We've reached the top end and our first multiple night stay of the trip! Tables and chairs were out, awning pegged down and bikes off racks ready for adventure! I even managed a 5km run along the Katherine river it's amazing where running can take you! The kids the most excited about the pool at the caravan park. Our first day was spent restocking supplies, planning of what to see and do and the mundane tasks of laundry. Our poor molly coddled clothes have spent their lives being washed in the gentle no agitator world of a front loader already seem to be having a hard time adjusting to the top loader industrial machines in the caravan parks! Washed in 30mins I don't think so!!!! We however, have put the jumpers and long pants at the back of the cupboard and are embracing our warm northern winter! Day 2 saw us visit Nitmiluk national park (Katherine Gorge). A 2 hour cruise took us through 2 of the 13 gorges. Swimming was still off limits as it was still early in the season and the risk of Saltwater crocodiles was low but still there. The parks people must have a werid sense of humour as straight across from the swimming platoon in the river is a rather large saltwater croc trap! Our boat cruise was as spectacular as I had imagined and much to Thomas's and Ben's delight we got to see a rather large freshwater crocodile sunning itself along the bank of the river. As much as these mass produced regular cruises allows we chugged down through the gorge already amazed at the sheer beauty while not being able to picture how much water flows through these gorges in the wet, a good 30 feet above what the river levels were at now and that would be a normal wet not even those times when it technically "floods". The walk between the 2 gorges was enough to keep the kids entertained, there was only so much look at that species of tree the boys could take or pretend to be interested in ;). The pictures really tell the story.

The next day begins with a trip back down the highway to the Cutta Cutta caves, the Territory's only publicly accessible tropical limestone caves (as stated straight from the brochure!) With one way in and one way out the caves were an accidental discovery by Mr Smith the cattle farmer when a few of his cows went missing. On further exploration he found a sink hole that opened up to these amazing caves. Unlike the limestone caves in the south these are warm and dry and yes like everything in the NT fills with water in the wet! Home to various species of micro bats Thomas was keenest to spot a ghost bat, however they have moved musch deeper into the caves away from us pesky humans that want to make noise and flash light at the constantly! On return back to the caravan park we refuel ourselves and hop on our bikes and ride to the Katherine hot springs. I am loving myself sick in these tepid warm pools , no funny dance to ease my way into the water, just step and immerse ... bliss!!! The boys spend the hours sliding up and down natural waterfalls in the springs and jumping from greater heights than we would like into the pools ... at least Thomas didn't jump from the overhanging tree!! Zoe even managed a good hour without turning blue!!

Nights are spent cooking at the camp kitchen while the kids run around sometimes with other kids in the park or just themselves and a footy, while we gather tips and stories from other travellers ... geez retirement is good for some!!

As with such long travels we have been careful to remain some flexibility in our planning when we can, which came into fruition when we decided to stay an extra night in Katherine and do a day trip up to Edith Falls instead of camping there overnight. A blessing in disguise as Ben overnight developed a fever and was unwell for the next couple of days so our day trip was postponed and we rested up at the caravan park.

Our travels take us back south and we decide to stay at Bitter Springs in Mataranka for a night before heading out to Mt Mcminn station. Ben was still not 100% but how strenuous can floating down a spring fed river be? We are so glad to have stopped here and really would recommend these springs over the thermal pools we stayed in when we first passed through Mataranka. The springs were large pools that you could enter upstream and float with the current down with a couple of exit points you walk back to the start and just keep floating. We purchased a couple of noodles for the kids but somehow forget that we have 3 kids and a 'couple' of noodles just doesn't cut it. Luckily a gentleman who was staying opposite us with his family were leaving and offered us the use of his, phew!

Back at the caravan park we returned the noodle and as you do we all end up having a beer and chat. They were on a year long travelling holiday with their 5 year old son, sold everything and decided to go searching for just the right spot for them. It turns out that Mark was quite adept with the whips and apparantly had held some whip cracking championships in his late teens and early twenties, he put on abit of a demonstration for us, giving Thomas a lesson on how to crack a whip, Thomas now realises it's harder than it looks! When the sun was down the glow sticks came out and the kids ran around the park playing hide and seek and other various games involving let's see who can throw their glow stick the highest. This is what traveling is all about!!

The disappointment by the kids of leaving their new friend soon disappeared as we made that turn east off the Stuart Highway onto the Roper Highway and headed towards Mt Mcminn station. Get better quickly Bennyboy!!!