Destinations / Katherine / Gulf region
Borroloola
The small township of Borroloola has a colourful past. At the turn of the 20th Century it was a wild frontier town where fishermen, prospectors, drovers and smugglers passed through. These days it services the local fishing, pastoral and mining industries and travellers on the Savannah Way tourism drive.
Fishing
Fishing in the Gulf region can prove an exciting adventure for keen anglers. The region’s many river systems flow into the vast, shallow Gulf of Carpentaria and offer a wide range of fishing experiences with many prized species abundant. The Borroloola Barra Classic is held annually at Easter and is open to all.
Caranbirini Conservation Reserve
Caranbirini is a small conservation reserve located 46 kilometres south of Borroloola. The Reserve is in the transition zone between the tropical north and drier centre and protects several habitats, including a sandstone escarpment, a semi-permanent waterhole with surrounding riverine vegetation and areas of open woodland.
Poppy's Pool
Poppy’s Pool is a beautiful gorge and thermal pool with a waterfall located on Aboriginal land, approximately 60 kilometres from the Heartbreak Hotel at Cape Crawford. Poppy’s can be booked out exclusively through Cape Crawford Tourism, who manages it on behalf of the Gudanji people.
Old Police Station Museum
This police station was built in 1908 as a frontier outpost. Its wide, covered verandas were designed to help cope with the tropical conditions. Now a museum operated by the National Trust, the Police Station provides an insight into life in this region at the turn of the century. Entry is free.
Travelling east from Katherine takes you to the Gulf of Carpentaria - the shallow sea between Australia and Papua New Guinea.
The area is home to four main indigenous language groups- Yanuwa, Mara, Kurdanj and Karawa. Its early pastoral areas were opened up by the ill-fated German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt in 1845, and today the Gulf region encompasses some of Australia’s largest cattle stations – several the size of small European countries.
The Gulf’s remote, unspoilt waterways are some of Australia's most unique and exciting fishing destinations. On the Northern Territory side of the Gulf, Roper Bar is the natural rock crossing separating the saltwater from the freshwater sections of the mighty Roper River.
Further south, the small township of Borroloola is set on the McArthur River and is the Gulf's service centre for pastoral, fishing and mining industries.
It is home to about 300 people. Fishing enthusiasts can head to King Ash Bay about 40 kilometres past Borroloola, it is a popular fishing spot because of its huge tidal range. Located on the McArthur River, King Ash Bay focuses on the boat ramp. The King Ash Bay Fishing Club allows non-members to camp on the banks of the river.
Cape Crawford, 100 kilometres south-west of Borroloola, is surrounded by savannah woodland, rock escarpments, waterfalls and waterholes. From here it is possible to organise a helicopter ride over the ‘lost city’ (large sandstone outcrops and formations formed 1.4 billion years ago) of the Limmen National Park.
The beaches on Barranyi (North Island) National Park, located in the Sir Edward Pellew Group of islands, are nesting sites for turtles and many birds use the islands to rest when migrating.
Access to the islands is by private boat or charter only and you must contact the Parks and Wildlife department before making the journey.
Explore Katherine & surrounds
