Today we head south along The Track to Katherine... well they called it The Track when I was here in 1980. I havent heard that term used this time, so maybe its improved. That wouldnt be hard. It was, and still is, the only road into and out of Darwin, and in those days you took your life in your hands using it. If you happened across a road train on one of its hundreds of sharp narrow bends, well good luck, and no car I drove would have been a match for any of the many water buffalo that seemed to like taking up positions in the middle of the bitumen. I wonder if well survive the day.
First stop is the Adelaide River War Cemetery. This was established in the immediate aftermath of the first Japanese air raid on Darwin in February 1942. The larger section contains the graves of 434 service personnel who lost their lives in and around the Top End in World War 2, as well as a memorial to a further 293 whose remains were never recovered. The adjacent section contains the graves of 64 civilians who lost their lives in
war service, including the eight Darwin Post Office staff and the Post Masters daughter who died as a result of a direct hit on the Post Office in the first raid. Its set in beautiful and immaculately maintained lawns and gardens. The relative youth of most of those buried here makes it especially sad.
We parked our car under a tree, and we get back to find a thick coating of leaves on the windscreen. This initiates a discussion about when deciduous trees lose their leaves up here, in this the land where the seasons are seemingly in reverse. Issy says there are no deciduous trees here, and that the leaves just fall off and regenerate continuously. She says its just like hair. Hmmm. Thats OK for her to say, but I haven‘t noticed a lot of mine growing back recently. Maybe theres hope yet.
We stop for a quick bite of lunch at Pine Creek. Were definitely in the back of beyond - everythings in the open air and there are crocodile skeletons on prominent display above the corrugated iron bar. Theres even a piano. We wonder how often that gets played. The bar tenders thumb is
heavily bandaged and hes struggling to handle the money. He tells us that he had a bit of an accident with a knife in the kitchen yesterday. He says he didnt quite cut the off, so he was back at work again first thing this morning. They breed em tough out here.
The road does indeed seem be a lot better than I remember it from 1980. There are overtaking lanes, and relatively few bends. We might yet survive. No sooner has this thought left my brain when we see a dead water buffalo on the side of the road. Its massive. The only explanation I up with for there not also being dead car occupants next to it is that the massive beasts assailant must have been even bigger. Maybe it was a road train. There seem to be plenty of those on The Track - massive trucks charging along at breakneck speed towing two or three gigantic wagons.
First impressions of Katherine are that it doesnt look particularly prosperous, and that its much hotter here than it was in Darwin. The hostess of our slightly looking motel warns us not to
leave anything valuable in the car. Hmmm. A large laminated sheet in our room lists the costs well be up for if we break anything. We might be able to cope with eight dollars for a glass, but $85 for a blanket and $500 for a TV might stretch us. I hope we dont get hit up for damaging the curtain - we couldnt get it to slide open, so we had to take half of it off its track to get some light into the room. We also note that if we remove with any linen well be up for $40 to replace it ... and dont drink to (sic) many margeritas (sic), you might end up in hospital. Katherines starting to feel like a dangerous place.
We go for a quick drive around town and find our way to the local hot springs. It looks like a very popular spot, with a large collection of locals taking a cool (might be warm?) dip to finish off the day.
