It was an obscenely early start to catch the 7am tour of Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. I had to be there by 6.45am and it is a 30 minute drive. It was fortunate I had left our caravan park early, because the emailed information failed to mention the 400m walk from the car park!
I had time to make my $2 cup of tea before boarding the boat. Four hikers with large backpacks were dropped off on the other side of the river to start their 60+kms hike to Edith Falls. Most of the other passengers on the 7am boat were doing an APT bus tour.
The sun was in my eyes for a lot of the first boat trip, and much of the gorge was in shadow. Our guide/boat driver was a well informed woman who has worked in the national park for 8 seasons.
We reached a narrow section of river where the boats cannot pass in the dry season. We disembarked and walked for about 10 minutes over rocks and concrete paths and steps to reach the second gorge where slightly smaller boats were moored. The sandstone is some of the hardest in the world, and the weathered smooth rocks resemble granite.
The next gorge was narrower than the first, with several 90° turns for the boat. A section of gorge was dripping water that had soaked through from a swamp near the top of the gorge.
On the return journey the gorge walls were bathed in sunlight. We saw swallows building their mud nests on the roof of a cave, a darter bird, and a freshwater crocodile sunbathing. Any saltwater crocs spotted in the gorges are trapped and relocated to a more suitable habitat, because their nests get swept away in the wet.
I picked up Anita and Bluey and we returned to Pop Rocket Cafe for brunch. Our friend had secured a table in the shade, but I queued for 20 minutes to order. Surprisingly our coffees and food arrived promptly.
I let Tilly out for a while but she attracted several birds making a racket like a barking dog. These birds flit about flapping their wings, and spreading their tail feathers trying to intimidate her.
There is a Great Bower Bird nest under a bush near the amenities, with a collection of rocks, bottle tops, pieces of glass, and bits of blue peg. The walls of his nest are made from hundreds of twigs erected like an archway. Other campers told me other male birds tried to take over the nest. The builder of the nest destroyed his structure to chase away the invaders, and has since completed the rebuild.
We made the mistake eating at the Figtree Bistro located in grounds of the Big 4 caravan park. None of the four dishes we ordered was very nice, but it was a lovely setting under this huge figtree.
Committed Travellers 