Katherine NT - 24 to 30 August 2009

We stopped at Katherine, named [and misspelled] by John McDouall Stuart after Catherine Chambers, the daughter of South Australian pastoralist James Chambers, who had supported Stuart's expedition.

Katherine Gorge is not far from the town and a if you take the three gorge tour it includes a swim which you can enjoy as long as you make sure the freshwater crocodiles are in the pool above you.




Katherine has a nice musuem, with a good exhibit on the Overland Telegraph and exhibits of life in the outback.

John was troubled to see his mother's Lightburn washing machine as an exhibit. It was built by a cement mixer company which explains the shape.


We loved the early advertising for a brand of meat, which went "Many a man thinks it is his goodness that keeps him from crime when it is only it his full stomach - On half allowance he would be as ugly a knave as anyone. Never mistake "Collins' Beef" for good principles."

We also swam at Edith Falls at sunset. Trish described it as like swimming in liquid gold.


We saw Springvale Station, established in 1879 by Alfred Giles, one of the first two stations in the area. We enjoyed a drover's dinner at the museum.