Sunday, 24th July
It was time to pack up, leave the therapeutic thermal spring water behind, and continue our journey towards Darwin. It’s just on 100 kilometres to Katherine from Mataranka, then another 26 kilometres from Katherine to Nitmiluk National Park, so it wasn’t going to be a long day of driving. The exodus from Bitter Springs Caravan Park got underway as usual from around 8.00am. We were in no hurry, so set off at 9.30am – rejoining the stream of caravans, motor homes, camper trailers and road trains on the Stuart Highway.
The country north of Mataranka is largely stocked with cattle for export to Asia. It is covered in low savannah scrub, with a reasonable amount of feed for cattle. The cruise control was set to 120 kph and the distance to travel reduced pretty quickly. We did get caught behind a vehicle towing a caravan at 75 kph which must frustrate the road train drivers on a strict schedule, especially if they are aiming to connect with a ship departing from Darwin’s port.
We had a number of chores to undertake in Katherine: dump point duties, refuel (at 219.9c per litre), a drink at the Coffee Club in the Main Street, and a restock of our dwindling food stocks. Having been through Katherine on previous trips we were aware that the supermarket would be well stocked with a good selection of products that would get us through to Darwin. Alcohol can’t be sold before 2.00pm, and only then from hotels – so we would have to make another trip into Katherine before continuing north to restock that essential item.
The Coffee Club was busy when we arrived, with people queuing to place their orders. It would seem there is a universal need for casual staff to work in hospitality. The staff were run off their feet, but managed to maintain a smile on their face as they dealt with questions from customers expecting a different standard of food and beverage: “What type of muffins do you have?” “Have they been cooked today?” “Were the blueberries used in the muffins fresh or frozen?” etc.
We enjoyed our frappés and decided to stay for lunch, as we couldn’t check into the national park until 2.00pm. The time passed, meals were delivered, and we were soon at the tourist information centre enquiring about Kakadu park passes and camping permits. We also received some advice on a cultural tour on the East Alligator river we may look into. We walked every aisle in the supermarket as part of our restocking exercise; everything bar two items were found so we came away happy with what we could buy. The chilled items were placed in the fridge in the Tvan as the temperature was hitting 32C for the final leg of today’s journey. They would be packed with a little more care and attention once we set up camp.
A quick stop at the Nitmiluk visitor centre was necessary to confirm our arrival and to get a tag for the Prado to show we were campers entitled to use a powered site for 3 days. The Tvan was squeezed into a shady site between 2 medium-sized caravans, both with young families onboard. It would seem Covid has made people reflect on what’s important, and travel within the country has been a priority for many.
The groceries were all packed away and we decided to test our resilience by going for a swim in the park’s pool that was not, as we had become accustomed to, set to 33C. It felt more like 3C when we plunged in, but after 5 or so minutes it seemed to have all the benefits of an ice bath. We left feeling awake, refreshed and glad to be back into the warm dry outback air.
Monday, 25th July
It was another cool morning when we woke, although not as cool as it had been at Mataranka. We were both up early, as a hike was planned before the temperature made walking a little unpleasant. While not as early as we had planned, we set off at 8.30am on a short, 5 kilometre walk to get our bearings for a longer walk tomorrow.
The Baruwei walk started and ended at the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre. It initially set off in the same direction as the walk to the jetty for the gorge tours that seemed to depart at regular intervals throughout the day. Before we got to the jetty, signage directed us to a flight of stairs that climbed and climbed to the top of the gorge – providing views both up and down stream in the early morning light. The walk continued to climb to a high point, where the water supply for the Nitmiluk facilities was pumped and processed before allowing gravity to provide a reliable supply of water to travellers visiting the area. The walk then descended to an intersection of walking tracks that we will explore in greater detail tomorrow. We continued the descent (which was steep in parts) to the valley below, then on to the Visitor Centre and eventually our camp site. Morning tea was enjoyed in the shade of a tree that overhangs our camp site, before Wendy suggested we head to the Visitor Centre for a coffee. As has been the case elsewhere, signs at the café there asked for patience as they were short-staffed. Most people seem to be patient enough to wait these days, and are understanding of the challenges the hospitality industry faces with reliable staffing. A gorge tour boat must have returned at one point, because there was an influx of people to the café seeking refreshments.
After coffees we felt brave enough to go for another swim in the icy waters of the swimming pool. Maybe we got too used to the thermal spring waters at Bitter Springs, but the pool at Nitmiluk feels unusually cold – especially when first getting in. It was still cold, and our swim yesterday had done little to acclimatise us to the conditions. We decided to treat it as recovery plunge in an ice bath after our earlier walk.
Following lunch we drove into Katherine in search of some supplies we couldn’t get at the supermarket yesterday; namely chemicals for our port-a-loo and some alcoholic drinks (the latter only after 2.00pm and only with ID). Wendy was also after some post cards (and stamps) to send home to the grandkids.
Purchasing alcohol in the Territory is a different process, and it also appears to vary from town to town. Mataranka had limits on what could be bought per ID, as well as different opening hours for licensed outlets. In Katherine, alcohol can only be bought after 2.00pm on week days. A young, female police officer was checking the ID of all people entering the BWS outlet we went to. We were also asked about where we planned to consume the alcohol, before being permitted to enter the store. There didn’t appear to be limits on the quantities that could be purchased, though ID had to be provided again at the checkout where it was scanned before the transaction could be finalised. Payment was made and we were free to go. Comments to the young guy behind the counter about it being busy were corrected, as he said it was an ‘off pay week’ so not as busy as it can sometimes get.
The drive back to Nitmiluk was done with the knowledge that we would have a more complete ‘happy hour’ today, having purchased some Prosecco in cans for Wendy and the usual ginger beer for Chris. Another swim was in order on our return – this time we managed to stay in the pool for almost 40 minutes before the call of happy hour got too loud to ignore.
We will attempt to set off on our walk earlier tomorrow, as we have a greater distance to cover before the heat of the day sets in.
Tuesday, 25th July
There are many sins one can commit while camping, but possibly the biggest of all is setting off your car alarm before the sun is up as you make your early morning getaway. It was 6.15am when one such alarm cut through the pre-dawn silence in the camp ground at Nitmiluk. The alarm seemed to go on and on for minutes before being brought under control. One suspects the departure of the responsible party was a hasty one, under the cover of darkness.
An early morning departure from the park was part of our agenda also, as we planned a lengthy walk that needed to be completed by midday to avoid walking in the hottest part of the day. We set off at 8.00am, partially retracing our steps from yesterday before picking up the start of the tracks we planned to follow for the remainder of the way. It’s not until you start walking from lookout to lookout that you realise the network of gorges here is more than just the ones carved by the action of the Katherine River over millions of years. There are many more side gorges that cut through the ancient sandstone ocean floor, channeling wet season runoff into the main gorge network. As a result, the walking tracks wind their way through the sandstone hills and around this network of secondary gorges to deliver walkers to the best vantage points.
Leaving as early as we did meant that we were at the top of the escarpment before the sun really started to warm things up. We had set off with broad rimmed hats, sunglasses, sunscreen and plenty of water; we could soon tell it would be challenging walking in such conditions without the steps we had taken. The first lookout we arrived at offered a commanding view of the top of the first gorge (from where the people on gorge tours have to disembark and walk to their next cruise boat, which is moored at the start of the second gorge).
Other walkers joined us as we soaked up the view and watched the tour boats, all full, zig-zag their way up the gorge. The next leg of our walk was to Jedda’s Rock, another lookout that provided views up into the second gorge. It took a while to get there, as we had to walk around a large secondary gorge that early in the dry season offers the opportunity for a swim. Alas, by now this gorge was dry and swimming no longer possible. The views into the second gorge from Jedda’s Rock were impressive, with sheer sided cliffs dropping into the waters of the Katherine River below.
The loop walk continued around a number of sandstone outcrops before arriving at a junction, where several tracks went off in different directions. There was also a large water tank and seating at this intersection, both welcomed by those who passed this way (we took the opportunity here to top up our water bottles). The walking then got easier, as we continued on the management vehicle access track used by 4WD vehicles to keep the water levels up in these tanks. We eventually came upon another watering point where a family of 5 (mum, dad and 3 children) were cycling on their mountain bikes to Butterfly Pool – the only swimming hole accessible by foot (or bike) at the moment. Talking to others on the track, there were quite a number of people swimming in what was a relatively small pool.
The loop walk continued for some time before eventually rejoining the track we followed yesterday. We were completing the steep descent down from the escarpment by 11.15am, passing others who were setting out for a swim at Butterfly Pool. Many looked to be ill-prepared; the park’s rangers must be frustrated by people who do not follow the warning signs clearly displayed at the start of every track we have walked on in the park.
We arrived back at our campsite just after midday, a little hot and bothered but all the better for the experience. A cool drink under the fans in the Visitor Centre helped, as did a swim in the icy swimming pool soon afterwards. Chores have been undertaken in preparation for our departure tomorrow for Kakadu. Water supplies have been topped up, washing has been done, and a shopping list has been prepared for when we pass through Katherine in the morning. The drive tomorrow is relatively short, so we will have plenty of time to stop (and possibly swim) at Edith Falls on the way.