CAMPSITE # 141 - Katherine NT. Laws of the land.

Finally, my brother from another mother - Ben, answered his phone. We had already been through Katherine on our way up to Darwin and somehow Ben managed to become the most difficult person to get a hold of. Ben's best mates with my eldest brother, James. Back when they were at high school together, Ben was boarding at the school. Which actually meant that he stayed in his dorm at school when he absolutely had to and then spent the remaining time shacking up at our place for five years, bringing his dirty washing home to my Mum and living life as the third Mackay Brother.

Ben was always a favourite of mine, I suppose that's because he was the only one that I remember sticking up for me when James used to hang me by my ankles off our two storey verandah while I dangled, upside down, above our concrete driveway.  Ben never managed to stop him but the future policeman inside of him certainly knew right from wrong.


Ben and his wife Taryn have been working in Katherine for the last few years as police officers. The weekend we spent with them, they doubled as tour leaders - showing us the sights of Katherine. Our favourite was the Katherine Hot Springs, just 1km out of the town centre...


Crystal clear water...

Being officers of the law, we were able to update ourselves on the local NT police laws. Some we found quite interesting...

• You can have as many people as you want riding in a car so long as all of the 5 seatbelts are in use.
• Your car is considered your own property so you can drink in your car, even the driver can drink while he's driving providing he's not over the limit.
• A minor can drink as much alcohol as he wants in a public place providing his/her parent/guardian says it's ok. In other words - 5 year olds can get blotto at the pub so long as its mother says it's ok.

Constable Simpson will enforce these laws...

Pizza in Darwin and now Burgers with the lot in Katherine... Jim really isn't being introduced into the world of camping very well...