The Top End

By Jeeves, its been hot lately. Perhaps its just the humidity for the temperatures have remained in the low 30’s. Its lucky the designer of theNorthern Territory have designed in lots of springs, waterfalls and swimming holes.

From the township of Katherine we traveled to nearby Nitmiluk National Park and stayed near Katherine Gorge for a couple of nights. We did the mandatory boat trip up three of the gorges. Then it was over to the other side of the park to Edith Falls. It has a magnificent swimming hole below the falls. Swimming is permitted between 7:00am and 7:00pm the rest of the time it is reserved for freshwater crocs (these are the ones that supposedly don’t eat you).

Then it was on to Litchfield National Park for a couple of days.

More waterfalls with plunge pools for swimming and the Buley Rock Pools: this is like a series of spa pools in a river cascade. We had our morning bath there on Tuesday before moving on to Darwin.

We thought that World War III must have started as there were fighter jets constantly roaring past. We later learned that the Yanks are out and they have been playing war games with us. We haven’t heard who is winning. Just when we started getting used to the aircraft noise, the Darwin Show started and it is located adjacent the caravan park we are staying at.

We have done a bit of sightseeing around town

and went on a day trip to the TiwiIslands where we got to experience a smoking ceremony, viewed Tiwi dancers and artists in action and of course went to the local swimming hole. We also went to the beach but there was no swimming as this is the domain of the saltwater crocs (the ones that eat you).