Day 61 – Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk)

This is something I’ve been looking forward to from the beginning. For me it was up there with Uluru. We’re booked on an 11am boat tour, this covers gorge 1 and 2 of the 13 gorges that make up the system. I think when there is more water, they add in gorge 3.

We drive the 25km to the visitor’s centre, amongst the normal displays and gift shop they have a fake rock, this rock is being heated to simulate how hot the rocks will be out on the escarpment, I figure it is to act as a warning to those doing bush walk, particularly foreign tourists. I can only touch it for a second or so it’s like a stove.

We eventually walk down to the boat jetty. At this point it’s just looks like a regular river. The boats seem to be able to carry 50-60 people and I overhear that there are 21 on our tour so we have plenty of room to move about.

It’s not long before the cliff walls start rising and we enter the gorge proper. The driver and guide, Tom, is really good, mixing facts and stories along the way. Tom gives us the first good reason why we haven’t seen any crocs so far. Apparently it’s because the water is so warm, the crocs don’t need to get onto the sand banks to warm up, they can stay in the water. He said they can stay underwater for about an hour before needing to come up for air.

At the end of the first gorge we get out of one boat and walk about 400m to a 2nd boat in gorge 2, apparently they bring the boats in at the height of the wet season when the water is so high they can drive them in.

The 2nd gorge is more of the business with sheer cliffs on both sides. Again this is one of those sites that photos will never convey they true grandeur of the place, but I’ll let them try.

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Around halfway along, Tom points out an aluminum bridge and another boat, apparently only a week or so back the water was so low, they needed a third boat to complete the trip on the 2nd gorge. Recent rains have raised the water level enough that they can now make it through, only just, you can see the rocks under the boat as we pass over them and I’m pretty sure I heard him raise the outboards a bit too.

I’ve got to say that while I had hyped up Katherine gorge in my head, it has not disappointed. I would love to see this place at the height of the wet, Tom said the water can be 6 or more metres higher, with waves up to two metres high.

After reaching the end we turn around and about halfway back the 2nd gorge we stop for 30min or so for a swim. Again the water is pretty warm, but it is pretty sensational place to have a dip.

In the boat and back to the walk to gorge 1, I put my hands on one of the rocks, and they are as hot as the demo in the visitor centre, ouch.

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Back to Katherine to get some supplies as this will been the last larger town for 4-5 days until we reach Kununurra.

At the local woollies, at the parcel pickup, there is ute after ute loading up with what looks like a month’s worth of supplies. Some appear to be farmers, others probably mine or other type workers. We have trouble working out supplies for a few days, it’s funny what we take for granted being in the cities.

The kids round off the day with a swim back at the park.