Day 21 - Katherine - Saturday 19th August 2017

We got up early today as w'd booked a tour commencing with a cruise in the Katherine (Nitmiluk) Gorge. We drove from the camping ground to the Gorge to start our tour. The tour consisted of a two hour trip through the first two of 13 separate gorges with a 500 metre walk between the two. The scenery here is truly magnificent. Along the way we spotted a saltwater crocodile basking in the sunshine on one of the banks. Back at the Information Centre we kicked back with a coffee looking out over the dense bush and the many thousands of bats hanging off the trees nearby. Then it was back to the camping ground briefly before once again driving to Katherine Springs for the afternoon. Dinner was a roast chicken from a local supermarket.

Day 20 - Bitter Springs to Katherine - Friday 18th August 2017

 Before setting off today we stopped briefly at the Springs to take a few photographs which we had neglected or been unable to do the previous day. Then it was on to Katherine only another 110 km further north. After stopping to refill a gas cylinder and obtain groceries we drove a little way out of town to book in to what was then the Shady Lane Campground (now Discovery Parks Katherine). We then headed back into town to find someone to deal with my blocked ear. Before long we found a Health Centre and a lovely nurse was able to achieve what the man yesterday was unable to do - bliss, being able to hear clearly and without the loss of balance that a blocked ear canal results in. Our next move was to drive to Katherine Hot Springs where we proceeded to spend a very pleasant afternoon swimming through the Springs and chatting with another couple of similar age who were in Katherine to visit their son who was a RAAF pilot flying Hornets out of the nearby Tindal Air Base. Feeling refreshed after this we headed back to the campground and turned on our aircon to deal with the 37° C heat.