Sunday 12 August – Well today we made the epic journey of 39 km to tonight’s campsite at Manbulloo Homestead – a working cattle station only 10 km west of Katherine.  But not before we indulged at the pancake breakfast at Nitmiluk which they apparently put on every Sunday.  It wasn’t only pancakes either as there was also fruit, croissants, toast, tea and coffee, so quite a good deal for $5.  We sat there and talked to Heather and Mick (our latest new friends) who were also leaving there today, but they were going in the direction of Three Ways.

By the time we chatted and finished packing up the van it was ten o’clock when we left – interestingly this place has a twelve noon check out time, so we weren’t in any rush.  And we were here at Manbulloo by twenty to eleven.  We had a very long chat to Stephanie, the owner (along with her husband) of this property.  She came from Timber Creek – about 300km west of here, and has been here for a number of years with her husband Brian, and she is a fund of local knowledge.  Eventually we went and picked our site, had some lunch then went back into Katherine to do a bit of sightseeing and for Grant to have another blood test.  I spoke to someone at the hospital last night and they said to just come in to emergency today and it could be done.

So we went straight to the hospital to get that done, only to find that the same process was in place as in Darwin, and they couldn’t do it today, but it could be done tomorrow, then wait for results, etc.  Then the nurse asked where we were heading tomorrow, and suggested that if Grant waited till tomorrow and got it done at Timber Creek, it would be the finger prick test the same as it home, with no wait for result, etc.  Then, just to be sure, she made a phone call and confirmed that this was the case, so that is the new plan.

She was lovely, so I decided to put a question to her.  When I was a kid in Newborough, I went to school with Kathleen (Kate) Harrison and we were good mates.  She lived with her family about 15 houses from us.  After we left high school we lost touch, and back sometime between 1995 and 2000 she called into our shop to see me.  She was home visiting her parents, and they told her that I had the shop.  At the time she was working as a nurse here in Katherine, and had been for quite some time.  I can’t remember whether or not she was married, whether she had a family, etc.

So I asked this nurse how long she had been working in this hospital, and when she said over twenty years, I asked her whether she knew a former nurse there who would be my age, possibly known as Kate, originally from Victoria, surname was Harrison, and the only way to describe her was that she had red hair and heaps of freckles.  To my surprise she said she was pretty sure she knew who I was talking about, but she had left the hospital and achieved her lifelong ambition of retiring to a house with a white picket fence – somewhere.  The nurse didn’t know where she went to.  When I asked whether she was Harrison, she said no, but couldn’t remember her surname, so she went off to consult someone else who might remember.  When she came back she said that neither of them could remember, but as she was walking back to us it came to her – she is Kate Smith.  Apparently she was very much appreciated at the hospital and put a great amount of time into establishing the palliative care unit there over the years.  So obviously I’m no closer to finding her (not that I was trying to, but just happened to raise the issue after recalling that she worked and lived here), but fancy the very nurse I was talking to knowing her.

From there we went across the road to the Katherine Museum put together by the historical society.  It was most interesting, especially the half hour video on the dreadful 1998 flood during which the river rose 20 metres, and photos of the Katherine Gorge, that we cruised through just a couple of days ago were amazing, with the water level way up the cliffs that were towering over us.  We spent quite a while there before going to find the one and a half times life sized statue of local icon Sabu Sing on his horse.  It is excellent.

We then filled up with petrol ready for tomorrows longer trip, went to Woolies and topped up supplies - but no fruit, veggies or honey as we go through quarantine inspection the day after tomorrow as we move into W.A. and they are very strict.

So that’s been today.  This caravan park is adjacent to the homestead and has heaps of lovely tamarind trees which make it a very shady and pretty spot.  It is on the Katherine River, and is a few kilometres off the Victoria Highway which we take to W.A. so it is very quiet.  And on Stephanie’s suggestion, we are now heading for Timber Creek instead of Victoria River Roadhouse, with a few ideas for things to see once we are there.