Self-drive touringaround Katherine

Whether it’s part of a journey through the Outback and Kakadu, or a short trip within Katherine, there’s plenty to entice you onto the highway.

Whether you’re making up part of a longer journey, incorporating the Red Centre, Darwin, Kakadu or keeping within Katherine and its surrounds, choose from a host of fantastic drives and itineraries and hit the wide open roads of the NT.

Across the top

Challenge yourself to the Savannah Way Drive, an ambitious route from northern Queensland across to Western Australia, stopping in Mataranka and Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge) along the way. Two weeks is the minimum time required to complete the Northern Territory section of the drive (or a full month to complete the entire east-west crossing), but from Katherine, drivers can take shorter trips out to selected highlights of the itinerary.

Back to nature

Experience the Nature’s Way itinerary with visits to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, before arriving at the world famous Nitmiluk National Park. Once there, the Katherine River provides opportunities to spend time camping, exploring the gorge and canoeing down the Katherine River.

On their heels

Try the Explorer’s Way and follow in the footsteps of John McDouall Stuart, the first European explorer to traverse the continent. Running from Adelaide in the South to Darwin in the North, the drive visits some of the country’s most inspiring icons, including the Flinders Ranges, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kakadu National Park. It also takes in the 105km between Mataranka and Katherine. This great stretch of road allows for quality time visiting Mataranka’s falls and thermal pool, Elsey National Park, as well as Nitmiluk National Park and the abundant tracks, camping grounds, and great attractions in and around Katherine itself.

Of course, these are all suggested routes and itineraries covering some of the Northern Territory’s most celebrated areas and sights. Katherine allows for drivers to just fill up the tank and take off… creating their own bespoke journeys to explore this spectacular landscape.