Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
The park turn-off is 90km southwest of Katherine; the park entrance is a further 32km
along a passable dirt road (OK for 2WD cars in the Dry).
Victoria River Crossing
The red sandstone cliffs surrounding this spot where the highway crosses the Victoria
River (194km west of Katherine) create a dramatic setting. Much of this area forms the
eastern section of Gregory National Park. The
Victoria River Roadhouse Caravan Park
( 08-8975 0744; fax 08-8975 0819; Victoria Hwy; unpowered/powered sites $15/20, d $125)
,
west of the bridge, has a shop, bar and meals ($12 to $29).
Timber Creek
POP 231
Tiny Timber Creek is the only town between Katherine and Kununurra. It has a pretty
big history for such a small place, with an early European exploration aboard the
Tom
Tough
requiring repairs to be carried out with local timber (hence the town's name). The
expedition's leader, AC Gregory, inscribed his arrival date into a boab; it is still discern-
able (and is explained in detail through interpretive panels) at
Gregory's Tree
, 15km
northwest of town.
10am-noon Mon-Fri May-Oct)
, established to smooth relations with pastoralists and indi-
genous people, is now a museum displaying old police and mining equipment.
A highlight of Timber Creek is the
Victoria River Cruise
( 08-8975 0850;
www.victoriarivercruise.com
; adult/child $85/45; 4pm Mon-Sat)
, which takes you 40km
downriver, spotting wildlife and returning in time for a fiery sunset.
The town is dominated by the roadside
Timber Creek Hotel & Circle F Caravan Park
( 08-8975 0722;
www.timbercreekhotel.com.au
; Victoria Hwy; unpowered/powered sites $25/
27.50, budget r from $66, motel d $95; )
. Enormous trees shade parts of the camping
area, which is next to a small creek where there's croc feeding every evening (5pm). The
complex includes the Timber Creek Hotel and Fogarty's Store.
Gregory National Park
The remote and rugged wilderness of the little-visited
Gregory National Park
(
www.nretas.nt.gov.au/national-parks-and-reserves/parks/find/gregory
)
will swallow you up.
Covering 12,860 sq km, it sits at the transitional zone between the tropical and semiarid
regions. The park, which will eventually be called Judbarra National Park, consists of old
