Mary River National Park is an
Australian national park located about east and stretching to the southeast of
Darwin in the
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory ...
.
Geography
Mary River National Park incorporates the following areas, some of which are not contiguous to each other. The park consists of four non-contiguous parts:
* Alligator Lagoon Conservation Area
* Annaburroo Delta Block Conservation Area
* Boggy Springs Conservation Area
* Jimmy's Creek Conservation Area
* Mary River Conservation Reserve
* Mary River Crossing Conservation Area
* McKinlay River Conservation Area
* Opium Creek Conservation Area
* Point Stuart Coastal Reserve
* Shady Camp Conservation Area
* Stuarts Tree Historical Reserve
* Swim Creek Conservation Area
* Wildman River Conservation Area
Overview
The Mary River National Park consists of a collection of small reserve areas which protects part of the Mary River
catchment
A drainage basin is an area of land where all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, the ...
.
The
Mary River is one of eight rivers in the
Top End
The Top End of Australia's Northern Territory is a geographical region encompassing the northernmost section of the Northern Territory, which aside from the Cape York Peninsula is the northernmost part of the Australian continent. It covers a ra ...
that have large
floodplain
A floodplain or flood plain or bottomlands is an area of land adjacent to a river which stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls, and which experiences flooding during periods of high discharge.Goudi ...
s in their catchments. The
Arnhem Highway
The Arnhem Highway is a 227—kilometre highway in the Northern Territory of Australia. It links the mining town of Jabiru, in Kakadu National Park, to the Stuart Highway at a point 35 kilometres south of Darwin.
Upgrades
The Northern Austral ...
crosses five of these eight rivers as one travels between Darwin and
Jabiru
The jabiru ( or ; ''Jabiru mycteria'') is a large stork found in the Americas from Mexico to Argentina, except west of the Andes. It sometimes wanders into the United States, usually in Texas, but has been reported as far north as Mississippi. ...
.
This Park is located 150 km east of Darwin along the Arnhem Highway.
In the Dry Season, from May to September, most areas are accessible to all vehicles, however many roads are unsealed. During the Wet Season, from October to April, flooding can cause road closures.
Recreational activities
The Mary River Crossing on the Arnhem Highway 3 km west of the Bark Hut Inn has picnic areas, toilets and a boat ramp to make this an ideal site to access the Mary River system. Camping is not permitted at the Mary River Crossing.
Rockhole is another popular access point to the waterways of the Mary River. A boat ramp and picnic facilities are located here, where
Barramundi
The barramundi (''Lates calcarifer'') or Asian sea bass, is a species of catadromous fish in the family Latidae of the order Perciformes. The species is widely distributed in the Indo-West Pacific, spanning the waters of the Middle East, South ...
fishing is popular.
Couzen's Lookout camping area offers secluded camping beside the Mary River. It is only a short walk to the lookout where the sunsets are stunning.
Brian Creek Monsoon Forest is a patch of diverse
monsoon
A monsoon () is traditionally a seasonal reversing wind accompanied by corresponding changes in precipitation but is now used to describe seasonal changes in atmospheric circulation and precipitation associated with annual latitudinal oscil ...
forest that contrasts strongly with the surrounding woodlands. This is easily accessible.
Shady Camp is a popular fishing spot with boat ramps, picnic areas and toilets. A viewing platform offers excellent views of the river and its many
crocodile
Crocodiles (family (biology), family Crocodylidae) or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to inclu ...
s upstream. A barrage helps prevent
saltwater
Saline water (more commonly known as salt water) is water that contains a high concentration of dissolved salts (mainly sodium chloride). On the United States Geological Survey (USGS) salinity scale, saline water is saltier than brackish water, ...
entering the
freshwater
Fresh water or freshwater is any naturally occurring liquid or frozen water containing low concentrations of dissolved salts and other total dissolved solids. Although the term specifically excludes seawater and brackish water, it does include ...
wetlands
A wetland is a distinct ecosystem that is flooded or saturated by water, either permanently (for years or decades) or seasonally (for weeks or months). Flooding results in oxygen-free (anoxic) processes prevailing, especially in the soils. The ...
. Camping is permitted and fees apply.
Mistake Billabong has a shaded viewing platform where visitors can watch life on the
billabong
Billabong ( ) is an Australian term for an oxbow lake, an isolated pond left behind after a river changes course. Billabongs are usually formed when the path of a creek or river changes, leaving the former branch with a dead end. As a result ...
.
Point Stuart is the historic location where
John McDouall Stuart
John McDouall Stuart (7 September 18155 June 1866), often referred to as simply "McDouall Stuart", was a Scottish explorer and one of the most accomplished of all Australia's inland explorers.
Stuart led the first successful expedition to tra ...
's exploring expedition reached the sea in 1862 after riding over 2,000 miles north to traverse the continent. It is open during the drier months of the year.
See also
*
Protected areas of the Northern Territory
The protected areas of the Northern Territory consists of protected areas managed by the governments of the Northern Territory and Australia and private organisations with a reported total area of being 24.8% of the total area of the Northern Te ...
*
Wildman River Wilderness Work Camp
Wildman River Wilderness Work Camp was an Australian minimum security prison for juvenile males located in the Northern Territory of Australia in the Mary River National Park about from the territory capital of Darwin.
Facilities
Establ ...
References
External links
Mary River National Parkatural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport; Northern Territory Government. Accessed on 10 May 2012.
Parks and Wildlife Commission NT
Official map of Mary River National Park
{{authority control
National parks of the Northern Territory