Well we have arrived back in Katherine ready for our month long stay here whilst Steve does a months contract at Tindall air force base during operation “pitch black”. We are serenaded by the sound of the huge jets flying in formation overhead at regular intervals.
Ethan and I joined Steve and the medical corp for a meal at the officers mess this week which was lots of fun.
Quite unexpectedly we arrived in time for the Katherine show which is run in conjunction with the Katherine Rodeo. Although Steve was busy tapping out some work on the computer that weekend, Ethan and I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to head to the show and rodeo. Although we did feel somewhat underdressed – even Ethan commented that he wished he had his boots, jeans, cowboy hat and check shirt on, and I am afraid my tie dye was quite out of place!
Ethan had great fun riding the hurricane, ferris wheel and dodgem cars, in between looking at displays from the police, careflight, cattle and other animals, craft, cakes, and many country outfitters. Then it was off to settle in to watch the rodeo. We had a ball – we were sitting next to travelers from Sweden and Argentina on one side who kept asking us to explain what was happening (little did they know we had no idea), and on the otherside a veteran rodeo rider and his new bride from Texas. The huge bucking Brahman bulls that bested the cowboys (and girls), the feisty bronco’s that leapt and bucked and scraped off their riders; the skill of the riders as they roped steers, rode full pelt around barrels and wrestled cows to the ground was amazing. We certainly admire their bravery and skills – and as the ambulance had to be called for more than one rider that night I can attest that it is a pass time not for the faint of heart. There were even ‘junior’ events with youngsters as young as 8 years riding bucking calves and ponies!
We are settling into a routine of morning school, and afternoons exploring Katherine on our bikes (as Steve takes the car to work each day) – thankfully it is a flat area so quite an easy ride. Although Ethan and I are feeling the heat…. The locals are starting to complain about the cold, just goes to show how much you acclimatize to your own corner of the world. It is getting to around 35 during the day, and cools to a “chilly” 25 overnight. I have decided I just want to eat ice and bob in the pool all day……
We have taken out a library membership – which gives us some chance of keeping Ethan in reading matter during the month. Unfortunately we can only borrow two books at a time (both for Ethan), and as he is reading a novel a day we are frequent flyers at the local library, with all the staff knowing us by name, and making suggestions for books for him to read.
Last weekend the Northern Territory speedway circuit was in Katherine – so in keeping with our attempt to embrace all that there is to offer, off we went for a night of high octane, high speed adventure at the Katherine speedway. We had fence side seating (on our folding chairs), so we wouldn’t miss out on a second of the action…. (we didn’t miss out on any of the flying clods of mud from the oft squirted track either)! The evening had it all, old jalopies, seasoned racers, junior racers (12 yo was the youngest), and go-carts. There were thrills, spills, crashes, write-offs, and one rollover. Not to mention a huge green tree frog sitting happily in the bowl of the only toilet, which meant a superhuman effort to hold on till we were back at camp.
We have been to NT rare rocks (fueling Ethan’s budding geology interests), the oldest homestead in NT, the cicad gardens, the historical museum, and this week Ethan and I visited the Katherine school of the air.
It has been nice just to be in one spot for a while - however I am sure we will be ready to head off when the time comes.
Katherine seems to be full of dogs – and very little in the way of council bylaws to encourage owners to control them. In the first week I had met two people recovering from being attacked and mauled by groups of roaming dogs, along with a gentleman who had three dogs attack him and his own dog (on a lead) whilst walking down the main street. It is certainly making Ethan and I a little more careful when we are riding our bikes around town.
The Katherine festival is coming up soon, and we will be here for some of the time. They do a huge number of weaving, spinning, jewellery and other craft workshops, along with painting competitions, concerts, outdoor opera, and mini film festival. We are busy deciding what we will be able to go to see, and I am intending to book into at least one of the workshops.
This weekend Steve and Ethan had been booked in to paddle the canoe through Katherine Gorge as far as 6th Gorge and to camp overnight and return the next day, however all the gorges have been closed as there has been a large salt water croc spotted in the second gorge. It will probably be a few weeks before it is caught and the gorge given the all clear to re-open. So instead they have headed off for a “survival” camping weekend at Umbrawarra Gorge and Robin Falls. So, no bedding, no tent, no food – only what they can catch (although I have smuggled some in just in case), and they will be doing a “Bear Grills” adventure making a shelter and roughing it. As you can see I am not with them!!!!!! This whole 7 month trip is my idea of roughing it – so I will just stay right here in our tent, and spend my day bobbing in the pool!!
Till next time - Cheerio
