Katherine Gorge aka: Nitmiluk

After visiting Kakadu National Park on a driving trip from Darwin, we weren’t sure how we could top that experience. But taking a day-long boat trip (actually a succession of small boat trips) up the long series of Gorges that make up this park turned out to be unexpectedly satisfying. Absolutely beautiful sheer rock cliffs on either side of the river alternate with peaceful groves of lowlying trees, replete with exotic birds and freshwater crocs. At the “summit” of our trip (we only went up to the fifth Gorge, but one can spend much longer and go up further), we had a picnic lunch and spent a couple hours enjoying the quiet and swimming in the river. (Apparently, the freshies keep to themselves if you don’t bother them.) An idyllic day trip. The only downside to a trip to Katherine is that the town of Katherine itself (several miles removed from the park) is nothing special; in fact it’s a bit depressing and a little scary. We stayed in a chain motel outside of town, fortunately.