Our first stop today was the Visitor Information Centre at Katherine. We usually make these places our first point of call as they deliver a wealth of information of places to visit in the area that you may not have even heard of. They usually have a visual display of some sort and this one had a rolling TV presentation. But one of the best things attached to this centre is the coffee shop. It is a little caravan set up under the shade of some magnificent fig trees. There are tables and chairs spread around and each and every one is in the shade. It is such a lovely tropical setting and is the perfect place to be on a hot day.
After coffee we went for a drive to find our friends place and also to look for Katherine Springs. We found Pam and Raymonds home very easily. It is on acreage and we look forward to our return when we can park up here and spend some time with them.
Katherine Springs was also easy to find as Katherine is not a big place. The springs were a lot more defined than the ones at Mataranka with a large winding path leading down to the springs. There are numerous pools each with their own signature. All have steps leading down into them. Some have little waterfalls others are just peaceful. The top spring pool seems to be where the young ones congregate and the bottom one is for the young as it is shallower.
We settled into the middle pool and started chatting to a young couple from Singapore. They had overheard us talking about taking alcohol into Kakadu (you can't). Alcohol Restrictions in the Northern Territory are harsh and policed. We went to a drive through bottle shop yesterday and were met by a policeman who put us through the third degree. We had to show identification, we were asked where we were staying and then asked if the alcohol was for our own private use. Payment was only accepted with photo identification. Welcome to the Northern Territory.
Anyway, getting back to our young friends at the springs, we told them that alcohol restrictions don't exist in the eastern Australian States although alcohol is not sold in supermarkets like it is in Singapore. They were a chatty young couple. He was from the Netherlands and she was from France. They were both studying in Singapore. They love coming to Australia and have been here several times and they are heading south as they have just completed the loop from Litchfield to Darwin to Kakadu that we are yet to do.
We don't really have a plan for tomorrow but on Friday we are booked on a 40 minute sunset flight around the Katherine region. We are both excited about that one.
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