Stretching from the border with Western Australia to the Gulf of Carpentaria, the Katherine Region of the Northern Territory is full of things to do and see – including Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge), historic Pine Creek, the beautiful Edith Falls, the remote Gulf Region, the thermal pools at Mataranka, and the premier fishing destinations of Victoria River and Daly River.

Lovers of the great outdoors will find plenty to do here – the landscape here is as diverse as it is beautiful - it is a combination of gorges, escarpments, rugged Outback, waterways, and savannah grasslands, making it the ideal place for fishing, bushwalking, camping, canoeing or bird watching. The region includes six national parks, and over ten nature parks, conservations areas and reserves, which are home to hundreds of species of birds and other wildlife.

The wildlife is easily spotted whilst walking in the region and there are numerous walking trails – Nitmiluk National Park alone has more than 60 miles of walking tracks, ranging from gentle strolls to challenging hikes.

Originally inhabited by the Dagomen and Jawoyn Aboriginal people, Katherine itself was “discovered” in 1862 when the explore John McDouall Stuart passed through. The town of Katherine developed following the arrival of the Overland Telegraph Line. After favourable reports about the suitability of the land here, the homestead “Spring Vale” was established here in 1879 – it still exists today, and is the oldest homestead in the entire NT. Katherine boasts a number of other “firsts” – it was here that the first flying doctor worked, and his original aeroplane is housed in the Katherine Museum. 56 miles from Katherine Township is Pine Creek, famous for its gold mining (which only ceased in 1995) and railway heritage.

Things to do in Katherine

Old Katherine Train Station: Open only in the dry season, the old train station, which is owned by the Australian National Trust, features a display about the history of the railway.

Katherine Outback Heritage Museum: This is only a small museum just out of the town centre, which houses a collection of old photographs, old maps and pioneer memorabilia, and also the plane flown by Australia’s first “flying doctor” in the 1930s. It was originally built to serve as an air terminal for the area during the Second World War.

School of the Air: It is possible to take a guided tour of the School of the Air (term time only) in order to gain an insight into how children who live out in the most remote areas of the northern half of the NT, or those who are traveling through remote areas temporarily, receive their educations. This School of the Air currently is responsible for the education of children in a 500,000 mile radius! Established in 1966, the school now uses internet and satellite technologies as well as the radio to reach its pupils.

Katherine Low Level Nature Park: Three miles out of town, just off the Victoria Highway, the Katherine Low Level Nature Park, on the Katherine River, is a popular spot in the dry season for picnicking and swimming. It should be avoided in the wet season however as flash floods make it very dangerous. The Low Level Nature Reserve boasts pristine clear rapids and shallow natural swimming pools.

Spring Vale Homestead: 5 miles to the south west of the town, the Spring Vale Homestead is reputed to be the oldest cattle station in the Northern Territory.

Katherine Art Gallery: This gallery boasts an impressive collection of Aboriginal artwork, produced by the Jawoyn and Dagoman Aboriginal people, traditional landowners of the Katherine Region for thousands of years. It also houses displays of works from other parts of the Northern Territory and further afield to Western Australia too.

Katherine Hot Springs: The hot springs on the Katherine River are natural thermal springs with a constant year round temperature of around 32 degrees Celsius. This is a popular picnicking spot for tourists and residents of the region alike, and there are some pleasant walking tracks nearby too.
Canoeing on the Katherine River: Canoeing on the calm waters of the Katherine River is a great way to experience the pristine river environment with minimal impact. You can either launch your own canoe from Katherine Low Level Bridge and take a leisurely day trip up the river, or for the more adventurous, there are specialist canoeing tour operators offering extended tours, camping overnight and exploring up to 35 miles of Outback river.

Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park: The caves at Cutta Cutta, 15 miles south east of Katherine along the Stuart Highway, are the only accessible limestone caves in the Northern Territory, and feature some amazing stalactites and stalagmites in the caves, which are around 15 metres below ground. Brown tree snakes, 170 species of bird, and five species of bat, including the orange horseshoe bat, which is rare and endangered, make these caves their home. Guided tours are held daily during the dry season.

Getting to Katherine

Katherine has an airport, just 5 miles from the town, served by flights from Darwin and Alice Springs. All buses between Alice Springs and Darwin will stop in Katherine and the town is also a stop on the route taken by the Ghan train which travels from North to South of Australia (Darwin to Adelaide and vice versa). 

Katherine a?" Township

The township of Katherine is the third largest town in the Northern Territory, after Darwin, a three hour drive north, and Alice Springs, and is the only town of any size between the other two. It is a busy town, where the Victoria Highway branches off to the Kimberley Region of Western Australia.

It has always been an important stopping off point on the route between the Red Centre and the Top End f the NT – the river on which the town was built and after which it is named is the first running water you come across when traveling north from Alice Springs. The town itself has some interesting buildings but it is really as the gateway to Katherine Gorge, some 19 miles to the north of the town and Nitmiluk National Park that Katherine has an attraction for the tourist.