Katherine
Travel Guide > Oceania > Australia > Northern Territory > Katherine
In this Article
- Introduction
- Neighbourhoods
- Sights and Activities
- Events and Festivals
- Weather
- Getting There
- Getting Around
- Eat
- Drink
- Sleep
- Work
- Learn
- Keep Connected
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Introduction
Katherine is a town of under 10,000, making it the third largest town in the Northern Territory in Australia (after Darwin and Alice Springs). Traditionally, gold was the economic life source of the town, but tourism has been increasing as travellers are drawn to the town for its location near Nitmiluk National Park and Katherine Gorge.
Neighbourhoods
Sights and Activities
- Nitmiluk National Park - Nitmiluk NP features Aboriginal rock art and a number of gorges, including the popular Katherine Gorge.
- Kakadu National Park - A little further north is Kakadu National Park, which can be reached by driving up the Stuart Highway and turning onto the Kakadu Highway at Pine Creek.
Events and Festivals
Weather
Katherine has a hot and humid tropical climate. The hottest days are during the built up to the wet season in October and November when temperatures hit 40 degrees Celsius during the day. Even some nights are around 30 degrees during these months. The wet season lasts from November to March. Wintermonths are still warm and humid but with average daytime temperatures around 30 degrees Celsius this is obviously the best time to visit. It is mostly dry with the occasional shower.
Getting There
By Plane
Katherine does have an airport, but no commercial flights fly there. Charter flights can be arranged. Most people get to Katherine by flying to Darwin and driving from there.
By Train
The Ghan is an train that runs from Adelaide to Darwin twice a week (and vice versa), stopping at Katherine along the way. Note the Ghan is not cheap: an adult one-way ticket from Adelaide costs at least $710; from Alice Springs, it costs at least $355 one-way.
By Car
Katherine is located at the intersection of the Stuart Highway and the Victoria Highway. You can drive south to Katherine from Darwin along the Stuart (4 hours), north from Alice Springs along the Stuart (13 and a half hours), or east from Broome along the Victoria Highway (18 hours). Since these are very long distances through desert, make sure you are carrying enough water.
By Bus
Greyhound has buses towards Darwin and Alice Springs and even buses to Perth (originating in Darwin) are available.
Eat
Drink
Sleep
Budget
| Property | Address | Type | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palm Court Kookaburra Backpackers | Cnr Third & Giles Sts | Hostel | 73 |
Mid-Range
Upscale
Work
Learn
This is version 8. Last edited at 18:16 on Jun 1, 09 by Utrecht (+129). 4 articles link to this page.
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