kathren Gorge

[Guest]

In the 80s i was at the camping area opposite the first gorge swimming in the gorge cause they said there was onley fresh water crocs in there and a year or two ago i heard on the news they removed a salty from a property near katherine,whats the go here?? Also at the time i spotted a pig nosed turtle in the first gorge,hanging in the water under a pandanus waiting for fruit.Like this turtle i think? would be isolated until the wet season posibly.There is a report also by Thorne of an oenpelliensis near Katherine, has anyone else been in this area and what have they seen??

 

[Sdaji]

Katherine gorge is my favourite place in Australia. I've been there a few times and gone swimming there as late as 1998, but for the last few years there have apparently been salties in there. I've seen quite a few freshies on the trips in which I was swimming in there, but never a salty.

As far as I know, there is only one report on an Oenpelli python in the Katherine area, which makes it a little suspect, but who knows?

I've seen countless turtles in there, but never a pig nosed (lucky you!)

I haven't been up there since the toads arrived, I expect you'd see a lot less now than when I was last there. There was a huge diversity of frogs in the area, particularly ground frogs, but I expect the toads will take care of that.

 

[hugsta]

I have never been there but would love too, I reckon it would be awesome. Would make you think twice about swimming in the gorge if salties have been taken from there though.

By the time I get there I would imagine there would be plenty of toads to see, a pretty sad thought IMO.

 

[Hickson]

I was there two years ago and they wouldn't let you swim in the gorge because of the salties (and the current), but they did let us canoe up to a beautiful little waterhole about a mile upstream. Swimming there was OK.

Didn't see any toads then, but saw plenty of squished ones at Mataranka. No turts either. Lotsa Fruit bats.



Hix

 

[Brodie]

I go there quite often.

The toads havent really hit it too bad, there is a bit less mertens there, but other than that, everything is fine.

Lots of Pig Nosed there, saw 4 on my last trip.

There is a really good spot for BHP not far from there

 

[Guest]

Hix :lol: you must of had a ranger or guide whatever with some knowlege,all i know is they said it was safe from salties and i was swimming from side to side mate.Sought of thought over time like if the pig nose turtles can get there can salties get there.Flaming hell i know now i was swimming round like a big farting white bait ay.

 

[Brodie]

The Katherine floods in the mid ninities allowed a lot of salties too get in too the gorge, so did a few of the more recent wet seasons where there was quite a lot of flooding.

I rekon you were pretty dam safe back in the 80s

 

[Guest]

Yeh brodes the pig nose turtles and salties must get there in floods during the wet and believe me this little black duck dont swim with salties. :lol: not intentionaly anyway.

 

[Stevo]

I was swimming in the gorge last august, the rangers said its safe in the dry season (I hope they know what there on about)