Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge)

The Katherine River has cut a chain of thirteen gorges through sandstone in Nitmiluk National Park, separated by rock bars that force you to portage a canoe or change boats between them. The walls are dark and streaked, rising straight from green water, and the effect is quite different from the open gorges of the Red Centre. Most visitors take a cruise into the first two or three gorges, but paddling further upstream is possible in the dry season and gets you away from engine noise. Walking tracks climb the escarpment to lookouts over the bends, and the long Jatbula Trail runs north across the plateau to Edith Falls. The park is Jawoyn land and is jointly managed.

The landscape

• A gorge cruise - the standard boat trip into the first gorges with a walk over the rock bars.
• Canoeing upstream - paddling and portaging into the quieter gorges in the dry season.
• Baruwei Lookout - a short steep climb to a view over the river mouth of the gorge.
• Edith Falls (Leliyn) - tiered falls and a large swimming pool at the park's northern end.

When to go

The dry season, May to September, is when boats run reliably and the walking tracks are open. In the wet the river rises hard, cruises stop and long walks close. Swimming is only permitted after rangers have surveyed and cleared the water, which takes time each year, so check current notices rather than assuming.

Good to know

In the wet season and the weeks either side there may be no cruises, no long walks and no swimming, which leaves very little to do. Saltwater crocodiles move into the system with the floods and are removed before the river reopens, so restrictions are taken seriously. Days are hot, the boats fill in peak season, and the escarpment walks are steep and exposed.

Nearby

Katherine town and its hot springs are close, with Kakadu National Park to the north.