In Kathrine

Here I am, in a little snip of a town tonight called Katherine.

I met up with my group. I didn't know but they have been travelling together for a month. They are one of the longer treks. They all know each other but I don't feel like the odd man out.

The first day we didn't do that much. We drove to Kakadu national park (where Croc Dundee movie was filmed) we went to a wetlands sancuary museum and camped early. It's hot and humid and really miserable. It's like %98 humidity and 92 degrees. Our campit had a nice pool though.

The next day we went swimming in a plunge pool (with a 'harmless' freshwater croc warning sign- no crocs but got some pics of a nice water monitor lizard nearby), and we went to two aborigional sites with ancient rock paintings. Really great stuff. Our next campsite had dingoes snooping around. It was bad out, just swarms of mosquoes.

Today we got up at dawn to go on a river (or billabong) cruise. I saw my first wild saltie crocs. I have good pics, very cool. Also some nice birds- one is a jacana, a big footed water bird that walks on lilly pads. It had cure chicks! It's the end of the 'wet' season, so all he lotus and water lily is starting to bloom. It was very nice. Camera is working great.

We where also supposed to go to an aborigionie camp today to learn about them, but the camp was closed since this is considered off season. Instead we went to a aborigional culture museum that was OK.

Tomorrow we go hiking and to a hot spring.

Wild animal count:
Dingoes: 2
gowanna lizard: 1
water monitor: 1
wild horses: a herd
Salt water crocs: 3
cool parrots: many
flying fox bats: a bunch
Little frogs and lizards: a bunch
mosquitos and flies: a zillion

no roos or frilled lizards yet. :(

See ya!