Hot spring

Day 95 – Katherine

A few words quickly, as my night bus leaves in a few minutes. I’ll expand tomorrow.

Expanding

The main attraction of Katherine are the Katherine Gorges, but being something like 20 km away from the city, I wouldn’t be able to go. Instead, there is a walking (and cycling) trail following the river on both sides, with bridges allowing one to make loops. In addition, there is a hot spring along the river, guaranteed crocodile free. The spring, not the river.

Katherine River

I went on such a loop, with my swimsuit in my backpack and hoping that there would be a place to change.

Starting from the main road crossing the bridge, I discovered an ancient railway bridge now converted as a pedestrian bridge, from which the view of the river is beautiful. A couple walking on it saw and photographed a crocodile just before I arrived -I was in fact at this moment down by the river at the foot of the regular bridge, so if I had looked in the correct direction, maybe I would have seen it.

There is also an ancient locomotive exhibited on part of the old railway tracks.

Old locomotive

So I crossed the bridge and started my loop. On the way, I saw a wallaby crossing in front of me; I saw a second wallaby later on, but that one had been used as a snack, and not much remained.

At one point I heard a curiously familiar bird cry – leon! leon!- and looked around… a peacock was strutting in a nearby backyard.

There were raptors riding the thermals also, but I don’t them well enough to recognize them.

Two trees growing one near the other, weaving their branches together

I arrived at the small bridge marking to end of the loop, and started back on the other bank. I came on the hot spring pretty fast. Let’s just say that they are popular.

Katherine hot spring

I found a parking, a cafe, and toilets to change. The cafe will charge you $2 for a small bottle of water, but to avoid pollution, they offer free water for customers. So people who want only water are polluter who pay. Neat.

I soaked a good long while in the spring. They are at quite a comfortable temperature, not fresh or cold, of course, but not too hot in the hot weather. Perfect temperature.

Leaving the spring, I saw firemen burning the undergrowth on the river bank, I guess as a precaution against wild fire.

The outside temperature was pretty high, and I was very happy to have bought a backpack for day hiking. Thanks to the recent Father’s Day, I even got a discount for it.

Soaking in the hot spring

And as a result of the day exertions, went getting back downtown I added to my purchases a hat, a big bottle of sunscreen and more refillable water bottles. And as a consolation prize, I saw numerous crocodiles of the plastic variety.

As always, the pictures are in the gallery.