ago and it has changed for the better.  Last time there was a camp ground, picnic area and kiosk.  Now we have an Interpretation Centre which includes display, tourist shop, cafe and outside balcony overlooking the Katherine River.  The cruise started on time and went for 2 hours.  Our guide and skipper gave a history of the gorge and the Aboriginal people that lived here for many thousand years.  He told some Aboriginal stories about how the gorges were made, the different trees and plants and bush tucker available and the fauna that can be found here.  The cruise included two gorges so we had to disembark from the boat and walk 600 metres to the next Gorge where another boat was waiting. On the way we saw some Aboriginal Paintings on the rock walls that were many thousand years old.  We were back at the wharf by 5pm.  It was an interesting and educational tour.   After we were back in the caravan park Geraldine made dinner and we watched TV until bedtime.  We have decided to stay an extra day to have a lay day.

"Nit Nit" in Jawoyn and Dagomen language means  "many Cicada".  So in the gorge were many cicadas at certain times of the year that make loud noises when they breed....hence " Nit Nit Dreaming"

Location Map

The Park entrance on Gorge Road  30kms east from Katherine.	A crocodile trap to catch  the Salties!	One of the Gorge cruise boats.	A sandy spot where  Fresh Water Crocs lay their eggs.
Aboriginal Rock paintings on the Gorge walls.	Katherine Gorge in the late afternoon.	Geraldine at the Gorge in her shorts!	Walking between the gorges.

Katherine Hot Springs - Springvale Homestead

15 Jun 08     Day 15.

Today was a lay day so we weren't planning anything except a swim in the Katherine Hot Springs and a visit to Springvale Homestead.  First thing though, we had to go to Woollies and Mitre 10, because, we needed foodstuff, ie, milk, bread and some other bits and pieces.  Also, we broke the tea towel rail this morning so I had to go and get a new one, or make one up.  Found all the bits and pieces at Mitre 10 and returned to the van and made up a new rail.

Kakadu Nat. Park - Cooinda

16 Jun 08    Day 16.

When we packed up this morning I found that the awning spring that I had replaced a couple of months ago had unwound some how.  We will need to fix it or replace it again.  Replacement cost will be around $210. Bugger!!!..We left Katherine about 9:15am after topping up with LPG.  Drove to Pine Creek  and had a coffee break.  We then contiued on along the Kakadu Highway to the Mary River Roadhouse where we had a break and sought some info from the National Park Information Centre.  Our plan was to stop overnight at Cooinda near the Yellow Waters.  We checked out the lookout at Bukbukluk, the track was a little rougher then I thought but I was committed because there was no way to turn around with the van on the back till we reached the carpark.  A further 200m into the bush before there was a fantastic view of the surrounding Kakadu region. We were going to have a lunch break here but when we checked the van we found the fridge door had opened and the temp was up to 23c.  So we continued driving to Cooinda arriving there about 1:30pm.  Bloody WAECO, why don't they have a travel lock on their fridge.  Will have to make something up when we get to Darwin. After setting up the van and having had lunch, the fridge temp returning to normal,  we drove to Nourlangie Rocks to look at the Aboriginal Paintings in the late afternoon.  After that we headed back to the Yellow Waters Sunset viewing platform for a beautifull sunset.  Well worth the journey up here.  When it got dark we headed back to the van and had dinner in the Gagudju Lodge Bistro.  One thing about food and fuel prices out here, they are absolutely high.  As for the CP price, rediculous ($35p/n).  You don't get anything extra for that price, the toilets and showers are still pathetic.  But I guess out here they charge these prices because they can....the beer was nice and cold though!!

Fuel Prices:   Katherine: LPG=$0.94.9, ULP=$1.659, Diesel=$1.850

                   Cooinda:  LPG=$1.015, ULP=$1.744, Diesel=$1.924

Kakadu National Park from Nourlangie Rock.	Aboriginal Paintings at Nourlangie Rock.	Nourlangie Rock stands proud of the surrounding wetlands.
Sunset over the Yellow Waters.	The sign says it all!!	The sunset colours change every  minute, bloody fantastic!!

Mardugal Billabong - Cooinda

17 Jun 08   Day 17

First thing today I decided to take a look at the awning spring and see if I could repair it.  I took it apart and found that as I suspected the spring had come off the spindle even though there was a metal sleeve crimped on it as well.  I took to it with a 5lb hammer and managed to loosen the sleeve so that I could screw the spring back on.  Having done that I then took the hammer and flattened the sleeve against the spring as best I could to crimp it tight.  Putting it all back together, this seemed to have solved the problem temporarily as the it all held together after I re-tensioned the spring.  Here is hoping!

After that we decided to do a short walk at the Mardugal Billabong a short distance from the CP.  After lunch we took to the pool and relaxed under a tree reading books.  Life is Good!!

Mardugal Billabong.

Another great sunset at Yellow Waters.

Geraldine at the sunset  viewing platform.

Jabiru - East Alligator River - Ubirr

18 Jun 08  Day 18.

We packed up and left Cooinda this morning and drove the short distance to Jabiru (60Kms).  The awning rolled up ok too!  After we set up at th Kakadu Lodge CP, we did some grocery shopping at the local Foodlands.  We also bought an electric frypan so that we could do some cooking outside under the awning, and do some roasts!!

We then headed for the East Alligator River area and visited the Ubirr Aboriginal art site.  Some of these paintings are thousands of years old and are significant to the aborigines that look after them because it depicts their history and the story of how they arrived here and how to look after the land. 

We had lunch at the Manbiyarra Border Store near Cahill's Crossing on the East Alligator River.  We walked down to the crossing and watched some people fishing.  East Alligator is a tidal river so when the tide is in the crossing becomes too deep to drive through.  Cahill Crossing is where you go to cross into Arnhem Land.  One, you need a 4WD to get across, and two you need a permit as Arnhem Land is an Aboriginal Homeland and a restricted area.

Afters we drove back to town and I had a swim in the pool whilst Geraldine sat on the edge dipping her feet.  We had a nice roast dinner tonight and watched some TV before going to bed dead tired again.

Geraldine at the Ubirr rock art site.

Some of the rock art at Ubirr.

The Rainbow Serpent left its mark as it  crossed over the east Alligator area.

Cahill's Crossing on the  East Alligator River.

Another shot of the crossing  at low tide.

Cya, Alby