1st - 4th May - Katherine
On 1st May I did a couple of hours birding around Batchelor, before returning to the Butterfly farm for the best breakfast of the trip. We then drove the 240km SSE to Katherine and chilled for a couple of hours in the pool and air-conditioned room at the Pine Tree Motel, before a late afternoon birding session and shop for provisions.
Coming to Katherine was not on our original itinerary - we came here because our booked accommodation in Mary River was being renovated. As the Cutta Cutta caves NP was completely closed we probably had one night more here than was necessary. The motel was initially disappointing in having limited grounds, but it had a nice enough pool and there was good birding in the adjacent scrubland.
On 2nd, 3rd and 4th May we visited the Katherine Gorge section of the Nitmiluk NP. Here there is a very good visitor centre, where we had our 11:00 coffee each day. On 2nd we did the 2 gorges boat ride, which has a short walking section between the two gorges. Here we saw our second Freshwater Crocodile (Alison having found one the previous evening). On 3rd we did the Baruwei lookout and loop walk across the sandstone escarpment. On 4th we did the Windolf walk to Pat's lookout. From lunch to late afternoon we mostly spent escaping from the heat in the motel pool or air-conditioned room - and then did some late afternoon birding.
Coming to Katherine was not on our original itinerary - we came here because our booked accommodation in Mary River was being renovated. As the Cutta Cutta caves NP was completely closed we probably had one night more here than was necessary. The motel was initially disappointing in having limited grounds, but it had a nice enough pool and there was good birding in the adjacent scrubland.
On 2nd, 3rd and 4th May we visited the Katherine Gorge section of the Nitmiluk NP. Here there is a very good visitor centre, where we had our 11:00 coffee each day. On 2nd we did the 2 gorges boat ride, which has a short walking section between the two gorges. Here we saw our second Freshwater Crocodile (Alison having found one the previous evening). On 3rd we did the Baruwei lookout and loop walk across the sandstone escarpment. On 4th we did the Windolf walk to Pat's lookout. From lunch to late afternoon we mostly spent escaping from the heat in the motel pool or air-conditioned room - and then did some late afternoon birding.