Follow in the mysterious footsteps of Ludwig Leichhardt, the first European explorers who passed through this untouched land in 1844, and explore the vast distances of the Northern Territory, begging to be explored. Once you have been here, you will Never Never want to leave*. If you want to get in touch with unspoiled nature, and experience Crocodile Dundee’s real Australia, visit the Northern Territory. In Katherine, you are never alone. You can always hear the songs of cicada, mating calls of birds or humming of bees.
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| View from Nitmulik, NT |
How to get to Katherine
You have not experienced breathtaking nature until you have visited the Northern Territory of Australia, trust me on this. There is nothing man-made for as far as the eye can see, besides the straight highway your car is driving on and has been for the past couple of hours since leaving Darwin, or the past day since leaving Alice Springs. (Depending on where you came from). The road to Katherine is pretty straightforward. You take a left turn out of Darwin and continue until you hit Katherine. On the way, you will see how the nature changes. It becomes flat, hilly, green, black but one thing is for sure, the further from Darwin, the redder the earth. Everywhere the eye can see you see the red soil and you know you are on the way to the center of Australia.
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| Main Street Aboriginal Art, Katherine |
Where is it?
The Katherine Region stretched from Dunmarra in the South, to the Daly River Region in the North. From east to west, it borders both Queensland and Western Australia, and in total covers around 480.000 square kilometers.
Adventures lies and awaits you here. It is very scarcely populated, human-wise, but wallabies are everywhere and huge termite homes pierce the flat landscape.
Around Katherine, you can explore and discover hidden treasures, which will be written about later, such as Elsey National Park, Mataranka Thermal Pool, the majestic scenery of the Victoria River, Pine Creek and the Douglas and Daly River areas. Katherine and the Northern Territory are not on many tourists’ list of places to visit in Australia, and that is a BIG mistake. Visiting Katherine was the peak of my travels around Australia.
History
The first people of the area were the Jawoyn and Dagomen people. They populated the area and lived peacefully with nature for many years. The Katherine River was a foundation to their cultures as it provided an abundance of food and water. The first Europeans intruded in the mid-1800 and by the late 1800 and the arrival of the Overland Telegraph Line, sheep and cattle farms started appearing in the Katherine area. They fell in love with nature and decided to stay despite the hard lifestyle and isolation the Never Never gave them back. If you enjoy exploring diverse and awe-inspiring landforms, history, heritage and abundant wildlife that challenge you to discover it's unique secrets and you might too fall in love with the wilderness. You will not regret it.
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| Kids swimming in the Katherine River |
Nitmuluk
Nitmuluk, or Katherine Gorge as it used to be called by the English, is located 29 km from Katherine and possibly the most beautiful place in the world. It consists of 13 majestic natural gorges carved through sandstone, with huge rocks and boulders separating each gorge.
According to aboriginal Dream-time stories, Nitmiluk was created in the ancient times when Nabilil was wandering around the world with a bag of water and some fire sticks. Wherever he went, birds and animals asked for some of his water but Nabilil wouldn't share with anyone. One night he came to a cave, where a bat-monster lived and during the night it speared Nabilil and his water bag. This became the Katherine River, giving water and life to all the creatures Nabilil had previously denied water to. And his fire sticks became pandanus.
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| The View from above the Gorge, Nitmuluk |
The weather is really hot in Nitmiluk so I would recommend getting up as early as possible to go explore this treasure. On your way, be aware that most Australian animals are most active at dusk and dawn, so drive carefully or you will have half a dozen dead wallabies on your consciousness. Furthermore, Car insurance does not cover hitting wild animals, and if you do not have a bumper on your car, hitting an animal might cost you a great deal from your car leasing company, so drive carefully. If not for the sake of the animals, for the sake of your wallet.
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| Wallaby |
When the temperature hits 40 C at the bottom it is generally around 50 C at the top and the sun is unforgivably burning, making it extremely hot as soon as it rises. That being said do not miss out on this spectacular place.
If climbing is not for you Nitmiluk offers means to enjoy this enchanting scenery for every fitness level. Pick a 6 days trek all the way to Leliyn or do a few hours trek around the first Gorge. Canoe up the river or jump on a cruise, where you can just enjoy the view without all the hard work.
While visiting Nitmiluk National Park do not forget Leliyn (Edith Falls). They offer nice cooling-off in natural pools with beautiful waterfalls providing each pool with flowing fresh water. Trekking from the bottom pool to the top gives you amazing views and plenty of options to stop and catch your breath while pretending to just stop for a Kodak-moment.
Insider tip: Want an experience out of the ordinary? Enjoy the sunset with a magnificent view from lookout points in Nitmiluk. Bring a bottle of white wine and some cheese and crackers and make it a sunset picnic. It is an extraordinary experience.
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| Sunset in Nitmuluk |
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| Sunset in Nitmuluk with some snacks. |
Kathrine Hot Springs
Have you been sweating all day, drinking heaps of water and trying hard not to die in 40 degrees? Chill-out, relax and act all cool while jumping in Katherine Hot Springs. This splendid little haven gives you a shaded place to cool down and have a siesta when the heat is too much. The water is crystal clear, and just what you need on a hot day. The pools are constantly an idyllic 32 C. However, like everywhere around Katherine you need to watch out for Crocodiles. Saltwater Crocodiles are dangerous and can injure and kill humans, they occasionally swim into the hot springs undetected. Likewise, freshwater crocodiles inhabit the area and can be aggressive if disturbed.
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| Chilling in the Katherine Hot Springs |
Mataranka - Known as the Capital of the Never Never.
Visit Mataranka to explore and get a feel for the isolation and hardship these early settlers were facing. It is claimed that once you visit Mataranka, you'll Never Never leave. Mataranka offers hot Rainbow springs where you can cool off abeatear the heat. These pools are surrounded by bat-inhabited palms. The chattering of the flying foxes can be heard no matter where you are in the area around the pools. If you like animals, this is an extraordinary experience. You can sit in and hear them communicate, and even though it isn’t words you can tell these foxes are having a complex discussion.
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| Crocodile warning signs can be found all over the Katherine Region |
The Northern Territory is where you can experience Darwins' theory for yourself: Survival of the fittest. Experience the circle of life when hitting a kangaroo and coming by a few hours later and seeing how eagles are feasting on the remains, and bringing it home to their nests. Get bitten by fishes when cooling off in the pools in Leliyn, and see cicadas getting caught in the air by black Cockatoos’. It is very difficult not to fall in love with the vast land that lays here, just waiting for you to explore its secrets.
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| Not only humans feel hot, so take good care of your pets. |
Insider important tip: If your car breaks down, never leave your vehicle under any circumstances. If it happens, it is always easier to locate a missing vehicle than missing people.
Large areas of the outback are without cell coverage. However the significant population centers throughout the Northern Territory are covered by Telstra.
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| Katherine Hot Springs |
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| Kayaking in Nitmulik |
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| Nitmuluk National Park |
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| Edith Falls |
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| Taking the Bus to Katherine |
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| Kids playing in the Katherine River |
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| Walking through the countryside |
* Reference to the movie we of the never never
** All Photos are private and taken by me.
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