I am travelling overseas for six weeks, leaving on Sunday. By the time I return to Darwin, the wet season will be well and truly over and we’ll be in to the start of another awesome dry season! Mindil Beach markets will be back on, and life will be hectic for another season. So, I thought I would take a couple of days to get some shots of the Katherine region.
The start of Katherine Gorge, where the Katherine River begins flowing through the ancient sandstone walls
The above shot was taken at sunset on the first night (which I nearly missed as we arrived a bit later than planned!), from Baruwei Lookout.
We actually did a boat cruise the next morning too, although at this time of year, only the tours in the middle of the day were running – not the best time for landscape photography. It was awesome to get down in to the gorge though and get a sense of their grandeur. It gave me a chance to pinpoint some great locations for the next visit – I think a sunset cruise is probably going to be a must!
Katherine Gorge – the view down the first gorge
The cruise took in the Southern Rockhole which was a gorgeous place for a dip! In the dry season you can take a walk to this spot too.
Southern Rockhole
Unfortunately on this trip a lot of the park could not be accessed: usually in the dry season there are much longer boat cruises to take you up to the second and third gorges. If you only have a night to spare, like I did, there is enough at this time of year to give you a sense of feel for the gorges and their majesty. However, I will definitely be back to revisit in the dry season and get myself further in to Nitmiluk National Park!
Fortunately for me, Edith Falls was open. This is situated at the northern end of Nitmiluk, and is an easy drive from the main Stuart Highway. This is without doubt my favourite swimming hole in the whole Top End (that I have discovered so far, there are plenty to choose from!).
Edith Falls is somewhere I visit fairly often, for a swim and relax. Although this time I forgot swimmers, so I was stuck taking photos!
The bottom pools were closed on this visit due to the wet season flooding and possible presence of saltwater crocodiles. It’s around a 30 minute walk to the second pools, and well worth the steep climb.
I then raced back down to the bottom pools for sunset.
We also took a quick visit to Umbrawarra Gorge on the way back to Darwin. Awful time for the light as it was about midday, but another great time to suss out some locations for future visits and also have a bit of a cool off in the heat of the day!
I love the Territory!
Has anyone else visited Edith Falls? If you swam in the top pools, I can bet you floated around the natural “rapids” in my first photo of those falls! 😛
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