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| OUR BIG TRIP MARY & OLI GOING AROUND AUSTRALIA |
ALICE SPRINGS - KATHERINE - Page 4
23 July 2007, Monday
We are in Katherine Gorge NP, or how it is called today Nitmiluk according to the Aboriginals. Today is walking and tomorrow
we will do half a day Canoeing. This place is very full and we could not book any full day canoeing anymore for the next
couple of days and we do not want to stay longer. So we decided to do a larger walk on the first day to the second gorge
(Butterfly Gorge Walk) and swim a little in the deepest part of the Gorge and do a half a day tour with the canoe the next day.
The place has changed a lot from last time again, the visitor centre was not build in 1991 and just a ranger telling us which
walks could be done due to the high water and salties in the river at the time. Nowadays it more looks like a resort rather than
a NP. Anyway still a place which is not bad to visit if you like to see an impressive Gorge system.
23 July 2007, Monday
We are in Katherine Gorge NP, or how it is called today Nitmiluk according to the Aboriginals. Today is walking and tomorrow
we will do half a day Canoeing. This place is very full and we could not book any full day canoeing anymore for the next
couple of days and we do not want to stay longer. So we decided to do a larger walk on the first day to the second gorge
(Butterfly Gorge Walk) and swim a little in the deepest part of the Gorge and do a half a day tour with the canoe the next day.
The place has changed a lot from last time again, the visitor centre was not build in 1991 and just a ranger telling us which
walks could be done due to the high water and salties in the river at the time. Nowadays it more looks like a resort rather than
a NP. Anyway still a place which is not bad to visit if you like to see an impressive Gorge system.
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One of the aims was also to see some special animals -
well here we go a Redtailed Black Cockatoo - pretty rare
we think.
well here we go a Redtailed Black Cockatoo - pretty rare
we think.
Now try to find the stick insect !!?!?!? At this time, we
also saw a snake, but to fast for my camera - see later
so...
also saw a snake, but to fast for my camera - see later
so...
The walk is quite nice when you enter the Butterfly Gorge - not many
butterfly's so, some.
butterfly's so, some.
This is the end of Butterfly Gorge going into the
Katherine River and Gorge.
Katherine River and Gorge.
The Gorge is at its
deepest in this area
- 36 m down into the
river. Nice spot.
deepest in this area
- 36 m down into the
river. Nice spot.
Obviously I had to go swimming. Went around the
corner and relaxed on a rock ledge - we will come
across that rock part during the canoeing the next day.
corner and relaxed on a rock ledge - we will come
across that rock part during the canoeing the next day.
Maybe this was the same snake I saw earlier when we walked down into the Butterfly Gorge. On the way back, we
saw it close to the exit of the Gorge, light brown colour, about 60 cm long, we stayed right away from it, you consider
any snake dangerous in Oz, but great to see a snake in the wild so close.
saw it close to the exit of the Gorge, light brown colour, about 60 cm long, we stayed right away from it, you consider
any snake dangerous in Oz, but great to see a snake in the wild so close.
This is the sort of Butterfly you see in the Gorge and
what gave it its name. The flowers on the right are quite
nice and you see them along the way all the time.
what gave it its name. The flowers on the right are quite
nice and you see them along the way all the time.
No wonder they sometimes think I am American, after
that photo everything is clear to me !!!
that photo everything is clear to me !!!