Swimming Under a Waterfall: Nitmiluk

Sunday’s adventure was an impromptu trip up to Nitmiluk National Park (formerly Katherine Gorge) with one of Justin’s coworkers. She drove us the 32 km from town in her 1968 Holden jalopy.

(Please forgive an aside about this great car: it’s typical of a car of its era with bench seating and snazzy ashtrays built into the backs of the front seats and a very ample trunk [she also helped us pick up our things from the auction], but not quite so mammoth as, say, the 1967 Chrysler that I drove when I was seventeen. Only one of the back doors opens, and only from the outside. The only passenger seatbelt is in the front. The first time I rode in it (Friday night), I asked if the car had a name. This is what Jenny said:

“Well, you know, when I was looking at it, the bloke who was selling it said to me, ‘You’re going to think I’m pissing in your pocket—’” whereupon M (she’s German) interrupted with “What?” and a discussion ensued about what exactly this expression means and where it comes from, but I’ll let you try to figure it out. Finally, Jenny said, “Okay, so he says, ‘You’re going to think I’m pissing in your pocket, but I call her [the car] Jenny.’” Please leave your speculations in a comment. Now back to Sunday’s adventure.)

We parked in an almost empty, but nicely landscaped parking lot, and headed up the trail. The trail was well marked and went through an interesting landscape, sections of eucalyptus woodland thinning to a more open area with great rock formations. The rocks and even the dust of the trail were really amazing shades of red, maroon, rust and pink.

After a bit more than an hour, I think, of walking, none of it strenuous, but enough up and down to not be boring either, we came to the gorge. The scramble down the gorge was the thickest bit of vegetation, but it wasn’t Solomons-jungly. The payoff of this pleasant hike was amazing: a perfect swimming hole with a spectacular waterfall! Pictures below (if I’ve done this right!).

We swam and floated for over an hour and then walked back. Jenny and another linguist, G, came over later for a big middle-eastern themed dinner as previously planned. It was a fine finale for an action-packed weekend!