Planning a trip to Katherine
Visitor Information
The Katherine Visitor Information Centre, Lindsay Street at Katherine Terrace, Katherine, NT 0850 (tel. 1800/653 142 or 08/8972 2650; www.visitkatherine.com.au), has information on things to see -- not only all around Katherine, but as far afield as Kakadu National Park and the Kimberley. It's open daily from 8:30am to 5pm in the Dry season (Mar-Oct); in the Wet (Nov-Feb) it's open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm and on weekends and public holidays 10am to 2pm. Closed December 25 and 26, January 1 and Good Friday.
The Nitmiluk Visitor Centre, on the Gorge Road, 32km (20 miles) from town (tel. 08/8972 1886), dispenses information on the Nitmiluk National Park and sells tickets for gorge cruises, which depart outside. The center has maps; displays on the park's plant life, birds, geology, and Aboriginal history; a gift shop; and a cafe. It's open daily from 7am to 6pm, sometimes closing a little earlier in the Wet. Entry to the park is free.
Getting There
Greyhound Australia (tel. 1300/473 946 in Australia) buses stop in Katherine on their Darwin-Alice Springs routes. From Darwin, it's about a 4-hour trip costing A$88. From Alice, with departures once a day, it's about a 16 1/2-hour journey, for which the fare is A$295. Greyhound also runs to Katherine daily from Broome via Kununurra, a journey of about 22 1/2 hours costing A$324.
Visitors to Katherine can hop aboard the Ghan in Adelaide or Alice Springs and hop off in Katherine. The train leaves Adelaide on Sundays and Wednesdays at 12:20pm and Alice Springs on Mondays and Thursdays at 6pm. The trip from Alice takes about 15 hours. One-way fares are A$358 for a "day-nighter" seat or A$656 to A$1,019 for a sleeper from Alice. Contact Great Southern Railways (tel. 13 21 47 in Australia; www.trainways.com.au) for details on connections from Sydney and Melbourne.
No airlines operate flights into Katherine.
Katherine is on the Stuart Highway, which links Darwin and Alice Springs. From Alice Springs, allow a good 2 days to make the drive. The Victoria Highway links Katherine with Kununurra to the west. There is no direct route from the east; from, say, Cairns, you need to go via Townsville, Mount Isa, and Tennant Creek, a long, dull journey.
Getting Around
Hertz (tel. 08/8971 1111) and Thrifty (tel. 1800/626 515) have outlets in Katherine.
Nitmiluk Tours (tel. 1300/146 743 in Australia or 08/8972 1253; www.nitmiluktours.com.au) makes transfers from Katherine hotels to the cruise, canoe, and helicopter departure points at the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre every day at 7:30am, 12:15pm, and 5pm. Return services leave the gorge at 8am, 1pm, and 5:30pm. Round-trip fares are A$25 for adults and A$18 for children.
Most Katherine activities and attractions can be booked through Travel North (tel. 1800/089 103 in Australia, or 08/8971 9999; www.travelnorth.com.au) or Nitmuluk Tours. Both companies run a wide range of tours and activities, including horseback cattle musters, visits to an old homestead, half-day trips to Mataranka Thermal Pools, and tours of up to 5 days taking in Katherine, Darwin, Litchfield and Kakadu national parks and outlying Aboriginal communities. For personalized tours off the beaten path and around town, contact Far Out Adventures (tel. 0427/152 288 mobile), described in the Attractions section.
