KATHERINE SCHOOL OF THE AIR

Giles Street, Katherine NT 0850

A unique educational facility covering over 800,00 square kilometres of Australia"s Outback.  Join a tour and discover how students are taught via Interactive Distance Learning (IDL) and distance educational material.

Adults $5.00, Child $2.00

Mid March to mid November 9am, 10am, 11am Monday to Friday

Closed Public Holidays

KATHERINE MUSEUM

Giles Street, Katherine NT 0850 (08) 8972 3945

A well presented visual display highlighting Katherine and the region's history.  Only 3 kms from the centre of town on the way to Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge.  Find out more about the history of the Top End. 

Open all year.  Monday to Friday - 9am,10am,11am

Closed Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Good Friday

SPRINGVALE HOMESTEAD

The Historic Springvale Homestead is 8km from Katherine on the banks of the Katherine River. Established in 1878 by Alfred Giles, Springvale was one of the first pastoral properties in the Northern Territory,
Today it is a tranquil tourist attraction offering comfortable accommodation, restaurant, swimming pool and camping facilities for modern explorers. The original Homestead still stands on the river bank under beautiful, shady Indian Raintrees planted by Giles’ wife Augusta. ENTRY IS FREE

Historic Springvale Homestead Website: http://www.springvalehomestead.org.au

ELSEY HOMESTEAD REPLICA

Situated at mataranka Homestead Tourist Resort, the replica is an authentic copy of the original timber homestead, hand constructed of local cypress pine. This particular building was specially built for the film “We of the Never Never”. The building displays historic information and artefacts. ENTRY IS FREE

ELSEY NATIONAL PARK

Off the Stuart Highway just south of Mataranka township 110km south of Katherine is the entrance of the Elsey National Park. The park incorporates the spring fed Roper and Waterhouse Rivers. Walking trails lead the visitor to tuffa falls, deep waterholes along pandanus fringed water courses and through cool palm forests. The Thermal Pool, Stevie’s waterhole, Mataranka Falls and the 4km Botanic walk are some of the many places of interest along the beautiful rivers in this National Park. Camping grounds are available within the park. Sorry No pets and no generators.

CUTTA CUTTA CAVES

Are located 27km south of Katherine. These limestone caves formed 500 million years ago and are still growing today. The caves are situated 15 metres below ground. Also home to the rare Orange Horseshoe and Ghost Bats.
A short walk is required to reach the caves entrance with tours regularly avaliable all year.

LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK

This is one of the Territory’s major natural attractions. Numerous permanent waterfalls such as Wangi Falls, Florence Falls and Tolmer Falls, cascade from the sandstone plateaus of the Tabletop Range to create beautiful swimming holes throughout the park. Many other spectacular features in the park include magnetic temite mounds towering on the grassland plains. Lookouts, walking trails and picnic areas are provided at many park features. Some of these features are accessible only by four-wheel drive vehicle. This park is a delight for campers, photographers, swimmers, anglers, bushwalkers and wildlife enthusiasts . No pets allowed. Travel North offers Tours to Litchfield departing from Darwin.

MANYALLALUK

Winner of the Northern Territory and Australian Tourism Awards in 1993, 1994, 1995 is 50 kilometres south of Katherine, 15 kilometres on the Central Arnhem Road and then 35 kilometres on an unsealed gravel road.
A tour of Manyallaluk provides the visitor with the opportunity to meet aboriginal people in their own environment, sharing their craft skills, knowledge of bush medicine, bush foods and their culture which dates back 40,000 years.

KAKADU NATIONAL PARK

Kakadu is a cultural landscape.  It was shaped by the spiritual ancestors of Aboriginal people during the Creation Time. These ancestors or "first people" journeyed across the country creating the landforms, plants, animals and Bininj/Mungguy (Aboriginal people). They brought with them laws to live by: ceremony, language, kinship and ecological knowledge.  They taught Bininj/Mungguy how to live with the land and look after the country.

The name "Kakadu" comes from an Aboriginal floodplain language called Gagudju which was one of the languages spoken in the north of the part at the beginning of the twentieth century.  Although languages such as Gagudju and Limilngan are no longer regularly spoken, descendants of these language groups are still living in Kakadu.  Aboriginal languages used in the park today include Kunwinjku from the north-eastern region, Gun-djeihmi from the central region and Jawoyn from the southern region.

Kakadu National Park is a Commonwealth Reserve covering almost 20000 square kilometres, and includes the traditional lands of a number of Aboriginal clan groups.  Kakadu is managed jointly by its Aboriginal traditional owners and the Australia Government Department of Environment and Heritage.

"If you respect the land, then you will feel the land.  Your experience will be one that you cannot get anywhere in the world"    Brian Baruwei - Wurrkbarbar clan. Aboriginal traditional owner.

MATARANKA THERMAL POOL

Situated at Mataranka Homestead, 100km south of Katherine, it is often described as an oasis of the outback. The crystal clear waters of the pool remain a constant 34 degrees celsius, flowing from the Rainbow Springs from deep underground at an amazing 30.5 million litres each day. A beautiful place to break your journey for a relaxing swim any hour of the day or night - the pool is always a perfect temperature. Travel North offers daily Tours to Mataranka from Katherine during the high season.

NITMILUK (KATHERINE GORGE) NATIONAL PARK

Located 29km from Katherine on a sealed road. The park is 292,000 hectares in size. It consists of 13 gorges calved deep into the sandstone cliffs by the constant flow of the Katherine River over 1000’s of years. It is home to many species of birds, fish, flora and fresh water crocodiles. This spectacular natural wonder is also the ancestral home of the Jawoyn aboriginal people whose paintings can be seen along the cliff faces. There are more than 100km of marked walking trails in the park. Boat Tours and canoeing are another popular way to see the gorge system from the river.
Privately operated shady caravan and camping facilities are situated in the National Park, definitely a place to stay for more than one night with so much to see and do.

"CHARLIE" The buffalo

Stop at the Adelaide River Pub, home of "Charlie". the buffalo seen in the movie: Crocodile Dundee. He now stands with great honour on the bar inside the pub.

JURASSIC CYCAD GARDENS

A unique eco tourism attraction. 1.4 km of walking tracks winding through 1.8 ha of prehistoric gardens viewing giant red boulders, with shady seating throughout.  Perfect setting fo a world recognised collection of rare living fossil cycads and exotic plants from around the world.  Airconditioned Coffee Shop and Visitor/Interpretation Centre.

Open Daily 9am till 6pm