Set off early for Kununurra and had an easy run-the Pentecost river was less daunting after my experiences on the Kalumburu road and Mt Elizabeth station tracks.Dealt with a large pile of mail waiting at the post office( mostly bills) and recommenced text contact with the outside world.It was good to have a night in a comfortable, well appointed camp site.
TO KATHERINE-17 MAY
First task was to transfer all my gear from the four wheel drive into my little Honda Jazz-a tight squeeze but it all went in.
CHANGING OF THE GUARD.
Then off to Katherine. The 550klm run was good on a fast, well sealed road. Especially upon crossing into the Northen territory where the speed limit rose to 130kph.It seemed strange leaving WA, having spent so long there from far south to farthest north.
GOODBYE TO WA
Wanjinas blessed and boabs waived as I left by the Territory gate.
Responding to the call of my songlines fate.
Nobody else noticed my going,I left so small a space.
Except the miners, workers and crooks, waiting to take my place.
The Victoria river country was lush and beautiful-no wonder the Durack's loved it.After a brief stop at Timber creek I made Katherine by 6PM and put my watch one and a half hours forward, to go onto Territory time.I found a very comfortable camp spot in a caravan park by the river. A grassy, shady site with a high fence along two sides which gave welcome privacy from the adjacent caravanners.Deciding between two dinner venues was made easy when I saw aboriginal men falling down the steps out of one of them and when I bought a malt whisky at a bottle shop I was asked to produce my identity.Clearly a town with a few problems.
The next day, a Sunday,had an easy day in Katherine. Purchased supplies,acquired my first copy of "the Age" since early April and updated my blog notes.
NITMILUK NATIONAL PARK-19 MAY
The Nitmiluk National Park,which embraces the Katherine Gorge system-13 of them separated by rapids, was an easy 30klms out of town and, surprisingly,mostly within mobile phone range.The katherine river begins in Arnhem Land and further downstream becomes the Daly river before flowing into the Timor sea. it is the only river in the Territory to retain substantial water during the dry season.
The camp site was of the standard you would expect of such a famous tourist attraction and having decided that I needed to settle for a while,I booked in for 4 nights.
BARUWEI AND WINDOLF WALKS-20 MAY
There are a host of walking tracks in the park, mostly along the Katherine river and connecting with lookouts and subsidiary gorges that link with the main one.On another hot day I decided to put together the easy Baruwei walk, which clims up to a popular lookout from which there is a good view down into the gorge and the tourist boats that ply along the river below and the moderate Windolf walk that offered a rock pool swimming destination.
THE GORGE FROM BARUWEI WALK LOOKOUT
The view from the first lookout was superb-had the viewing platform all to myself and was able to interract with the tour boat below when the guide pointed up to my eyrie.
Th trail was surprisingly hot for a mere 30c day-I was to learn later from an information board near to the ranger station, that track temperatures can be up to 10c higher due to rdaiation from the light rock surfaces. Consequently the "moderate"8.4k Windolf track-yet more stream bed rock hopping-soon became wearing in the early afternoon heat and I was glad to get to Pat's lookout for a break in the shade.
The view from Pat's lookout was spectacular and embraced a bend in the river just before the point at which dry season water levels require the tourists to transfer between boats to cruise into the upper gorge.There was a particularly fine beach with a type of tree from which aboriginal women took leaves, which when bagged and thrown into a pool,reduced the oxygen level,stunning the fish and making them easy to catch.
PAT'S LOOKOUT
The diversion down to the swimming rock pool was not far but what was not apparent from the map was the steepness of the descent-requiring climbs down steel ladders in places with the need to hang onto chains at others for support and culminating in a tricky scramble down the boulder strewn bed of a dry water fall.I arrived very much "hot and bothered" and it was a relief to come to a lovely rock pool on a ledge before the wet season waterfall would have plunged into the main gorge.
I stripped off and plunged in.I couldn't touch the bottom in the middle but at the far side was a little beach of coarse sand, where I sat on a rock and played catch as catch can with little fish set on nibbling at my toes.Absolute bliss.
GREAT SPOT FOR A COOLING SWIM
But then I had to climb out again and walk the hot rock road home, again resorting to wetting my hat and camouflage veil in pools to keep me cool.An ice cool drink back at the ranger station was very welcome.In the campsite at night, cheeky wallabies came calling and were very aggressive in searching for food-they were not afraid to enter ones tent and forage amongst the storage containers.One in particular was particularly assiduous, despite carrying a young joey in her pouch.
MOTHER AND JOEY COME TO SAY GOODNIGHT
DOING THE TOURIST THING-21 MAY
I was more stiff and sore the next day than I had expected (must have been the steep climb out of the swimming hole)and decidied to do the tourist thing and take a short boat ride on the katherine river.I had done this during a bus trip to the outback in 1969 and so was interested to see what had changed.There had been much more development and where we transferred boats to get from one gorge into another, workmen were concreting paths,laying steps and erecting stainless steel handrails.
BOAT TRANSFER POINT ON KATHERINE RIVER
The rock art was still as good as I remembered( some of which is up to 7000 years old)
ROCK ART
and the vistas down the gorge were spectacular.
VIEWS DOWN THE MAIN GORGE
The commentary was more informed and interesting than one usually encounters on such trips and aboriginal practices were explained(such as fishing and hunting techniques)tools and weapons were passed around and there was even a demonstration of didgeridoo playing.
Really hungry when I got back and did serious damage to a burger at the ranger station cafe which had a lovely verandah looking out over the park.
ON TO DARWIN-23 MAY
Decided not to diverge via Kakadu and so drove directly to Darwin.I was looking forward to see what it was like having last seen the "old" pre-cyclone Darwin in 1969.It felt strange to be in a busy city again.All the buildings appeared new-more office and apartment towers( cyclone proof I hoped)were going up and estates were creeping out on the outskirts on Commonwealth land.
I drove along the coast taking in the Nightcliff foreshore, where according to radio news regular serious violence took place at night. To my surprise it was a beautiful setting and the real estate ozzed respectability and affluence.Seems that visiting aboriginals from the countryside tended to settle in the grass area-hence the term "long grassers" and under the influence of grog violence was common, sometimes leading to deaths.
I settled on a camp site to the north of the city-near to the sea-at Lee Point and booked in for 2 weeks. Much warmer weather here and I soon began to feel very lethargic.
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