Katherine

We spent Easter in Katherine satying with friends Lyn and Bob Piper who were superb hosts. Easter Saturday we set off to Katherine Gorge which is a series of 13 gorges carved in sandstone rock by the Katherine River in Nitmiluk National Park. The water in the river is flowing rapidly due to the excellent wet season. The views as we walked to the lookout were spectacular. The walk was 3.7 km and felt like 10 in the middle of the day.

We also went on a dinner cruise up the Katherine River and into the accessible gorges which in some areas were 45 metres deep. There is a lot of aboriginal mythology about the river and the formation of the gorges and aboriginal men and women are not allowed to swim in the same areas.
We then went for a helicopter ride over the area and the differences in the views was amazing as the country looked so rugged from the air. We had a lady pilot and she had done cattle mustering so I was relieved when I heard that as I was quite hestitant about going.

Edith Falls is another spectacular area which is 42km north of Katherine and still part of Nitmiluk National Park. There are several walking trails but some remained closed due to water over the track. We walked the Leliyn Trail a 2.6km round track which climbs to the top of the escarpment and then down to the upper pools. The water from the falls was flowing very rapidly and the walls of the pools was very rocky so we only put our feet in but most people went in for a swim and got swept around but were able to get back out of the water without too much difficulty.
We also visited the museum which is the site of the original Katherine aerodrome and terminal. The displays detail early pastoral history, WW11 and communication. The main focus is the Dehavilland Gypsy Moth flown by the first flying doctor, Dr. Clive Fenton.
Our last day we were given a tour of the Rural College, it is a large farming area with cattle and horses. This complex is part of Charles Darwin University and courses available there include animal husbandry, motor vehicle maintenance, 4 wheel driver training and many other course pertinent to the area with a particular focus on indigenous education.