Part 4.....Katherine and the Magnificent Katherine Gorge

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Yowie
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Part 4.....Katherine and the Magnificent Katherine Gorge

Post by Yowie » Sun Jun 09, 2013 6:14 am

Happy long weekend.
Over here, It's the Queens birthday long weekend. A day it is good to be part of the Commonwealth.
So with an extra day off I thought I would share some more of my trip with you guys.

Katherine is about four hours south of Darwin and has a population of about 6000, just like where I grew up.
We arrived just before dark managed to book a breakfast tour on a boat in Katherine Gorge. My brother is a travel agent and recommended this. Best $75 I have spent.

There is not much to say about Katherine town itself. It is a long thin town attached to a major highway that has the added advantage of a large military base nearby.
We checked into our hotel, bog standard. One double bed with a single for me (so much fun when you are 6 foot 2). I suggested to mum and dad that we repair to the local drinking establishment for dinner and a few schooners of beer, a suggestion accepted with a large hurrarh from all......
Turns out the best place in Katherine was Subway a take away six pack and locking yourself in from the locals :-(.
So after an early night we rose before the dawn stood around in the dark for half an hour boarded a barge with about 20 grey nomads (Grey nomads are a local australian tribe semi retired 50 to 65 yr old who own a $100,000 Land Cruiser and a $50,000 caravan and spend their twilight years travelling all over australia, all in all not a bad lifestyle) a loud family of Americans and a kind of cute Canadian backpacker chick who had just hitchhiked from Adelaide.....
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Sunrise
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Sunrise
Over a hot breakfast of bacon eggs sausage, baked beans and awful coffee we slowly moved up the first of thirteen gorges.
We were on a 3 gorge tour, to see all the gorges you need to take a helicopter or an arduous 6 week hike. bacon and eggs sounded better.


And this is what we saw............................
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Sunrise
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Bloody awful way to start the day. It was a bit chilly, maybe 11c
This is one of the biggest gorge systems in the world. During the 2006 flood (pictures later) enough water was flowing though it to fill Sydney Harbour every 20 minutes.
It is a large part of the the local Aborigine tribes dreamtime . The rainbow serpent is Aboriginal primary god and a part of the gorge is said to be its resting place.
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Wow
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Keeps getting better
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Portage to 2nd gorge. more boats waiting about 20 minutes away
Sorry about the double picture posts, will add more later

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Name_not_found
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Re: Part 4.....Katherine and the Magnificent Katherine Gorge

Post by Name_not_found » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:13 pm

Awesome pics, always look forward to your trips
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housil
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Re: Part 4.....Katherine and the Magnificent Katherine Gorge

Post by housil » Wed Jun 12, 2013 3:18 pm

Great pic´s of an great area.

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