King George River 25 Aug

Lots of photos on this day, my favourite day of the trip. Up at 7am (I'm suppose to be on holiday!!) to be greeted by a stunning view of the King George River from the porthole. Off for a quick flick (0f the lee-oo-ah) - no luck - and then back to the mother ship for muesli and fresh fruit for brekkie. Trippy had suggested we spend the next hour on the front of the boat watching the scenery go by. As we cruised slowly down the river we were amazed by the stunning red cliffs on both sides.






Finally we arrived at the Gorge where Trippy guided the boat to the wall. The rock is black from an algae that grows during the wet season. The cameras and videos are working overtime at this stunning location.

We disembark and board the tinnys to go over to the rocks for our ascent to the top of the Gorge - oh my gawd, its a long way up and I do mean up. Now I should just mention at this stage that we have made a pact to take off our watches for this trip and not worry about the time. I should also say that I am very happy that I have been religiously going to the gym prior to this trip as I soon realise this is not a holiday for the faint-hearted. My beatifully shaped but short little legs need all their strength to get up some of these rocks (boulders).

We climb steadily to the top stopping frequently for a drink - water. When we finally arrive the view is breathtaking. Words cannot describe the beauty of the river and the cliffs. We spend quite sometime looking around the top of the cliffs, lots of rocks and spinafex, the ground is really very harsh.

Please note the class clown - Adrian - peering up from below the rock - he looks like that character from our childhood "Foo".






Love these photos

I am very bad with heights so I am very pleased that I have managed to get up here without a panic attack. Now for the descent!! Not as bad as I thought it would be. The crew are very patient and help anyone who is struggling.

What a morning! Now back aboard the boat we are looking for lunch and quickly break out the gin and tonic/white wine/beer. As we sit back sipping our lovely cold drinks Trippy appears and says, "You lot are hard core". Wot? "It's only 10.30". Wot the heck, it must be at least 1.00pm somewhere. At this point it didn't seem right to put down our drinks, so we just kept drinking, after all, we are on holiday.

No rest for the wicked, back into the tinnys for a swim at King George's Crack (hey, I didn't name it!). Yet another climb and through the crack to the waterhole. Tim and Clive head straight for the highest rock and jump into the water from about 10 metres. It is very cold as the water only has sun for 30 minutes each day. However, it is a very hot day and the cold water is very inviting. The ladies are still in Olympics mode and begin practise on our synchronized swimming routine. This was to become a regular routine at each waterhole.

First back to the boat and into the spa for a quick dip

After lunch Tim, Gronk and Megan head off to collect wood for a bonfire on the beach tonight while the passengers settle down for a shleep/read/grog/whatever for the afternoon. Suddenly there is a commotion when Megan returns to the boat with a nasty gash to the inside of her foot from an oyster shell. General Hospital springs into action with 2 nurses and a physio on board and a skipper who luuuvs to sew. The poor kid is quite upset but is quickly set upon by the professionals (much to Trippy's disgust), given a local and stitched up in no time (5 stitches). All the mothers then give her the lecture on not wearing shoes (none of the crew wear shoes, they have feet like leather) but of course she takes about as much notice as our kids do. The serenity returns to the boat as we cruise towards the mouth of the river where we will stay until 3am because of the tide. Give fishing a miss this time. Still only one eating fish caught at this stage by Ali.

As the sun sets we take the tinnys to the beach where the boys have set up a bonfire. It is a beauty and can been seen for kilometres. Nathan has made pizzas and the eskies are full of grog. Just what you need for a bonfire on the beach. We ho into the pizzas thinking (hoping) it is dinner, but no, it is only a snack until we get back to the boat. My God, it will be straight to the fat farm from the boat.

As we return to the boat I am overcome by the magnificent sky. The stars are so bright and I can't ever remember seeing the Milky Way with such clarity before.

If today is an indication of what is to come, bring it on.