As camping spots for the Jatbula hike in the Northern Territory were booked out within an hour of their release, we felt fortunate to get a last spot, despite it being the end of season September heat. On the day before we left, our reconnaissance paddle in kayaks along the Katherine Gorge in 40 degrees centigrade had us concerned about how we’d manage the 5-day hike.
Advice about not hiking in the hottest part of the day and that we should consume a lot of electrolytes came thick and fast. Only the temptation of swimming holes and waterfalls near camp sites kept us motivated. It didn’t take long before Jen developed a boots-and-all approach to swimming holes along the way. To be honest, many of them were merely water puddles. Jen concluded they weren’t worth the effort of undressing for.
However, the campsites were gorgeous. Our first night above Biddlecombe Cascades won the award for scenic beauty with crystal clear ponds at the top and a cool, deep rock pool between the high and low sections of the waterfall.
It was amazing how fast even those of us who are not early risers adapted to packing up camp in the dark to avoid hiking in blistering afternoon temperatures. Each morning, at daybreak, our 6 humpbacked silhouettes climbed away from the relative cool of the water source. Any murky pond along the way was invitation us to dip our shirts, hats, or bodies into it. Without them we’d have been sad vegemites; with them, we were chirpy hikers on a mission. Our destination campsites were along water-holey sections of the Edith river, lined with lily pads and lotus flowers.
On our third evening, a gorgeous gang of red-tailed black cockatoos kept us company, their melodious calls filling the air and drowning out the cawing of the crows, who waited patiently for opportunities to raid the campsite. None of us lost any food, but Darcy’s gear gained a few extra holes.
We must have swum with freshwater crocodiles, although none of us were lucky enough to see one. The rangers assured us that their scarier saltwater relatives were absent from all but one waterhole along the way, where we’d been warned not to swim. Strangely enough, none of us had any inclination to do so. Etched in my mind is the memory of a news article, where a Kakadu tour guide took 2 of his female travellers for a swim across a lily-pond lagoon. The girl at the back felt the water displacement below her before the crocodile surfaced just ahead to pull her friend under. I’ve always thought it’d have been fairer had the croc chosen the guide instead.
There was no stopping our intrepid crew on our last day of the hike, when temperatures dropped to an icy 36 degrees centigrade for the hike past Sweetwater to Edith falls. I was sad to return to the concrete carpark for our pickup to take us to Katherine’s city-lights. Anyone who has been there will understand my meaning.