River View Camping

Cost $40 Powered

• Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge Tours) National Park
• Edith Falls
• Top Didj Cultural Experience and Art
• Cutta Cutta Caves
• Okeeffe House

Katherine has a population of 21000 people and is located 317km south east of Darwin. It is considered the 4th largest settlement in the Northern Territory. The town has a large population of Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander people so is rich in history.

A bit of history in regards to this quaint little town. Katherine is situated on the Katherine River which it is named after. It is also fondly known where the outback meets the tropics. Katherine served a big role in WW11 and the population went from thousands to a mere few hundred. It became a desert town and struggled over time. The community has grown over the years and now is home to a big and vast community. This town like many others rely on tourism to assist with keeping their towns alive.

The streets of Katherine are lined with so many murals and is a joint collaboration of professional and street artist and local community. Almost every piece of brick wall you see hosts an elder or someone who was influential to the town. The murals are so well done it is a credit to the township to come up with this initiative which is welcomed and respected by the locals and the visitors to this town.

Our camping spot was walking distance from Katherine township and the hot springs. If you want to go to the springs for a hot dip either go early in the morning or later in the afternoon. It is a very popular place for everyone visiting.

O’keeffe house was located down the road from our camp and we decided to go check out the history of this house. It is now run by a national trust and relies on volunteers to keep the museum and gardens looking amazing .It is where John and Olive O’keeffe lived. They were both honoured and highly regarded people in the Northern Territory for their work and Olive received a MBE for her contributions and her work with the Aboriginal people. The cost to visit this little gem is $10pp which included morning tea of scones, cream and tea served on white china….what a bargain i say.

We took in a day at the Nitmiluk National Park which is a 1/2 hour car drive from Katherine . We enjoyed the many walks they offered here in the park. There are a few walks here to do so choose wisely . They are all graded for different levels of fitness. The walks are well marked and there are water stations throughout the park. After exploring above the gorge, through the gorge and around the gorge 13kms later my legs were feeling like jelly. I was glad i got to see this amazing place on foot its the only way to see it. You can also take a boat ride to see this beautiful gorge from a different perspective which cost $75pp. If you take this option you get to see the gorge from the water up close…and maybe see a croc or two. If you want to see the gorge by Helicopter this is also available by contacting Katherine Helicopters for different packages.

We also went out to Edith Falls which is located 60km north of Katherine and on the drive to Darwin. It is an absolute must to visit on your journey and is just off the Stuart Highway. Edith falls offers a few cascading waterfalls and pools and is also situated in the Nitmiluk National Park. They also have a camping ground here but you have to book well in advance to secure a site.

The water here is so clear and fresh and the sound of the waterfalls cascading next to you adds to the amazing adventure. It was a beautiful hot winter day when we visited ,so it was pretty amazing. There are plenty of grassy areas here in the park that you can throw out that picnic rug after you have done some walks and had a swim. Opening hours for days visitors are 7am-7pm so a few hours to come visit and enjoy this beautiful National Park.

We had a great stay here in Katherine and were glad there was a decent Supermarket with fresh food as they are hard to find out here in the outback. We are now overstocked to continue our last week here in the NT. If you plan on visiting the Northern Territory you can go online and look at the Top End Holiday Guide.

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High above the gorge on the southern side.