Kia ora from Katherine,

I was underway by 7:30 after having a huge cooked breakfast (“free” as part of the “Crazy Croc” deal that I booked through Wotif; it’d want to be free, given the price of the accommodation!).

The morning was spent visiting sites in the Kakadu National Park. I first headed 50km north-east to Ubirr. The main attraction there was aboriginal rock art sites. Unfortunately, I was there I little to early, as the gates didn’t open for another half hour (I should have read the Visitor Guide more closely). Not prepared to hang around, I returned towards Jabiru. However the trip wasn’t entirely wasted; it was worth it, for the drive along the base of the sandstone escarpment for the last 10 km or so.

I then followed the Kakadu Highway south-west toward the Stuart Highway. On the way I visited Nourlangie Rock (where I took a short 2 km walk),

and Yellow Waters (where I took a short walk along a boardwalk (actually a metalwalk) over the wetlands).

By then it was half 11ish, and although there were other sites to visit, I thought I’d seen a representative sample of the landscape. Besides, it was now 30+ degrees, and what’s worse, tourists were now swarming in droves. So, I elected to head for my home for the night. I grabbed a late lunch from the Mary River Roadhouse ’round 1.

I was in my motel room by 2:30. I thought I’d try a different motel in Katherine this time, as I didn’t think that the one I stayed in last time met it’s claimed 3.5 star standard. Bugger me if the advertised WiFi access here is only available in their Deluxe rooms; given the tariff I’m paying, I shudder to think what a Deluxe room must cost! At least I have dial-up tonight.

Here’s the route on Google Maps:

Cheers,
Julian