Katherine is the largest town between Darwin and Alice Springs with more than 10,000 people living here and it keeps growing.
Earlier the main economic came from mining, but with the mine Mount Todd closed, the economy is now based around tourism and the Tindal Air Force base, not long from Katherine.
Katherine has with its size several options for you to do. In the centre of town is a shopping complex for re-supplying as well as several great art and craft stores. The area around Katherine is amazing and along the Victoria Highway are some small pools, where it is great to take a swim in the dry season. There are also great swimming holes near the Katherine River, with many picnic facilities.
The main tourist destination at Katherine is The Katherine Gorge National Park also called Nitmiluk quite close to the township. Katherine National Park has amazing walking trails and also contains the spectacular 25 million year old Katherine Gorge. The popular Katherine Gorge is actually 13 gorges, broken by small cascades in the Katherine River.
There are different things to do at Katherine Gorge National Park, canoeing and walking is very popular because of the incredible view. Canoes can be hired and there are several cruises and walking tours in the area. If you want to see it on your own, you need to have a permit obtained from the visitor centre and you need to be extra careful, especially during the wet season, because the rivers can be extremely rough and the Katherine River is prone to flooding. Seek local advice if unsure.
Another park worth visiting whilst staying in Katherine is the Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park. Here you can take guided tours through limestone caves. At the Mataranka Thermal Pool you can see a crystal clear thermal pool surrounded by rainforest.
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