22/7/2013 - 23/7/2013 Edith Falls, Nitmiluk National Park

22/7/2013  Edith Falls

We left Mataranka early and arrived at Nitmiluk National Park campground about 11:00am - by mid afternoon the campground was full.  We found a good camp site, set up and had lunch.  When we went to walk the ridge route to the falls we found that it was closed so we did the shorter but steeper route from the car park directly up the side of the escarpment and then down the hillside to Edith Falls. Gerd had a long swim. I had a much shorter one and then spent my time taking pictures of the beautiful scenery.

There were brilliant red dragon flies flitting over the sand and hovering on their favourite grass stems.

When we went back to the plunge pool near the camp ground, at the bottom of the series of water falls, we found that it was different to our last visit. A big sand island arose in the middle of where previously there had only been deep water. Apparently the wet season floods of 2011 had not only washed away a lot of infrastructure but had also changed the topography of the area.   

23/7/2013 Edith Falls 

In the late morning we set out to hike along the Edith River to Sweet Water swimming hole. Along the way we met hikers doing the 60 km hike from Katherine Gorge to Edith Falls. About lunch time we arrived at a pretty area called Long Water Hole with a small water fall and lots of rocky outcrops running across the stream.  

The hikers told us that this was the nicest area along this section of the river so we decided to eat our lunch, have a swim, and head back to Edith Falls for more swimming (Gerd) and pictures (me). 

In the evening a National Parks ranger came to the campground and presented a slide show about the park,  its flora and fauna.