Nitmiluk National Park

Visitor Information For Katherine Gorge National Park

Nitmiluk National Park in the Northern Territory is best known for its main attraction: Katherine Gorge.

I love the gorge and think the best way to see it is to do some kind of overnight trip there, either canoeing or walking.

Just how much there is to see and do at Katherine Gorge National Park (apart from the usual tourist boat cruises) is covered in the main section, Exploring Katherine Gorge and the Nitmiluk National Park.

Here on this page I talk about such fascinating topics as how to get there and where to stay...

Nitmiluk National Park - Getting There

Where is Nitmiluk National Park?

The town Katherine is 317 km (195 miles) south of Darwin. You can get to Katherine from Darwin by plane, bus, car or train (see travel in Australia). Many people visit Katherine Gorge as part of a round trip from Darwin that also includes Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park.

To make the most of your visit to Katherine Gorge National Park it's best to either spend the night in Katherine and leave really early, or camp at the excellent Nitmiluk Caravan Park at Katherine Gorge. There is so much to see and do, the best Nitmiluk tours start early, and a day goes quick...

Nitmiluk/Katherine Gorge itself is only 29 km north-east of Katherine. The Gorge Road into the park is all bitumen and no four wheel drive is needed. But access restrictions can apply during the wet season (Nov - April) due to flooding. But that is true for every road up here, even the major highways can get cut at times...

Transfer from Katherine to Nitmiluk National Park

Don't have your own transport? You can use the shuttle bus operating from Katherine.

The bus leaves Katherine 8am, 12.15pm and 4 pm. It returns from Katherine Gorge National Park to town at 9am, 1pm and 5pm. Pick up locations are the BP Roadhouse (where the Katherine Tourist Information is located) or your hotel or motel.

The Gorge Road ends at the Nitmiluk National Park Visitor Centre, a good starting point. This is where the shuttle bus will drop you off.

The Nitmiluk Visitor Centre

At the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre you can get an overview of the park area through the informational displays and by looking at a model of the Katherine Gorge. The display will give you an understanding of the park's geology and landscapes, and also of the perspective of its traditional owners, the Jawoyn Aboriginal people.

The Jawoyn regained the title over their land in 1989. Like Kakadu National Park the Nitmiluk National Park is now jointly managed by its traditional owners and the Northern Territory government.

By the way, Nitmiluk is the name given to the area by its traditional Aboriginal owners and means "Cicada Place".

The Nitmiluk Visitor Centre is also the place to book a site in the caravan park, buy tickets for Katherine Gorge cruises, get maps and information on walks in the park. The friendly staff and the park rangers can help you with all your questions about boating, camping, hiking and more.

Contact the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre:
Telephone: (08) 8972 1253
Fax: (08) 8971 0715
Email

And to get an idea of what our wet seasons can do: while you're at the visitor centre, maybe sitting on the terrace enjoying the river views, imagine that same terrace 1 metre under water. That's how far the river rose in the 1998 floods (which were only slightly higher than the 2006 floods...)

Read on about how to best explore Katherine Gorge and Nitmiluk National Park

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For general enquiries contact the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre:
Telephone: (08) 8972 1253
Fax: (08) 8971 0715
Email

For more information about the Katherine region contact:

Katherine Visitor Information Centre
Cnr Stuart Hwy & Lindsay St
Katherine NT 0850
Telephone: (08) 8972 2650
Freecall: 1800 653 142
Email

Read about other National Parks in Australia

Australian National Parks Site Map

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