Katherine & Litchfield

Over the Picnic Day (Darwin Cup Carnival) long weekend, Heng Dack, Sum Sum and the kids went for a two day trip to Katherine and Litchfield. I would've gone too, but it was too much of a hassle going camping with Baby J at the moment. Not that I mind...camping is not my thing.

Anyway, on Day One, they arrived in Katherine (around three hours drive from Darwin) and went on a cruise along the Katherine Gorge. They took spectacular pictures of the Gorge. Apart from the boat cruise, they also trekked up the rocks to view some ancient Aboriginal art drawn on the rocks. They also came across a couple of freshwater crocs sunbaking among the mangroves. 

After the Gorge, they squeezed in a trip to the cactus farm. Brandon got a little grumpy because he got bored...as usual...but perked up when he got to swim in the motel pool. Later on, they visited the Katherine Hot Springs waterhole.

Day Two: They travelled to Edith Falls - how apt the name ;) - for a swim, but chickened out because the water was too cold.

Next stop was Buley Rockhole. Alyssa calls it Boogey Hole...hehe. This is a popular - and our favourite - swimming spot. It is made up of a series of rock holes along Florence Creek as it cascades down a hillside. It is spring-fed and the water is crystal clear. A couple of the holes are more than ten feet deep, which makes good diving. If you're adventurous enough and out for a bit of fun, you could swing from a tree vine, or jump from a tree branch into the water. Yippee!

As mentioned before, the water was a bit cold, even for middle of the day. So the kids were happy to wade along the rocks and sit on the mini waterfall, where the water cascades over the rocks, for a little back massage. Naturally therapeutic...mmmmm.

Buley Rockhole, is by far the best and our favourite camping and swimming destination in the NT. It is also the safest. Before they left on the trip, I did warn them about swimming in various creeks or rivers. You'll never know what lurks. You wouldn't want to come face to face with this monster while swimming!

(ps. please click on the pictures for an enlarge and better view.)