Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
all around Katherine, but as far afield as Kakadu National Park and the Kim-
berley. It's open Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 6pm and weekends
from 10am to 3pm in the Dry season; in the Wet it's open Monday through Fri-
day from 9am to 5pm.
The
Nitmiluk Visitor Centre
(
&
08/8972 1886
) on the Gorge Road, 32km
(20 miles) from town, dispenses information on the Nitmiluk National Park and
sells tickets for gorge cruises, which depart outside. The Centre has maps; dis-
plays on the park's plant life, birds, geology, and Aboriginal history; a gift shop;
and a cafe. It's open daily from 7am to 7pm, sometimes closing a little earlier in
the Wet. Entry to the park is free.
GETTING AROUND Budget
(
&
08/8971 1333
),
Hertz
(
&
08/8971
1111
),
Europcar
(
&
08/8971 2777
), and
Thrifty
(
&
08/8972 3183
) have
outlets in Katherine.
Travel North
(
&
1800/089 103
in Australia, or 08/8971 9999) makes trans-
fers from Katherine hotels to the cruise, canoe, and helicopter departure points
at the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre four times a day. Round-trip fares are A$20
(US$13) per adult or A$10 (US$6.50) for children. Most Katherine activities
and attractions can be booked through Travel North. The company runs many
local tours and activities such as horseback cattle musters, visits to an old home-
stead, half-day trips to Mataranka Thermal Pools (see below), and tour packages
of up to 5 days taking in Katherine, Darwin, Litchfield and Kakadu National
Parks, and outlying Aboriginal communities.
For personalized tours both off the beaten path and around town, contact
Far
Out Adventures
(
&
0427 152288
), described below.
EXPLORING KATHERINE GORGE (NITMILUK NATIONAL PARK)
Cruising the gorge in an
open-sided boat
is the most popular way to appreci-
ate its beauty. Katherine Gorge is actually a series of 13 gorges, but most cruises
ply only the first two, because the second gorge is the most photogenic.
Travel North (above) operates all cruises. Most people take the 2-hour cruise,
which departs four times a day and costs A$40 (US$26) for adults and A$15
(US$9.75) for children 5 to 15. There is also a 4-hour cruise at least once daily,
although you will probably be satisfied with 2 hours, and an 8-hour cruise/hike
safari to the fifth gorge (available from about May-Oct only). Wear sturdy
shoes; because each gorge is cut off from the next by rapids, all the cruises
involve some walking along the bank to transfer to a boat in the next gorge.
In the height of the wet season, the cruises may not operate when the flood-
waters really start to swirl. Instead, Travel North runs a
jet boat
as far as the
third gorge. This 45-minute adventure costs A$47 (US$31) for adults and A$34
(US$22) for kids 5 to 15. Departure times vary with the floodwater conditions.
Cruising is nice, but in a
canoe
you can discover sandy banks and water-
falls, and get up close to the gorge walls, the birds, and those crocs. (Don't worry,
they're the freshwater kind that are not typically regarded as dangerous to
humans.) The gorges are separated by rocks, so be prepared to carry your canoe
quite often. You may even want to camp out on the banks overnight. A half-day
canoe rental from Travel North is A$31 (US$20) for a single canoe and A$47
(US$31) for a double, with a A$20 (US$13) cash deposit. Canoeing the gorge
is popular, so book canoes ahead, especially in the dry season.
Guided paddles are a good idea as you will learn and see more. The most
knowledgeable company is
Gecko Canoeing
(
&
1800/634 319
in Australia,
or 08/8972 2224; www.geckocanoeing.com.au), whose tours are known for
