Mornington Station Holiday August 2000
Section Six - Kununurra to Darwin - Katherine Gorge, Litchfield, other sites
Fri
Pay council rates- I've sent the rate notice back with some photos home! Ring the council and get the details and pay by phone. On to Timber creek for lunch but the pub is way too noisy so I go on. Katherine beacons. When I arrive in Katherine the bike stalls at the traffic lights... first since Broome. But the bike is difficult to start. I buy food, and go out to the gorge. Nice camp site and I book for the 8 hour cruise. The sticking throttle is just some grit, from the dunking, between the handle bar and grip. I lube it with some oil from the dip stick. and it now returns under the throttle springs.
Sat
The next days cruise is rather interesting... They say the 8 hour cruise is a 7 km walk, getting rougher as you get up to the turn around point. A German tourist group is on the boat, and they don't look fit. The gorge is divided into sections each section is made by rocks that prevent the boats crossing. So we must walk from one section to another. The degree of difficulty of the walks increases as you go up the gorge. Well they all handle the first walk ok, but one of the two guides warns if you had trouble with that you should turn back now. On we go, and the difficulty does test some of the tourists, they stop at the lunch point. We go on for one more section. Land and walk to yet another section. This section has a camp site and toilet. On our return the stayers are relaxing having just come out of the water. I have a dip. It is very nice in the water, cool. Lunch and walk back a section. Some of the tourists have slowed considerably! We faster people talk to one of the guides, he says this is one of the faster groups! As we do the last section the consist are trying to make it back before the time when they loose their deposits.
Sun
The next day I do a walk to butterfly gorge. The gorge is not much, leading back to Katherine gorge. One wall of butterfly gorge is flat and vertical, with some butterflies. the other side carries the little water flowing down to Katherine gorge. Shop and then work on the bike. Change Air Filter.
Mon
I shop and go on to Edith falls. This is a nice spot. The plunge pool is large and has 3 entries. There are two more pools, the top and middle pools.
Tues
Next day I walk up to the top pool, and then take the track up the river to sweet water pool. The walk is good, but one section has flies that follow even with waving hats for some distance. Long pool is not for swimming as the bottom is full of snags. Sweet water is a rocky bottom, with slime on most of the rocks. Pick the bits where the water flows and you have a good grip. I have a small swim and walk back to the top pool. Another swim there and then walk down to the bottom pool. Lunch, late.
Wed
Another day on to Litchfield. Boring tar. Then I turn off for ... butterfly gorge! Another one, that is past Douglas hot springs, This gorge is more open that the previous name sake and has a lot more water in it. I come up against a barrier that needs walking around... too much from what I can see of the next section in terms of work for benefit. So I go back to the hot springs. Only 2 lots of people camped here. I walk down to the springs, and start to wash my hands, boy that water is hot, a guy comes out and tells me the best spot is on the other side where the cold and hot mix and you can chose you temperature. It does look very pleasant, but I have little food so must carry on. On to Litchfield. At Batchelor I by food then go on to Litchfield, at Wangi falls is a camp ground. I stay there but it is so crowed that I pitch my tent in a bad spot, ants enter and make a meal out of some of me. About 2 am I realize this and kill many ants.... No more bites and I have a rest full remained of the night.
Thurs
I move on to Tomer and Florence falls, rock pool and the lost city. Still crowed for the size of the places... I go in to Darwin and buy a gasket for the rocker cover that tore in Katherine. Spend the night in a back packers.
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File dated 9 January 2001
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The next days cruise is rather interesting... They say the 8 hour cruise is a 7 km walk, getting rougher as you get up to the turn around point. A German tourist group is on the boat, and they don't look fit. The gorge is divided into sections each section is made by rocks that prevent the boats crossing. So we must walk from one section to another. The degree of difficulty of the walks increases as you go up the gorge. Well they all handle the first walk ok, but one of the two guides warns if you had trouble with that you should turn back now. On we go, and the difficulty does test some of the tourists, they stop at the lunch point. We go on for one more section. Land and walk to yet another section. This section has a camp site and toilet. On our return the stayers are relaxing having just come out of the water. I have a dip. It is very nice in the water, cool. Lunch and walk back a section. Some of the tourists have slowed considerably! We faster people talk to one of the guides, he says this is one of the faster groups! As we do the last section the consist are trying to make it back before the time when they loose their deposits.
