Nitmiluk National Park is 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 ...
of Australia, 244 km southeast of
Darwin, and 23 km northeast of the town of
Katherine
Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and Catherina, other variations are feminine Given name, names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria ...
, around a series of gorges on the
Katherine River
Katherine River is located in the Northern Territory, Australia. Its headwaters are in Nitmiluk National Park, it flows through the town of Katherine, and is a major tributary of the Daly River. The Katherine River drops around 384m over its 328 ...
and
Edith Falls
The Edith Falls ( Aboriginal Jawoyn language: ''Leliyn'') is a series of cascading waterfalls and pools on the Edith River in the Nitmiluk National Park, located approximately north of Katherine, in the Northern Territory of Australia.
The f ...
. Previously named Katherine Gorge National Park, its northern edge borders
Kakadu National Park
Kakadu National Park is a protected area in the Northern Territory of Australia, southeast of Darwin. It is a World Heritage Site. Kakadu is also gazetted as a locality, covering the same area as the national park, with 313 people recorded liv ...
. The gorges and the surrounding landscape have great ceremonial significance to the local
Jawoyn
The Jawoyn, also written Djauan, are an Australian Aboriginal people living in the Northern Territory of Australia. The Bagala clan are of the Jawoyn people.
Language
Jawoyn, known as Kumertuo, is a non- Pama–Nyungan language that belongs ...
people, who are custodians of Nitmiluk National Park. In the
Jawoyn language
Jawoyn (Jawonj, Jawany, Djauan, Jawan, Jawony; Adowen, Gun-djawan), also known as Kumertuo, is an endangered Gunwinyguan language spoken by elders in Arnhem Land
Arnhem Land is a historical region of the Northern Territory of Australia, wi ...
, ''Nitmiluk'' means "place of the
cicada
The cicadas () are a superfamily, the Cicadoidea, of insects in the order Hemiptera (true bugs). They are in the suborder Auchenorrhyncha, along with smaller jumping bugs such as leafhoppers and froghoppers. The superfamily is divided into two ...
dreaming".
Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge
![Nitmiluk DSC03436](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Nitmiluk_DSC03436.JPG)
Nitmiluk Gorge, a deep
gorge
A canyon (from ; archaic British English spelling: ''cañon''), or gorge, is a deep cleft between escarpments or cliffs resulting from weathering and the erosion, erosive activity of a river over geologic time scales. Rivers have a natural tenden ...
carved through ancient
sandstone
Sandstone is a clastic sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized (0.0625 to 2 mm) silicate grains. Sandstones comprise about 20–25% of all sedimentary rocks.
Most sandstone is composed of quartz or feldspar (both silicates) ...
by the Katherine River, is the central attraction of the park. Nitmiluk Gorge is made up of thirteen gorges, with rapids and falls, and follow the Katherine River, which begins in Kakadu. During the Dry, roughly from April to October, the Nitmiluk Gorge waters are placid in most spots and ideal for swimming and canoeing. There may be
freshwater crocodile
The freshwater crocodile (''Crocodylus johnstoni''), also known as the Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnstone's crocodile or the freshie, is a species of crocodile endemic to the northern regions of Australia. Unlike their much larger Austr ...
s in most parts of the river, as they nest along the banks, but they are harmless to humans.
Saltwater crocodile
The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed ...
s regularly enter the river during the
wet season
The wet season (sometimes called the Rainy season) is the time of year when most of a region's average annual rainfall occurs. It is the time of year where the majority of a country's or region's annual precipitation occurs. Generally, the sea ...
, when the water levels are very high, and are subsequently removed and returned to the lower levels at the onset of the
dry season
The dry season is a yearly period of low rainfall, especially in the tropics. The weather in the tropics is dominated by the tropical rain belt, which moves from the northern to the southern tropics and back over the course of the year. The te ...
. Thus, swimming in the wet season is prohibited. Cruises of various lengths go as far as the fifth gorge.
The gorge hosted the final challenge and the finish line of ''
The Amazing Race Australia 4
''The Amazing Race Australia 4'' is the fourth season of the Australian reality television game show ''The Amazing Race Australia'', an Australian spin-off of the American series '' The Amazing Race''. The season featured eleven teams of two in a ...
''.
Facilities
The gorges can be explored by canoe and flat bottomed boat. In the dry season the gorges become separated as the level of the river falls. They are interconnected in the wet. There is a visitor centre located at the Katherine Gorge, about 30 km east of the town of
Katherine
Katherine, also spelled Catherine, and Catherina, other variations are feminine Given name, names. They are popular in Christian countries because of their derivation from the name of one of the first Christian saints, Catherine of Alexandria ...
. Information displays are set up that explain the geology, landscape and aboriginal history of the national park. Tours can be booked at the centre or at the visitor centre in the town.
There are two permanent campgrounds where there are both tent and caravan sites.
Both fires and bush camping are permitted.
There are numerous walking tracks in the national park.
Jatbula Trail
![Katherine gorge01](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3a/Katherine_gorge01.jpg)
The
Jatbula Trail
The Jatbula Trail is a one-way walking trail in the Northern Territory of Australia. It starts at Nitmiluk Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park and finishes at Edith Falls ( Aboriginal Jawoyn language: ''Leliyn'').
The Trail follows the route trav ...
follows the route travelled by generations of Jawoyn people between Katherine Gorge and Leliyn. It is named for Peter Jatbula, a man who was instrumental in securing land rights for his people and who walked this route with his family. Members of Peter Jatbula's family still live in the area today and continue to help look after country.
Wildlife
Freshwater crocodile
The freshwater crocodile (''Crocodylus johnstoni''), also known as the Australian freshwater crocodile, Johnstone's crocodile or the freshie, is a species of crocodile endemic to the northern regions of Australia. Unlike their much larger Austr ...
s are widely distributed along the river year-round. During the wet season, rises in water levels may allow
saltwater crocodile
The saltwater crocodile (''Crocodylus porosus'') is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats and brackish wetlands from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed ...
s to enter the gorge, where they are caught and relocated to lower levels when the dry season begins. Birds that can be seen include
osprey
The osprey (''Pandion haliaetus''), , also called sea hawk, river hawk, and fish hawk, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey with a cosmopolitan range. It is a large raptor reaching more than in length and across the wings. It is brown o ...
s,
red-tailed black cockatoo
The red-tailed black cockatoo (''Calyptorhynchus banksii'') also known as Banksian- or Banks' black cockatoo, is a large black cockatoo native to Australia. Adult males have a characteristic pair of bright red panels on the tail that gives t ...
s,
great bowerbird
The great bowerbird (''Chlamydera nuchalis'') is a common and conspicuous resident of northern Australia, from the area around Broome across the Top End to Cape York Peninsula and as far south as Mount Isa. Favoured habitat is a broad range of fo ...
s,
white-gaped honeyeater
The white-gaped honeyeater (''Stomiopera unicolor'') is a species of bird in the family Meliphagidae.
It is endemic to Australia.
Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical mangrove forest ...
s and
red-winged parrot
The red-winged parrot (''Aprosmictus erythropterus'') is a parrot native to Australia and New Guinea. It is found in grasslands, savannah, farmland, and woodland.
Taxonomy
The red-winged parrot was formally described in 1788 by the German natur ...
s. Part of the
Yinberrie Hills Important Bird Area
The Yinberrie Hills Important Bird Area comprise some 1050 km2 of rocky, tropical savanna covered, wooded hills in the lower Top End of the Northern Territory of Australia. They lie 45 km north of the town of Katherine, and about the ...
, identified as such by
BirdLife International
BirdLife International is a global partnership of non-governmental organizations that strives to conserve birds and their habitats. BirdLife International's priorities include preventing extinction of bird species, identifying and safeguarding ...
because of its importance for
endangered
An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inva ...
Gouldian finch
The Gouldian finch (''Chloebia gouldiae''), also known as the Lady Gouldian finch, Gould's finch or the rainbow finch, is a colourful passerine bird that is native to Australia.
Taxonomy
The Gouldian finch was described by British ornithologi ...
es, lies in the park.
[BirdLife International. (2011). Important Bird Areas factsheet: Yinberrie Hills. Downloaded from http://www.birdlife.org on 2011-12-06.]
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 ...
References
External links
Nitmiluk (Katherine Gorge)Official fact sheet and map
{{Authority control
Arnhem Land tropical savanna
Canyons and gorges in the Northern Territory
Katherine, Northern Territory
National parks of the Northern Territory
Protected areas established in 1989
1989 establishments in Australia