Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park is a reserve covering 1,499 hectares of
limestone Karst
Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ro ...
landscape near the town of
Katherine, in
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
's
Northern Territory. The park is easily accessible from the
Stuart Highway, about south of Katherine, and features two
show caves where guided tours are offered to the public, making it a popular tourist attraction. The caves are the only tropical examples in Australia which are open to the public.
Cutta Cutta Caves are associated with ''Barrac Barrac'', or Diver Duck
dreaming creation stories by the local
Jawoyn Indigenous people.
Other sources, such as
Lonely Planet, claim Cutta Cutta is a Jawoyn word meaning "many stars", as they believe that caves are where the stars rest during the day; however, there does not seem to be a specific name for the formations in the documented or oral history. Evidence of occupation by the Jawoyn people can be found throughout the park with a number of campsites and stone artifacts identified. At least one unnamed cave within the park shows evidence of man-made grooves on an interior wall some distance from the entrance,
although it is widely understood that the Jawoyn people did not regularly enter the deep caves.
Following European settlement, the main cave was discovered by a stockman around 1900, and has been known by several names. Initially Smith's Cave, during
World War II, servicemen called it 16 Mile Cave. In 1967 the caves were placed under the management of the Northern Territory Reserves Board as the Sixteen Mile Caves Reserve, and guided tours commenced. In 1979, the park changed to its current name and in 1991, a second cave, Tindal Cave, was opened to the public, which has since been closed.
Only one cave is open for guided tours. Cutta Cutta Cave extends , with accessible to the public with lighting and walkways. There are a number of other cave systems within the park which are not open to the public.
In addition to a visitor centre and kiosk, the park offers a Tropical Woodland walk, with information for visitors about the local flora and fauna. The caves are subject to flooding during the tropical
wet season and may be closed for periods of time. As well as limestone
stalactite
A stalactite (, ; from the Greek 'stalaktos' ('dripping') via
''stalassein'' ('to drip') is a mineral formation that hangs from the ceiling of caves, hot springs, or man-made structures such as bridges and mines. Any material that is soluble an ...
and
stalagmite
A stalagmite (, ; from the Greek , from , "dropping, trickling")
is a type of rock formation that rises from the floor of a cave due to the accumulation of material deposited on the floor from ceiling drippings. Stalagmites are typically ...
formations, a number of rare species can be observed in and around the caves including the carnivorous
ghost bat and the
brown tree snake.
References
External links
Official fact sheet and map
{{Protected areas of the Northern Territory, state=collapsed
Show caves in Australia
Nature parks of the Northern Territory
Protected areas established in 1967
Limestone caves
Katherine, Northern Territory