Backpacking Katherine
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COOL OFF IN THE MAGNIFICENT KATHERINE GORGE: Photo courtesy Tourism NT
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TAKE A CRUISE DOWN KATHERINE GORGE TO SEE THE SPECTACULAR LANDSCAPES: Photo courtesy Tourism NT
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ENJOY THE WARM CRYSTALINE WATERS OF THE MATARANKA THERMAL POOL: Photo courtesy Tourism NT
Katherine information
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Katherine Highlights
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Visit (Nitmiluk) Katherine Gorge National Park, which contains the magnificent 25 million year old Katherine Gorge. You can hike through the gorge, canoe along it, or swim in it and admire the spectacular sheer cliffs, waterfalls and Aboriginal Rock Art.
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Relax at Katherine Hot Springs, where there are consistently warm pools at a temperature of 32 degrees celsius surrounded by shady trees.
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Alternatively, 103 Kilometres south-east of Katherine is Mataranka Thermal Pool, which is a great place to enjoy the warm, crystalline waters of the natural pool. The water is spring fed and is a constant temperature of 34 degrees celsius.
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Check out Leliyn (Edith Falls), where at the base of the falls is a natural pool, which is safe for swimming throughout most of the year.
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Visit Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park to see spectacular features such as Karst formations and complex cave networks.
About Katherine
Population 9,800
Katherine is the largest town between Darwin and Alice Springs and the main tourist attraction here is the (Nitmiluk) Katherine Gorge National Park, which contains the magnificent 25 million year old Katherine Gorge. The Gorge is located 30 kilometres to the north-east of Katherine and is actually a series of thirteen gorges on the Katherine River, broken by small cascades. Here you can hike through the gorge, canoe along it, or swim in it and admire the spectacular sheer cliffs, waterfalls and Aboriginal Rock Art. Access can be limited in the wet season.
The town itself has many shops and facilities and there are some attractions worth checking out, including museums, art galleries and historic sites.
Nearby Katherine, other attractions worth a visit include the Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park, the Katherine Hot Springs and Leliyn (Edith Falls). Further away (103 Kilometres south-east of Katherine) is the Mataranka Thermal Pool. Here you will find a beautiful crystal clear thermal pool surrounded by a pocket of rainforest.
Orientation Map for Katherine
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