We left Katherine Gorge and drove around 60kms to Edith Falls. John and I are not really fans of organised caravan parks although we need to use them sometimes to recharge our devices, have a long shower and do our washing.  At Katherine Gorge the campsite is really an access point to the gorges so it made sense to stay there.  Edith Falls, however, is a perfect compromise.  It is quiet, has no powered sites and all the camping sites are spread out in a bush setting. So you have privacy and space. There are clean toilets and showers, and the little kiosk sells the basics plus coffees,  food and cold drinks, and some aboriginal art. It also serves as a book exchange and has wifi (which the rest of the campsite doesn’t have).

It really was perfect but the icing on the cake was the plunge pool. I’m not sure what John expected but I imagined a small, chlorine filled swimming pool that you hop in and out of to cool down.  What a surprise we got when the bush opened out to this beautiful gorge with two different entry points for swimming. It was designated a safe place to swim and it was stunning. It was very hot so we were very happy to see it.

On impulse, I had bought two noodles in Katherine. John (being a much stronger swimmer than me) said he’d never use it. However, we floated around in the beautiful, cool water on these noodles for ages.

Early the following morning we headed back to the pool before anyone else and spent an hour with the noodles in the water, swimming up to the waterfall. It was heaven.

There was something about John that I’d forgotten from last time we did a long caravan trip. He is very much about the destination whereas I am far more about experiencing the journey.  It is strange because, at home, I’m the one always stressing about getting things done quickly and about my lesson plans for work. John is laid back and never in a rush to do anything. When we travel there seems to be a role reversal.

Edith Falls is relaxing,  peaceful and beautiful. Time is spent reading, blogging and swimming. Everything we have looked forward to. John wanted to pack up and move on after just one night;  I wanted to stay longer and enjoy it.

On the way into Edith Falls, a warning light came on showing us we had a problem with the brakes. John got the RAC to come out but no mechanic was free for three more days.  We had no choice but to book the car into Katherine three days from now. I tried not to smile as I walked up to the kiosk to book us in for two more nights. I’m sure this is the universe ensuring we slow down and enjoy the journey rather than worry about the next destination. (It turned out to be a very minor problem with the car.)

The next day we rose early again and hiked a kilometre up to the ‘upper pool’. It was already stinking hot. Wow, what a sight. The upper pool is another Gorge and waterfall that is safe to swim in. We stumbled over some rocks and plunged in to the cool water.

What a wonderful few days we had here at Edith Falls. The staff were lovely and very helpful. To top off a great stay, on our last afternoon we saw some new friends from our Nhulunbuy stay pull up near us. We enjoyed happy hour with them catching up on all their news.