After our 5 km walks, we had breakfast and then went our separate ways; Greg exploring and Wendy worked.
Greg headed out to the Katherine Museum, which is really well done and well worth the $10 entrance fee. The story of the early settlers was interesting: besides all the other nationalities there was a bunch of Russian farmers involved in peanut farming in the very early days. Greg also hadn't heard of Dr Clyde Fenton, OBE, NT's first flying doctor, who started his own aerial ambulance rescue service in 1934 after teaching himself how to fly. A photo of one of his planes is below.
Greg came home for lunch, then we washed the truck as they actually encourage vehicle washing in this van park, as long as it is on the grass (to help keep it green, of course). We then decided to head to Woolies to stock up on non-confiscatable items at the border with WA. We applied to cross into WA and were granted almost instant approval. So we will be in WA on 14 Jun, next Monday. However, one cannot plan too much of a trip as no van parks take bookings (well Lake Argyle and Timber Creek don't, have yet to try Kununurra). Wendy would like to do a flight over the Bungle Bungles, but can't book until she knows we will have a place to stay in Kununurra. We have decided to probably only do a day trip to Lake Arglye from Kununurra and give our money to some other van park that will actually take a booking. We know that some of you reading this blog will be saying that we should stay there, however, as with Edith Falls, if you have to queue with the hope you might get a guernsey, we're out.
Woolies Katherine was absolute chaos this afternoon all because Monday is Queen's Birthday weekend here in the NT. However, we persevered and exercised a little patience and we were through the check out in what seemed like an eternity. Next came the pharmacy. We won't bother you with the details, however, you can imagine Wendy's impatience at the incompetent service provided. However, she eventually got the scripts filled and we were soon back at the van.
Being a Thursday, we wanted to book at the Katherine Club for dinner and could only have dinner about 7:30 pm which is a tad late for us grey'ing nomads, so we went back to Woolies and bought some steak and prawns. Greg used the leftover red Thai chicken curry juice to heat his prawns up in, plus a few more veggies, and Wendy made a huge salad to use up all the contraband. Needless to say we were both full as. We will try the Club for tomorrow night instead.
Entrance to our van park
Katherine River Cascades at Katherine Low Level Nature Reserve
See the steam rising from the river; it was cold
The cascades 30 minutes later
Our spot, #109, at Katherine Holiday Park
Larger than Life bronze Outback Stockman
The detail in the bronze work is excellent
Dr C. Fenton's plane, he was a real flying doctor
A beaut old tractor
