A pit-stop before Darwin

 It was 10 am on Tuesday 22nd July Ghan time and having travelled all night we were well into the Northern Territory with a short stop at Katherine. If you look on the map (see previous posting) you'll see that Katherine is really not far from Darwin; so why stop? Apparently there's loads to see there - and it's a nice little earner for the tourist trade. 

I'd signed up to the Nitmiluk Gorge Cruise, on the Katherine river in the Nitmiluk National Park. It was one of five trips to choose from, including the Nitmiluk Gorge Helicopter Flight. This was starred and I suspect was only available for Platinum clientele. Is my lower middle class insecurity showing?

Anyway, loads of us climbed aboard the coaches and headed for the Gorge. After what seemed an age we arrived at this pristine assembly area, a walk down the path and onto a huge floating ( we were told "unsinkable") billy can. As most of us were of advanced years we were given the opportunity to relieve ourselves before we boarded and were told there was a loo on board just in case.

The cruise was in two parts. A fifteen minute trip to the first cataract, a shortish walk around that and a chance to view an Aboriginal rock drawing, and then onto a second floating billy can to explore the second half of the gorge. Our steersman and commentator was well worth the price; being both informative and humorous. And then it was the reverse journey. It was all over in less than an hour, back on the buses and back to the mother ship in time to freshen up for lunch.

Four hours later we were at the Berrimah Passenger Terminal, picking up our luggage and onto coaches for our hotels in Darwin.

Travelling on your own does mean you have the opportunity to talk to strangers and very soon you and they know each other's deepest secrets. I find women are much more convivial than men. Men will give you a cherry wave and smile; women enjoy a chat. 

I met two sisters accompanying their brother. Over dinner, when he'd left the table, they spoke about their grumpy brother, his unsuccessful marriage and disclosed he had just "celebrated" his 70th birthday. I reckon he uttered no more than 2 words the whole time on the Ghan. 

At lunch on the last day I sat with a couple of women who were travelling together. They do a joint holiday once a year. I asked were they married. Both gleefully replied they had been but were no longer. One said she'd been married for more than 20 years and not once during their marriage did her husband cook for her. She said his recurring question was "What's for dinner?" After too long she said she'd had enough and left... 

They both had been teachers. As we were getting off the train and as one was striding off ahead the other said to me her friend had been a fearsome headteacher (to explain her marching stride). She also confided to me that she'd left her arthritis medication at home and was suffering as the last dose wore off and she'd have to buy some paracetamol to ease the pain. I felt I had to reciprocate so told her I'd been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. Having shared our inflictions we parted all smiles and well wishes.

There was a tiny elderly Asian woman on the Ghan and she teamed up  with a young man called Andrew. Andrew was a bit slow and she kept an eye on him. It was quite moving.

My ship leaves on Friday 25th and today the 24th.  I'll try to see more of Darwin than its Benidorm like habour area. I'll report on my findings tomorrow.