Ghan: Nitmiluk Gorge

The Ghan was on the move on time at 10:00a.

We settled into our cabin to enjoy the views until lunch at 11:30a. Early, but since we had eaten only a small breakfast at the welcome event, we didn’t mind. Besides we had an off-train experience scheduled for our 2:30p arrival in Katherine.

Nitmiluk Gorge — aka Katherine Gorge — is a 13-gorge system that meanders around the Katherine River. It is all part of Nitmiluk National Park. The gorge was formed 1,650 thousand million years ago. To put that number a different way … that is over 1.6 BILLION years old. Not surprising, I guess. Australia holds the oldest continental crust on earth … some of it over 4.4 BILLION years old.

To get to Nitmiluk Gorge, we were bused some 19 miles east from the rail siding where the Ghan came to a stop. It was a smooth drive on a sealed road. The only delay was caused by a film crew that blocked us from continuing forward for about 10 minutes because they were in the midst of filming a scene.

Our selected experience started with a cruise through the first gorge. Then we’d go ashore at the end of the first gorge, and while part of the group would hike a path to go on another cruise in the second gorge, we’d hike over to an Aboriginal rock art site. Here we would listen to Dreamtime stories about the creation, learn about the significance of the gorge to the Jawoyn people — the traditional caretakers of these lands — and view thousands of years old rock art that is considered to be evidence of the existence of this culture during the last Ice Age.

Well, we only got a cruise through the first gorge. In fact, everyone got just that short cruise. The reason? High water levels. The paths we were supposed to hike were under water. So, in the end, the heavy rains from ex-Cyclone Megan, which caused major flooding all the way down to Alice Springs in the center of Australia, did impact our experience.

It could have been worse, however. Had we arrived just a few days before, we wouldn’t have even made it to the gorge as the road from Katherine was still flooded.

Wish there wasn’t so much smoke haze from the controlled burns nearby … which some speculated might have been timed to coincide with the movie being filmed because the screenplay required it. Nonetheless, it was a wonderful experience. That it was only around 76F to 78F in a place that regularly sees 3-digit temps … well that was a bonus.

We returned to The Ghan with a half hour to spare before dinner … delicious food; the included adult beverages flowing freely. While we were at dinner, our cabin seating was transformed into bunk beds for the night.

We hope for a good night’s rest before tomorrow’s busy tour schedule.Read more