A May Day weekend - touring the Top End

We have finally managed to get out for our first Top End camping trip - even if it was only a short trip. We packed up the car on Friday night, and headed out early on Saturday morning for Katherine - a run of about 300 km from home. We stopped on the way for coffee at a place called Hayes Creek - coffee was quite good, but I wouldn't have wanted to see the results of a breath test on the owner!

A bit further south Hugo let us know he was ready for a feed, so we pulled into Pine Creek to accommodate his needs. MacK and I had a walk around some old mining machinery, and then decided to use the facilities on the way out.

I guess the volunteers have given up on this front...

We made it to the Edith Falls (Leiliyn) Camp Site, and met Paul and Helen there. We immediately ducked back out onto the Highway to drive to Katherine Gorge (Nitmuluk) where our plan was to catch the 1100 am Two Gorges cruise. We missed the time by a good ten minutes or so, so went back into Katherine where we had a soak in the Katherine Hot Springs before heading back to Nitmuluk for the 2pm cruise.

Clockwise from top: The beautiful thermal springs in Katherine - full of minerals. Hugo enjoying the swim. Hugo relaxing with Dad. The springs haven't been mucked around with too much - pretty much as nature intended. Me and Hugo again. The origin of the spring.

 Katherine Gorge splits in the second gorge, with a lovely opportunity for a panoramic shot to try and capture some of the grandeur.

 It takes about four hours, and is worth every cent (or dollar...). The guides are very knowledgeable about both the geography of the area, and the culture and history of the Jawoyn people. Nitmuluk means blue winged kingfisher and cicada country - travelling up the Katherine River you are literally travelling on the wings of the Kingfisher into Cicada country. The Gorge is unbelievably ancient and breathtaking. Apparently enough water can run through the Gorge in the height of the Wet to completely fill Sydney Harbour every nine minutes, so there is a fair bit of force. It was hot, and it was tempting to go for a swim - the guides were telling us that they had seen a salt water croc a couple of days earlier, so probably not yet safe. He waits until a couple of hundred back packers have jumped in each year before he starts swimming... Smart man!

A series of shots that try (and mostly fail) to capture the magnificence of Katherine Gorge. Note the Rangers out checking the croc trap.

After the gorge cruise we went back to the campground for the night. On Sunday morning we were up early with the birds after a lovely cool night, and ready for the trek up to Edith Falls. It isn't a long walk (only about a kilometre or so) but it is a fair vertical climb. The falls were spectacular and made a great swim spot for an hour or two.  The rocks are scrubbed smooth, and burnished with the oxides that leach out of the sand stone. The water is crystal clear and cool. Just a perfect way to spend a weekend.

Again Edith Falls is spectacular, but the pictures are a poor substitute for actually being there to experience it in real life!

Some of our 'people' shots (above and below). Have just noticed that the same pic has come up in the top right of both collages - too much work to take it out.

In this collage, the one of the family (bottom left) was taken in Canberra recently at MacK's birthday party. The bottom right picture is Mack with Dave and Melissa - his god parents (also taken at MacK's party)