Camping beneath the stars

If you're visiting the Northern Territory, then a canoe ride on the Katherine River is a must.

There's no valet parking, no air-conditioning, no walls and no roof, but the accommodation on this canoeing trip along the Katherine River in remote Northern Territory is simply magnificent.

I'm snuggled up in a sleeping bag inside an open swag on the sand about five metres from fast-flowing water. I'm looking up at the stars, which are incredibly bright.

Forget counting sheep to induce slumber, out here you count shooting stars and satellites. For the record, I saw two shooting stars and five satellites.

I only briefly consider that I'm vulnerable  to any saltwater crocodiles. Our experienced guides Mick and Joan Jerram say that while there are some salties in the water, they aren't aggressive or territorial in this part of the river. It's not suitable for nesting so there are no females to fight over.

To be on the safe side, I make sure my swag isn't the closest one to the river.

In reality, you are more likely to be accosted by a frog, like the cute Roth's tree frog that leapt onto my hand when I was out looking for campfire wood.

Camping beneath the stars is just one highlight of the trips organised by Gecko Canoeing, an Eco Tourism accredited operation based in Katherine, 312km south-east of Darwin.

The eco-certified operator offers a series of canoeing adventures ranging from an overnight trip to a seven-day adventure.

The most popular is the three-day journey. Families are welcome and you don't need any canoeing experience.

It's about as easy as canoeing can get, thanks to the fact you're paddling with the current the whole way. Your rate of progress will depend on you, but most people take it nice and easy and even go for long stretches without paddling at all. After all, it is a balmy 33 degrees celsius on our trip.

Easing down the river silently allows you to sneak up on the abundant wildlife in the area including some incredible bird life that inhabits this tropical savannah.

Along with the big wedge-tailed eagles and some cockatoos, keep an eye out for the super-fast rainbow bee eaters that will snatch insects from above the water, as well as azure kingfishers and kookaburras. This particular stretch of the Katherine River is home to the great billed heron, a large graceful bird that nests high in branches of paperbark trees.

Look down to ground level and you are likely to spot agile wallabies among the weeping paperbarks and pandanus palms. We are also lucky enough to see a couple of freshwater crocs, including one harmless 30cm baby sunning itself on a log. The clear water affords a good view of darting fish, including the curiously named sooty grunter, while lucky paddlers might spot turtles in the shallows.

One of the most striking elements of the view from your canoe is the flotsam from the wet season floods. Huge logs sit captured in the branches of trees where they came to rest after being swept down the swollen river in the height of the wet season. A massive branch sits vertically in the top branches of  a paperbark tree next to our campsite and must be eight or 10 metres off the ground.

Camping beneath the stars

If you're visiting the Northern Territory, then a canoe ride on the Katherine River is a must.

There's no valet parking, no air-conditioning, no walls and no roof, but the accommodation on this canoeing trip along the Katherine River in remote Northern Territory is simply magnificent.

I'm snuggled up in a sleeping bag inside an open swag on the sand about five metres from fast-flowing water. I'm looking up at the stars, which are incredibly bright.

Forget counting sheep to induce slumber, out here you count shooting stars and satellites. For the record, I saw two shooting stars and five satellites.

I only briefly consider that I'm vulnerable  to any saltwater crocodiles. Our experienced guides Mick and Joan Jerram say that while there are some salties in the water, they aren't aggressive or territorial in this part of the river. It's not suitable for nesting so there are no females to fight over.

To be on the safe side, I make sure my swag isn't the closest one to the river.

In reality, you are more likely to be accosted by a frog, like the cute Roth's tree frog that leapt onto my hand when I was out looking for campfire wood.

Camping beneath the stars is just one highlight of the trips organised by Gecko Canoeing, an Eco Tourism accredited operation based in Katherine, 312km south-east of Darwin.

The eco-certified operator offers a series of canoeing adventures ranging from an overnight trip to a seven-day adventure.

The most popular is the three-day journey. Families are welcome and you don't need any canoeing experience.

It's about as easy as canoeing can get, thanks to the fact you're paddling with the current the whole way. Your rate of progress will depend on you, but most people take it nice and easy and even go for long stretches without paddling at all. After all, it is a balmy 33 degrees celsius on our trip.

Easing down the river silently allows you to sneak up on the abundant wildlife in the area including some incredible bird life that inhabits this tropical savannah.

Along with the big wedge-tailed eagles and some cockatoos, keep an eye out for the super-fast rainbow bee eaters that will snatch insects from above the water, as well as azure kingfishers and kookaburras. This particular stretch of the Katherine River is home to the great billed heron, a large graceful bird that nests high in branches of paperbark trees.

Look down to ground level and you are likely to spot agile wallabies among the weeping paperbarks and pandanus palms. We are also lucky enough to see a couple of freshwater crocs, including one harmless 30cm baby sunning itself on a log. The clear water affords a good view of darting fish, including the curiously named sooty grunter, while lucky paddlers might spot turtles in the shallows.

One of the most striking elements of the view from your canoe is the flotsam from the wet season floods. Huge logs sit captured in the branches of trees where they came to rest after being swept down the swollen river in the height of the wet season. A massive branch sits vertically in the top branches of  a paperbark tree next to our campsite and must be eight or 10 metres off the ground.

Paddling down the Katherine River

If you want a drink when paddling down the Katherine River, simply dip your drink bottle into the water. This might take a while to get used to given that drinking the water from the main river in my home city of Melbourne would have unfortunate consequences. You see, the water in the Katherine is rainwater that has been filtered by sand and comes from the Oolloo Dolostone and Tindall Limestone aquifers through a series of springs.

Our canoes, which are technically kayaks, are easy to control and made from sturdy plastic. They have an open design which means you needn't worry about being trapped in the event of a rollover.

Your swag, a deck chair and two sealable bags containing your bedding and clothes are stored in the hull and you can store items such as a camera and sunscreen in a smaller waterproof bag that is hooked onto a strap on top. Luckily, your guides carry all the bulky gear, including tables, glasses, cooking pots, cleaning gear and all the food in two bloated Canadian canoes.

This trip is great for beginners and the first day of the three-day journey covers a rather mild part of the river. It does get  tougher when you encounter a series of gentle rapids, but the guides will tell you which path to follow and what to do if you get stuck.

One of our party manages to navigate the first rapid backwards, but she gradually gets the hang of the steering and is in control by the second day. I fall out during one rapid, as do a few others, but there is very little danger of injury and you are wearing a helmet for the more exciting sections, um, just in case.

Some of the rapids have names like Boat Crusher and Dead Man Falls but whoever thought of them had an excellent imagination as they are all quite easy.

Arriving at our camp on a sandy bank, we set up for the night as Mick and Joan build up the fire and start working on dinner.

Cheese, crackers and red wine are served before the slow-cooked beef roast is served with an array of lip-smacking vegetables as the sun sets and the glorious stars emerge.

At about $700 per adult for a three-day trip, the Gecko Canoeing adventure is certainly not cheap, but it is one of those experiences you'll remember when you're back in the hustle bustle.

Australian Caravan & RV Magazine, Summer 2009.