From Gorges to Caverns

"What time is it" she utters, feeling the van sway from side to side, half six I reply, "but it's still dark" that's because your eyes are closed....... At which point I scurry off to the shower block and hope in vain, that tea will be made upon my return.......
The morning is spent in Katherine Gorge, where it is already 40 degrees, be careful, take lots of water, mind the temperature, it's hotter in the gorge than up here are all helpful comments we are told before the same people try to sell us half a day canoeing, WHAT! are we not likely to fry in a canoe for 4 hours, We ask.......... Err, No comeback and so we do our own thing, being ever mind full of my Mum's advice, "Be careful and don't come back without her"
Later in the Visitors Centre restaurant, I ask the man behind the counter, who was a happy, smiley aborigine for a iced coffee. Two things happen, one he looks at me blankly and two, his jumped up Australian female boss charges over, almost pushing him out of the way, whilst saying in her Australian high pitched whiney voice, "Sorry sir, we can't do that we don't have any ice cream or cream" "Good, I reply, because I don't want any, I want a white coffee over ice the European white coffee method, which this gentleman was going to do for me" She then leaves and I tell the guy how to make a coffee and then tip it over ice in a glass, which he did, problem being the cup of coffee he made was almost twice the size of glass he had, so he threw the rest away but charged me the same. However when he handed it to me, the smile on his face made it all worthwhile and after sipping it and complementing him on it, I had made a friend......
The afternoon was spent down Cutta Cutta caves, got to get out of the heat somehow, our guide is possibly 25yrs going on 75yrs and as there was only two of us and one was a girlie, he was being very prim and proper but really boring........ Half way through the tour, I asked what Cutta Cutta means, he asked if he could turn off the torch and lights, I said yes and it was so Dark, you could not see the proverbial hand in front of your face, you could see your watch face glowing but that just appeared to be suspended. He then flashed his torch and the whole place twinkled from the crystal deposits, Cutta Cutta means, the place of many stars...... Once Julie had told him she was not a girlie girlie, he then managed to find frogs, snakes and spiders all of whom live full time in the caves.
Then back to town where we suddenly get a Police escort home after doing a u turn in front of them, they thought we were trying to avoid them, when in fact I had just gone past the turning I wanted to take to Katherine hot springs...........
Now as we sit outside the van waiting for the wallabies to turn up, drinking tea with 'Chocolate Hobnobs' we have inadvertently saved the life of a peaceful dove, two are wandering around us picking at the apparent never endless supply of titbits, when suddenly without a sound there is a mini whirlwind next to us, both doves scatter and the eagle who had just dropped in and then aborted his dive by when he realised we were there, flew off high and away............. A Doves life or a brilliant wildlife action photo, don't ask which way I'll vote.........