Day 32. Headed west today along the Victoria Highway towards Western Australia. 90km outside of Katherine we came across a group of apparently drunk aboriginals lying asleep around their stationary vehicle parked close to the highway strewn with beer cartons. We thought how sad! Then a black snake on the road! We stopped for lunch at the Victoria River Roadhouse just inside the National Park, surrounded by brilliant red flat topped mesas and escarpments of the V...

Day 31. Slept in and shaped up for a lazy day. Drove 30km out to the Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge), traditional home of the Jawoyn people. Lunch on the deck at the visitor's centre, we decided not to do a gorge cruise as already done on a previous visit to Katherine. Back in town for a walk down the main street, intrigued by the number of brothers and sisters milling about. Out to the old Springvale Homestead built by ex-Overland Telegraph linesman Al...

Day 30. Up early today as we are driving south 250km to Katherine for a couple of days before we head west towards the Kimberley. Stopped for morning tea at the Leaping Lizard Cafe at Pine Creek. Finally arrived into Katherine around lunch time, a comfy 27 degrees. After a visit to Toyota to get advice on a fuel tank problem, we headed for the hot springs to soak up the water and bubbles under the little waterfall, of course armed with our noodles! We are booke...

Day 29. Today we headed 80km south to the small village of Batchelor on the edge of the Litchfield National Park. Originally established in 1911 as a Government Experimental Farm and in 1941 as a heavy duty airstrip for General MacArthur's B17 bombers. In 1949 it developed further to service the uranium mine of Rum Jungle, Batchelor is a green, leafy tidy little town. We checked into the Batchelor Tourist Park, a lovely grassy, shady place and shown a great site...

Day 28. Lazy Sunday swimming, shopping and resting. Short drive south to Berry Springs for a swim in the spring-fed main pool and under the little waterfall. At first we were nearly alone with our swimming 'noodles' then gradually others arrived and the springs were alive with colourful noodles. Some fish swimming about the clear water surrounded by rainforest. WW2 troops used to swim here for relaxation, maybe my grandfather! I last swam here 42 years ago, not...