We had previously passed through Katherine stopping only long enough for a quick grocery stop on our way north, but it seemed like a nice place so we were keen to stay for a few days this time to see what the town was really like. The caravan parks we passed on the way through town looked super packed, so we were happy to find a place that was only about half full 10km south of the town. It was set on the Katherine River, so after setting up we wandered down and played by the river for a while, with the kids picking various targets that we had to hit with rocks and sticks. It was a gorgeous setting, but the big croc that was supposed to be living down there was not on show that afternoon.
The next morning we awoke to a beautiful sunrise. There was a thick layer of fog all around the campground, which combined with the soft hues in the sky and the silhouettes of the trees to create a stunning early morning scene. After breakfast we headed into town to do a bit of shopping before treating ourselves to coffee and a chocolate brownie at a great cafe we found. Our daily coffee fix usually came from our plunger, and although not up to Sydney cafe standards, at least we knew what we were getting each time. Having said that, the coffee from this cafe was really good and reminded us how nice a good coffee can be. We then headed back to camp for lunch. The kids weren’t sure what to do after that and with cries of ‘I’m bored’ Kat threw a few crazy ideas out there. Usually our suggestions were all quickly dismissed as being bad ideas, and I was sure that Kat’s final idea would suffer the same fate, but surprisingly the kids through it was great. The place we were staying had a permanent stage on the back of a pick up truck, and Kat suggested that the kids prepare a show for the other campers. They could make some tickets and sell them to the grey nomads camped near us that we figured would be up for such a show. Em instantly volunteered to do a couple of dance numbers and got straight to work choosing her costumes and accompanying songs, while Oli, who had recently learnt some card tricks from a book he had been reading decided he would put on a magic show. They made some tickets and settled on a 50 cent entry price which would include a magic show sandwiched between two dance routines complete with separate costumes. The show was a sell out (by that I mean they sold all 16 tickets they made) and they now had a couple of hours to rehearse before the ‘O&E Amazing Show of Magic and Dance!’ was set to begin. Oli practiced his trick on all of us, before Em started work on her routine. Oli took on the role of choreographer and guided Em through the steps, not letting her rest until she had perfected them all. Finally the time arrived and the crowd gathered around the ‘rusty ute stage’. There was a buzz of anticipation, but the crowd hushed as Oli took to the stage and introduced the show. Em successfully made it through her first song before dashing backstage to get changed while Oli flawlessly wowed the crowd with his trick, performed twice on volunteers from the audience to prove it wasn’t a fluke. Em then came out and boot scooted her way through her second routine complete with cowgirl outfit to wrap the show up. As they took to the stage for a final bow, the audience applauded enthusiastically. We were very impressed with how well they did at putting on the whole thing with very little help from either of us, and they couldn’t believe how much money they just made.
As we were now entering the peak travel season for this part of the world, booking ahead was becoming necessary for the more popular places. With the kids happily playing around camp the next day making mud pies and obstacle courses, we took advantage of the down time and began planning our trip down the Gibb River Road, an iconic journey along an notoriously corrugated and dusty route that takes you past countless spectacular gorges on the way to Broome. That afternoon Kat took the kids into town to help with the grocery shopping so I could have a bit of time to catch up on a few chores that I was behind on back at camp.
Kat’s back had been getting worse over the last month or so (her lower back would flare up at times back at home and need a few physio sessions to sort it out), so we decided that tracking down a physio in town would be a good idea. She found one and headed in on Monday morning to get them to work on her back. The physio turned out to be really good so Kat set up a couple more appointments over the next two days. The kids were really enjoying just playing together at the campground and we were enjoying a bit of down time as well so staying here for a couple more days suited us all. The days here were hot and dusty, and even doing nothing we worked up a sweat, so that afternoon we headed to the local springs for a cool off. The Katherine Springs were not very hot, and although not a patch on Bitter Springs, it was still really nice to be in the water, and the kids had fun swimming against the surprisingly strong flow of water coming from the springs.
The next day we all headed into town and while Kat went to the physio, the kids and I wandered around town for a while. We tracked down a camping store and checked out kids hydration backpacks. Up until now we had carried all of our water bottles and numerous snacks whenever we went on a long walk but we decided that as we were about to head down the Gibb with its long walks into the gorges, it would be much smarter if we could find backpacks for the kids so they could carry their own water and snacks. Once I got the kids approval on their preferred colours, we bought a couple of packs complete with a few pockets for snacks, and we were now ready for the long walks ahead. We had also been trying to find a replacement hat for Oli as his straw hat from Sydney was rapidly disintegrating as it was repeatedly stuffed into any available space in the boot on a daily basis. Having seen a few kids wearing a particular style of wide brimmed hat we went in search of one in town and before long found a shop that had them. After trying on a few sizes and styles, we settled on a cow hide one and Oli was very happy with the new purchase. Once Kat was done with the pyhsio we all met at the cafe we were in the other day and the kids did a bit of school work while we enjoyed a coffee. Having spoken to my dad the day before, we found out that my Aunt and Uncle who were travelling around Australia as well had been in a place very close to Katherine a couple of days ago so I had gotten in touch earlier in the day to see where they were. It turned out they had just arrived in Katherine that morning so we arranged to meet them at the cafe once they had set up. It was really nice catching up with them, swapping stories of where we had been and getting lots of good tips for the Gibb which lay ahead of us. That afternoon we headed back to camp and started packing things up as we planned to head off the next morning after Kat had one more appointment with the physio.
Pack up was a very relaxed affair the next morning as Kat had headed into town with the car and wasn’t due back until around 10:30 so I had a very lazy and slow pack up, mixed with playing with the kids. We ended up having lunch before we left as we got away so late. After filling up the water tank I was rolling the hose back up and it bumped against my leg. Having not been aware of any damage to my leg apart from a little scratch I was surprised to have it hurt so much when I knocked it with the end of the hose. It looked a little red and angry but we were about to head to Kununurra in a few days and figured if it did get worse we could deal with it then.
Wide open spaces 