Judbarra / Gregory National Park from the Victoria Highway

About Judbarra / Gregory National Park in Northern Territory Australia

• Gregory National Park
Tracks for four-wheel drives The park has six rugged four-wheel drive tracks to navigate. Tackle the 6 km Limestone Gorge track to see a landscape dominated by limestone formations and boabs. Or embark on the longer 197 km Broadarrow Track that crosses a broad, flat plateau, rugged hilly country and alluvial plains.

• Jasper Gorge
Jasper Gorge with its permanent waterhole is located 48 kilometres, 30 miles, southwest of Timber Creek, just south of the Aboriginal Land Trust area. Gregory National Park is a remote area with rough terrain and features tropical and semi-arid plant life, spectacular range and gorge scenery. It is a very exciting park to explore if you have a 4WD but if not you can still see Limestone Gorge.

• Gregory National Park
This park covers an area of about 13,000km sq and features spectacular gorge scenery, rare wildlife species, and significant traces of Aboriginal culture, European exploration and pastoral history. It is divided into 2 sections – the Victoria river sector in the east and the Gregory sector in the west. The Victoria river sector is near the Victoria river crossing and winds through 250 meter high tablelands, creating dramatic red cliffs. The large Gregory sector lies just outside Timber Creek. In the Gregory sector, Limestone Gorge provides a superb photographic opportunities. Also of interest is the old cattle property outstation, Bullita Homestead, with its traditional timber stockyards. Facilities at both Bullita and Limestone gorge camping areas include BBQ’s, picnic tables and pit toilets (note: the camp ground at Limestones Gorge is currently closed). Those with a 4WD will love exploring the network or 4x4 tracks. For more information, contact the Parks and Wildlife office at Timber Creek on (08)8975 0888. No pets allowed in the park.

Judbarra / Gregory National Park covers an area of around 13,000 square km in the transition zone between tropical and semi-arid regions of the Northern Territory. The Park features spectacular range and gorge scenery and significant traces of Aboriginal culture, European exploration and pastoral history.

Where is Gregory National Park located
Gregory National Park starts some 200 klm west of Katherine in Northern Territory. There are two sections to the Gregory National Park. The Bullita Sector lies to the west of the Wanimiyn and Ngaliwurru/Nungali Aboriginal Land Trusts. The Victoria River Sector lies to the east of the same Trust area. Located in the south of the Bullita section, domite blocks and huge cliffs create the stunning Limestone Gorge - also good for fishing.

How to Get There
The Park may be reached via the Victoria Highway from either Katherine, Kununurra or the unsealed Buntine Highway. Judbarra / Gregory National Park can also be reached via the unsealed Buchanan Highway as well.

When to Visit
A number of 4WD tracks have been established within the Park for visitors who have the required safety equipment. Other roads within the Park are accessible by 2WD vehicles, however towing caravans or trailers over these tracks is not recommended. All roads, including the Victoria Highway may become impassable during the wet season.

What to See and Do
Boating, canoeing, bushwalking, and Aboriginal Art appreciation.
•Recreational Activities
•Plants & Animals
•Ranger Guided Activities

Visitor Facilities
Fuel, provisions, public telephones and accommodation are available at Timber Creek and the Victoria River Homestead. Police, banking facilities, vehicle repairs, boat hire and emergency medical care are available at Timber Creek.

Drinking water is available at Timber Creek and the Victoria River Homestead. Water obtained from rivers and billabongs should be boiled before drinking.

A number of tour operators operate within the Park, for further information regarding these tours, contact your nearest Tourist Information Centre.

Recreational Activities
Features and facilities of the Park include:
•4 x 4 Driving

•Accommodation
Gregory National Park only offers camping facilities which range from toilets and wood BBQ facilities to 4WD bush camps. (These have no toilet facilities) Commercial accommodation is available at Timber Creek, Top Springs and Kalkaridngi which are not located within the park.

•Boat Ramp
A boat ramp is located at Big Horse Creek west of Timber Creek. Changing tides, hidden snags and rocks make this section of the Victoria River potentially hazardous. A 2WD boat ramp also located at the Victoria River Gorge access in the Victoria Sector of the park.

•Boat Tours

•Camping Permitted
A number of camping areas have been established throughout the Park, incorporating barbecue areas, picnic tables and pit toilets. A nominal camping fee applies.

•Caravan Permitted
Caravans accessible only off the Victoria Highway. Not recommended to be taken into interior of Gregory National Park due to the rough terrain.

•Fishing

•Picnic Table

•Walking Tracks
Marked walking tracks have been developed within the Park. Before embarking on an extended bushwalk, visitors must first obtain a permit from a Ranger station.

Plants and Animals
The rivers, creeks and billabongs throughout the area are inhabited by both Freshwater and Saltwater (Estuarine) Crocodiles. The Saltwater Crocodile is potentially dangerous to humans. For your safety, do not swim in, or allow children to play near the water's edge.

Bullita Homestead and Limestone Gorge

How to get there:
Bullita Homestead and Limestone Gorge are both located on the larger western section of Gregory National Park. Youwill find the Bullita Access Road approx. 10 km east of Timber Creek township. During the dry season it is possible to reach Bullita Homestead by 2WD but not recommended, though a 2wd will need much higher clearance than normal y to get to Limestone Gorge. We only recommend 4wd cars and 4wd camper trailers in this area.

• Limestone Gorge Campground
Closed Permanently for vehicle access due to erosion damage
• Limestone Gorge - Calcite Flow Walk
Closed Due to the Wet Season. Will re-open later in 2014.

• Bullita Campground is not far from the homestead, just follow the signs. It's on the banks of the East Baines River and you can go down to the river crossing and try to catch some dinner.

• Camping Fees
A standard fee applies at Sullivans Creek, Big Horse Creek and Bullita campgrounds.
Envelopes are provided at the fee deposit box near the entrance of the campgrounds.
Campgrounds along the 4WD tracks are free.

Bullita Homestead
Bullita Homestead is approx 40+ klm from the highway go back into the life of our early pioneers and pastoralists. Bullita was an outstation for the Durack family; they were firmly linked with cattle and the opening up of interior Australia in the 1880s. The old homestead still stands and the name of one of the Duracks is carved into a nearby boab tree. Cattle were taken from Bullita and Humbert River stations along the road that runs through Gregory N.P. today. This road connected to the Auvergne Stock Route farther to the north. Evidence of cattle-working facilities used by these large stations is still visible. The Spring Creek Cattle Yards were typical of yards used during cattle drives when up to 500 head might be moved. The Drovers Rest camp near Bullita was the site of a regular drovers’ camp.

Limestone Gorge
How to get to Limestone Gorge take the turn off approx 35 km along the Bullita access road. Make sure you are fuelled up first and have day supplies plenty and available.

The Calcite Flow Walk - Limestone Gorge
The Calcite Flow Walk is 2 km before the campground, take your time and be prepared to give up and return if it gets to rough for you in a 4wd. The Calcite Flow Walk is a short and easy walk and gives you scenic distant views over the limestone formations that this part of Gregory National Park is renowned for.

Limestone Ridge Loop Walk
The 1.8 km Limestone Ridge Loop Walk starts from the edge of the campground. It winds and straggles along the outcropped ridge through the unusual limestone surrounding landscape, with distant views in spots of the East Baines River Valley.

Gregory's Tree
Gregory's Tree is another historic site that is two-wheel drive accessible. A network of remote four-wheel drive tracks for those who are well-equipped and well prepared is open usually during May to November. Distinctive Boab Trees occur throughout the park but are particularly striking in the limestone landscapes that can only be reached by four-wheel drive vehicles. The western section of the park extends from the sub tropical zone in the north to the semi-arid zone in the south.

About Keep River National Park in Northern Territory Australia

• Keep River National Park

Where is Keep River National Park located
Located 468 km west of Katherine along the Northern Territory/Western Australia border, Keep River National Park is noted for its striking landforms.

How to Get to Keep River National Park
The Keep River National Park entrance is 3 km east of the NT/WA border. Formed gravel roads suitable for 2WD vehicles lead to the main attractions. During the wet season roads may be closed due to flooding. All vehicles are restricted to formed roads only.

When to Visit
The most comfortable months to visit the Park are from May through to the end of August, when temperatures range from 35 degrees Celsius max down to 10 degrees Celsius min.

What to See and Do
Visitors to the Park are provided with excellent opportunities for bushwalking, photography and the chance to learn about geological events that have shaped this landscape. Past evidence of volcanic activity, massive marine deposits and glaciation are visible in the rocks and landforms of this region.
•Recreational Activities
•Scenic and Cultural Features
•Plants & Animals
•Ranger Guided Activities

Visitor Facilities
Two camping areas have been provided: Gurrandalng, located 18km from the Park entrance and Jarnem, located 31km from the Park entrance. Camping facilities include tables, barbecues and pit toilets. Drinking water is available at two sites within the Park. Generators are permitted in the park at the Gurrandalng campground only, but must be turned off by 8:30pm.

Please Remember
Bushwalkers planning long walks or camping overnight outside the formal camping areas MUST NOTIFY a Ranger before setting off. Special conditions for overnight hikers involves getting a permit which can take up to a week or more to process so you need to be pre-organised and contact the Rangers for a copy of the permit and the other information you need to provide Rangers with. NO self guiding pamphlets are available for any of the walking tracks here. There is interpretive information at the walks and visitor centre. You will need drinking water, appropriate footwear and a hat. It is also advisable to have the topographical 1:100,000 scale map of the area. Generators are permitted in the park at the Gurrandalng campground only but must be turned off by 8:30pm. Pets are NOT allowed in the Park. Please collect firewood before arriving at your picnic or campsite.

Recreational Activities
•4 x 4 Driving •Camping Permitted •Caravan Permitted •Picnic Tables •Walking Tracks From the camping areas, visitors can explore the rugged and dissected terrain of sandstone formations. Longer walking tracks are located at the campgrounds and other localities. Thousands of years of erosion by the Keep River has formed the shallow sandstone Keep River Gorge (Jinumum Walk). A short walk along the floor of the Gorge provides an opportunity to view an Aboriginal Art site.

Scenic and Cultural Features
The Park falls within the Aboriginal tribal area of the Mirriuwoong and Gadjerong Aboriginal People. The Jinumum walk and the Lang-gerrbi (Nigli Gap) walk provide the visitor with the chance to see some of the rock art characteristic of the area.

Plants and Animals
Short-eared Rock-wallabies, White-quilled Rock-pigeons and Sandstone Shrike-thrushes are among some of the more interesting inhabitants of this amazing landscape.

About Timber Creek in Northern Territory Australia

• It doesn't matter if you are passing on through on your way to the Kimberly region in the west or to Katherine in the east or want to stop over for a while, we would like to invite you to drop in to our Timber Creek Hotel and Circle F Caravan Park and Motel.

Timber Creek a small outback town with a small population of 556 is located on the Victoria Highway, 285 km west of Katherine and 193 km east of the border between the Northern Territory and Western Australia. See WA/NT border Quarantine Station.

It located on the Victoria Highway, which is the main route connecting Australia's Top End and the Kimberley region on the Savannahway. The location of Timber Creek township makes it a stopover location and base to explore the Gregory National Park. Also to get supplies.

Suggest for a stopover

Suggest for a stopover use Timber Creek Hotel and Circle F Caravan Park and Motel.
•Ice, Bait and Tackle
•Take Away Food
•BP Fuels
•Auto Gas/Kleenheat
•Airconditioned Fully Licensed Dining Room
•Airconditioned Public Bar
•EFTPOS Facilities
•Laundry Facilities
•Children's Playground
•for Park Guests, Shaded pool and spa area.

Another stopover is the Big Horse Creek Campground 7km west of Timber Creek, the Big Horse Creek is a popular base for anglers. The grounds offer toilets, fireplaces, limited drinking water and a cement boat ramp which can be used year round.

The Vic is a mecca for fishing and produces some of the Territory’s best and biggest Barramundi. “Barra” can be caught all year round but the best time is on a neap tide, between the months of March to late May-coinciding with the end of the monsoon season called the “Run-off”. It is VERY important to remember that Estuarine Crocodiles (saltie’s) inhabit this area, so please observe all safety precautions/signs around any water way in this region.

Gregory's Tree
Gregory’s tree is located 15km northwest of Timber Creek. This large boab tree stands at the campsite of the early explorer Augustus Charles Gregory’s north Australian expedition which was undertaken between October 1855 and July 1856. Inscribed in the tree by Gregory are the expedition dates. The Tree also has special significance to the local Ngaringman Aboriginal people and is registered as a sacred site.

Escarpment Lookout Walk
Located just west of the Victoria River Crossing, this short walk is steep in sections and provides panoramic views of the soaring red rocky escarpments of the Victoria River Valley.

Heritage Trail
The Heritage trail begins behind the council building and follows a series of historic sites and pioneer graves. This also provides a great spot for viewing wildlife.

Joe Creek Walk
A 90 minute walk of moderate grade, ascending to the base of the escarpment and to a breathtaking view. Aboriginal artwork can be viewed at a site along the walk, and a barbecue, picnic tables and toilet are provided. Day use only.

Kuwang Lookout
47km east of Timber Creek, the Kuwang lookout offers views towards the Stokes Range and houses an interpretive display featuring creation stories of the local Aboriginal people.

Policeman's Point Lookout
A short drive west of Timber Creek, this lookout offers views of the Victoria River winding through rugged hills and ranges. Policemen’s Point offers a good spot to fish from the bank or take in the majesty of the Victoria River.

Police Station Museum
The museum offers an insight into the history of the area, and provides artifacts and photographs on the area. The original ‘lock-up’ is also present, and helps highlight the hardships faced during the settlement of Outback Australia

Top Springs
This rugged road junction links the Buntine Highway and Buchanan Highway and houses the Top Springs Hotel / Roadhouse. Nearby springs provider a relaxing swimming spot. Accommodation, meals, fuel and basic groceries are available from the Roadhouse.

Buntine Highway
The Buntine Highway runs roughly parallel to the Victoria Highway, and offers an alternate route into Western Australia. The road links Dunmurra (NT) with Halls Creek (WA) and passes through Top Springs.

Victoria River Crossing
The Victoria River Crossing is 194km west of Katherine. The Stunning escarpment country provided the perfect backdrop for fishing and boat cruises, with Red Valley Gorge providing a shady and scenic rest area. The Roadhouse is close to the crossing, with camping and accommodation available. You can even take a helicopter flight over the incredible landscape.

Katherine Visitor Information Centre - just past the petrol station south of town - friendly staff we found and good for booking Victoria River activities.

Keep River National Park
Located 468 km west of Katherine along the Northern Territory/Western Australia border, Keep River National Park is noted for its striking landforms.

© source | courtesy of visitkatherine.com.au
© source | courtesy of derbytourism.com.au
© source | courtesy of visitkununurra.com
© Source | courtes of parksandwildlife.nt.gov.au
© source | courtesy of wikipedia.org
© source | courtesy of outbacktravellers.com.au
© source | courtesy of westernaustralia.com
© source | courtesy of australiasoutback.com