Crocs, rapids and rocks in a Katherine adventure

WORDS KAREN HALABI

Kayaking along the Katherine River
Photo: Corbis /Catherine Karnow

Katherine, in the rugged heart of the Northern Territory, is packed full of outback action and adventure. It’s only a three- to four-hour drive along the Explorer’s Way from Darwin, but once you arrive you’ll feel like you can take on anything! Crocs, rapids and rocks – I faced them all on my three-day kayaking adventure on the Katherine River.

Mike, my expedition leader, starts by handing out life jackets and waterproof rubber bags. “These are in case you capsize,” he says, “They’ll keep all your stuff dry.” As we scramble over rocks to where our kayaks are lined up on the water’s edge, he adds, “Look out for rocks and submerged trees. Oh, and there’s no swimming except in shallow water where we can see the bottom – just in case there are any crocodiles.”

Our group of eight heads out, feeling a little on edge as we contemplate the possibility of meeting a croc head on. Within 10 minutes, a group member’s kayak capsizes. Heading for an overhanging tree branch on the other side of the river, Ian had reached out and grabbed the branch at such speed that he back-flipped, head over heels, and fell straight into the water. He’s a little shocked and red-faced, mumbling something about how he “didn’t see it coming”, but with his protective helmet on he’s none the worse for wear.

Watch out!
Photo: Tourism Northern
Territory/David Kirkland

There’s the occasional small rapid to navigate, but most of the time we just drift and let the river pull us along. At times we steer rather than paddle, negotiating our way as the current builds momentum and carries us rapidly downstream. Huge branches from partly submerged trees jut out into the water, and occasionally Mike reaches out to dislodge a dangerous branch which has fallen into our path.

We drift along in silence, save for the sound of water lapping against our paddles, wind rushing through the trees and the calls of the native birds. The Katherine River is a bird and wildlife haven. Blue-winged kookaburras and small blue-and-green rainbow bee-eaters dart among the trees, sometimes with white-billed herons, egrets and darters. Occasionally we see or hear a wallaby dashing through the undergrowth, and we also cross paths with small freshwater crocs (known as “freshies”). We watch as they slip into the water from the logs where they’ve been sunbaking.

A few rapids and flow-throughs later and it’s time to stop for lunch on a sandbank known as Vampire Beach. We collect branches and twigs to make a fire, add eucalyptus leaves to the tea for a real bush cuppa and pass around sandwiches, fresh fruit and snack bars.

Navigating the river
Photo: Karen Halabi

As we head back out, Mike draws our attention to the fact that every sandbank, rapid and danger spot has a name: Galloping Jack’s, Christie’s, the Fridge-Freezer and Dead Gin Creek are the highlights on this first day. On the second day, we’ll take on The Nipple and The Boat Cruncher. That night we camp at Millsey’s, a pretty, sandy beach draped in pandanus palms. Next door there’s a side channel that we make our playground for the afternoon. The water is hot, like a warm bath, and we delight in using the channel as a natural waterslide – dropping into the fast-moving current from tree branches and shooting around a bend out into the river. As night falls, sucking the warmth out of the day, steam starts to rise from the water. No matter what the air temperature, the water stays at a constant 24°C.

Look out for any surprises
Photo: Tourism Northern
Territory/David KirklandThe riverside air is surprisingly chilly after the 30°C-plus temperatures of Darwin and Katherine, so we’re happy to settle down to a warming dinner of barbecued kangaroo sausages, steak and salad, with a few glasses of red. After dinner we huddle around the campfire and listen to tall tales of cane toads and crocodiles. Mike tells us it’s crocodile-safe to swim in the shallow water near our camp, but we shouldn’t go swimming at night at all while we’re in “the Territory”. The “No Swimming” rule is especially important during the crocodiles’ mating season in December, January and February, and when we’ve consumed any alcohol. “That’s when people get taken,” he warns.

That night I lie in my swag, look up at the stars and take in the clear outback sky. The night is very dark and we haven’t seen a soul all day; it’s just us, the stars and a few freshies in the river nearby.

We wake the next day to an early-morning mist: although the temperature has fallen to 12°C overnight, the water is still steaming like a sauna. We pack up camp, and on our way out Mike points out traps for saltwater crocodiles (“salties”) along the river bank – giant steel cages with trapdoors and meat lures. Park rangers patrol the traps every couple of days, keeping an eye out for salties that have been caught.

Fighting the rapids
Photo: Karen Halabi

Soon we come to a dangerous bend known as Mega Strainer, where everyone tries to avoid an enormous branch in the water. “Rudder hard left, then go with the flow,” yells Mike, who has gone on ahead to check out the river. We all make it through, although some people have a hard time. A few punters misjudge and oversteer right into the bank, ending up beached; others end up broadsided or capsized, clutching on to tree branches. One person rams right into a branch which has fallen across a narrow section of the river; the rest of us take a side channel to avoid it. By now we feel used to such obstacles and take it in our stride.

A few kilometres downstream we come to Dog Leg, an infamous spot where the river narrows to just a metre wide and virtually turns back on itself. Mike decides that we should take a path over the rocks – because the water is so shallow, some of us have to get out and portage our kayaks across. Then, almost without warning, we’re at The Boat Cruncher we’ve heard so much about. “This is it!” yells out Mike. “The last hurdle!” One by one, we follow him through the middle of a small series of rapids.

The river level has dropped, so some people narrowly miss the rocks – there’s a loud cheer as the last of the group makes it through unscathed. Just as we think all the excitement is over, we see it: a saltie! The croc slips its head under water and swims off before I can get a good look. “Definitely a saltie,” says Mike. “I reckon it was attracted by all the splashing; a freshie would have run away.”

Gecko Canoeing runs trips suitable for men, women and kids during the Northern Territory dry season (May to October/November). The tour runs along a stretch of the lower Katherine River, south of the township of Katherine and below the gorges where the river is fed by springs. There are also canoeing expeditions that cover the Daly and Flora Rivers – most are outside national parks and away from tourist crowds. All tours are led by fully qualified and accredited guides eager to share their environmental knowledge. Tel: 1800 634 319 within Australia.

Karen Halabi says
I quickly discovered while kayaking down the Katherine that Australia’s northern frontier has some weird and wonderful characters: a guy who catches barramundi with his bare hands, another who rode his non-motorised scooter 3,000km across Central Australia, and an awful lot of people who love croc-spotting! Trying to spot crocodiles is as much of a pastime in the Territory as whacking cane toads.