We did a short (4 km) walk up onto the sandstone cliffs and back down into Katherine Gorge.  We did the walk the wrong way around so we went down the really steep steps up the gorge and climbed up the more gently gradient onto the escarpment.  Very dry and hot – 32C.  A series of these pretty palms lined the climb up to the escarpment, from small

to tall.

Lots of loose boulders,

some with very large stones within them, you can just about make out this stone in the picture above.

This tree had no leaves

but was in flower.  We learnt later in the evening that when the flowers die, the time the freshwater crocodiles came ashore to lay their eggs.

The seed pod.

Another grevillea type flower

The seed pods

From what we can gather during aboriginal dreamtime (creation), creation beings took the form of humans, animals or plants and they brought the landscape to ‘life’ by putting themselves into the countryside.  The creation beings named many places and specified dangerous areas and places to avoid.  The Katherine River originated when Nabilil, a dragon like creature was killed.  Nabilil travelled from Port Keats area and decided to rest at the entrance of the gorge.

Since the gorge and the surrounding country were dry, Nabilil carried his water and fire sticks in a dilly bag under his arm.  Other creation beings such as Lumbuk (loom-book) the pigeon, Wakwak the crow and Garrkayn the brown hawk tried to catch Nabilil to get his water but failed.  At a place a long way upstream from the gorge, Nabilil made another camp.  Walarrk the cave bat had hidden himself in the leaves so that Nabilil couldn’t see him.  He ambushed the dragon and killed him with a stone tipped spear.  As the spear struck it released the water that Nabilil carried in his dilly bag.  The water filled the streams and the Katherine River.  The birds who had been trying to get Nabilil’s water were obviously now very happy.  They discovered his fire sticks and so were now also able to cook their food.

Paul was moaning along walk that disappointed he had not seen any snakes other than the inner tube episode.  I told him not to say things like that and lo, later in the day on the swimming pool railings:

This crow/raven was having a good peck – way to go bird.