• 18^th June: Katharine
  I was tired last night! All that swimming! And I repeated the activity today. After picking up the medication, we went to Edith Falls, just up the road. It was a very hot dry place but the falls, although small, rushed into a very large deep plunge pool. Gail andI went swimming while Glen went for a 3km walk up to a lookout over the next two falls. Gail and I swam the 150 metres accross to the falls against the current. I haven't swum that far for years! But we had current ssistance coming back, thank goodness. It was cold, very deep and so clear. Lovely! But there is a restriction against swimming between 7.00pm and 7.00 am – croc eating time. That was for their sake not ours! They are freshwater crocs but still, when a fish nudged Gail, she nearly fell off the rock she was perched on
  Glen bought a hat this afternoon- a brimmed one similar to mine. He really needs something better than a cap up here!
  Off to Jabiru tomorrow.

   

  

  17^th June: Katharine
  
  
  
  A lovelyday today. We went to the shops to pick up our medication but found they hadn't filled them and couldn't find them. 1 hour later, we left with most of it. We'll have to go in tomorrow for the rest.
  We booked a 4hr cruise on the Katharine Gorge or Nitmiluk as it is called. It hasbeen a National Park for manyyears. Then, it was returned to the local Janowyn people but they wanted to keep it open for all to visit. The only way to do it was to lease it back to the government and so there is a joint board of management to run it. They have made some improvements since we were last there – some concretepaths, a couple of landing jetties and more boats – aluminium punts with a roof and an outboard motor. Same boats, just more of them.
  
  
  
  We set off after observing the thousands of black and little red bats hanging in the trees beside the river. They were making a racket and they smelt! The gorges are beautiful, straight sided 60 – 90 metres high and there is more than that underneath. The cliffs glowed red in the sun and the water was cool and black with the depth. At the end of the first gorge, we had to clamber over rocks to the path around the rocks and falls. Yellow canoes wandered all over the river!
  
  
  
  
  We went right up to the third gorge and there we were able to swim. Glen didn't of course, but Gail and I did. It was rather cool but so refreshing! We were in for ½ hour! On the way back, we swam again and then further on, we saw 2 freshwater crocs- one rather big: 2 metres! Fortunately, Johnson River crocs eat only what they can eat whole. It would take a very large croc to swallow me! 
  
  
  
   
  We saw Jedda's Rock again. I remember it from last time. It is a huge slab wall. It was so named as a result of one of the first films to be made in Australia, called “Jedda”. It was the tragic love story of two aboriginal teenagers who escaped pursuers by jumping over the cliff to their death. I remember seeing the fi8lm as a young teenager in Caboolture.
  A great day!

   

  

  16^th June: Katharine

A beautiful morning but very cold. (8 C). We went for a walk to Stevie's pool – a lovely part of the Roper River.

 We went out on the highway to play with the very big trucks. Dozens of caravans on the road. Half the population of retired people are obviously nomadic! We met up with some people we'd seen at Julia Creek and Glen did his good Samitarian act and loosen all the wheel nuts on the campa with his very long spanner (lever principle)so that the guy could actually undo them if needed.

We arrived at Katharine for lunch and went shopping. We wanted groceries and medication. We also visited the Tourist Information Office and came away with all the necessary stuff. This is a very busy park. We are staying 3 days and seem like permanents. So many come in for 1 night!