Daly River
Butterfly Gorge Nature Park
This quiet gorge is part of a sandstone plateau, 200 kilometres north of Katherine and accessible by four-wheel-drive only. The pools are lined with paperbark trees over 50 metres high and the crevices in the rock faces are inhabited by thousands of butterflies. Swimming is safe but camping is not permitted.
Nauiyu - Daly River Community
Nauiyu (pronounced ‘nay-yoo’) is a small Aboriginal community 250 kms north-west of Katherine on the bank of the Daly River. More than ten language groups live in the area. There are camping spots and a hotel/pub in Daly River.
Tjuwaliyn (Douglas Hot Springs)
Located 130 kilometres from Katherine, these hot springs are surrounded by tropical woodlands and hold water up to 60 degrees Celsius. Swimming is only recommended downstream where warm and cooler waters converge. There's plenty of wildlife in the area and visitors are catered for in a large camping area with basic facilities. Visit the Parks & Wildlife site for a fact sheet and map.
Merrepen Arts Centre and Gallery
The Merrepen Arts Centre is in Nauiyu Community, near Daly River. Its modern gallery showcases traditional cultural expressions through a variety of mediums, like authentic Aboriginal acrylic paintings, screen prints, batik and hand printed fabric, silk paintings, weaving and cards. Visitors can watch artists creating their work at the Centre.
The Daly River region is located between Darwin and Katherine and begins where the Katherine and Flora Rivers intersect and flow west to the Timor Sea.
It encompasses many unique ecosystems, including hot springs and gorges, making it a fantastic spot to camp and bushwalk.
Prior to European settlement, the Daly River was traditionally a meeting place for Aboriginal people to trade and hold ceremonies. Today it is a popular fishing and camping area renowned for its plentiful supply of barramundi.
The Merrepen Arts Centre, located at the Daly River Aboriginal Community, is also popular with visitors. The Centre sells Aboriginal art and craft made by the local Aboriginal people and occasionally visitors can see the artists at work.
Just east of the Daly River is the area known as the Douglas Daly. It is home to the popular Douglas Hot Springs. In certain parts, the springs bubble at temperatures reaching 60 degrees Celsius and swimming is recommended in cooler pools downstream.
There are plenty of camping and caravan facilities in the region, including the Douglas Daly Tourist Park where you can swim through The Arches, an amazing natural formation, into a waterhole that’s safe for swimming.
Butterfly Gorge Nature Park is another popular attraction and can be reached 17 kilometres past the Douglas Hot Springs turn-off and the last few kilometres are suitable for four-wheel-drives only. The Gorge attracts thousands of butterflies seeking shelter in the crevices of its sheer rock faces.
Explore Katherine & surrounds
