Katherine Gorge is the central highlight of the 292,008 hectare Nitmiluk National Park in the Northern Territory. It boasts 13 stunning gorges flanked by towering cliffs up to 70 meters high. It is a paradise for bird and animal life, host to numerous Aboriginal rock art sites and dissected with over one hundred kilometres of magical walkways.

Katherine Gorge lies 30km's northeast of Katherine off the Stuart Highway. The road is sealed so a 4WD isn't necessary. At the end of the road is the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre which is a great place to go before exploring the Park. There are displays and models that explain the geology of the Park as well as the history of the traditional owners, the Jawoyn Aboriginal people.

Many Kakadu tours and Top End tours include a visit to Katherine Gorge as it is one of the premier attractions in the northern part of the Northern Territory. There are a number of ways you can explore the Gorge, either by helicopter, walking one of the many tracks along the river, a Katherine Gorge Riverboat Cruise or, one of the best ways, by canoe.

Katherine Gorge is part of the Katherine River which got its name from the first European to site the river in 1862, a Mr John McDouall Stuart . To honor his sponsor, he named it after his sponsor's second daughter. The Gorge is in the heart of Nitmiluk National Park, the name given by the local Jawoyn Aborigines which means the place of Cicada dreaming. They have lived in the area for thousands of years with many sites around the Park depicting their stories through rock art. They got title of the land granted back to them in 1989 and now jointly manage the Park with the Northern Territory Government.

Canoeing the Katherine Gorge allows people to feel the magnitude and grandeur of the area with Aboriginal rock art to view, a stunning array of birds and wildlife, not to mention a refreshing swim by diving straight out of your canoe.

There are 13 gorges in total but most Katherine Gorge tours only visit the first two or three, going any further requiring an overnight trip. The only way you can explore all 13 is by canoe. The gorges were formed over a period of about 25 million years starting off with water running through small cracks in the soft sandstone of the Arnhem Land Escarpment.

In the Dry season (April to October) the river level drops considerably which breaks up the river into sections with boulders and rocks between each part. In the Wet season the river goes wild as it rises with the onset of monsoon rains falling on Kakadu and Nitmiluk National Parks. At this time canoeing and boat cruises aren't always possible.

Leliyn (Edith Falls)

About 40km's north of Katherine up the Stuart Highway is the turn-off to another popular spot within Nitmiluk National Park, Leliyn or, Edith Falls as it is commonly known. From the turn-off it is another 19km's to the end of the sealed road, finishing at the campground by the Falls.

The main feature of Edith Falls is the series of picturesque waterfalls and pools that are a very popular for swimming and bushwalking around the area. There are two main walks, one is the Leliyn Trail which is a 2.6km round trip which takes you to the top of the escarpment and then down to the upper pool above the main falls. From two lookouts there are great views of the waterfalls and the Edith River. The other walk follows the river to Sweetwater Pool which is an 8.6 km return trip so is best as an overnight excursion.