The story of this place
The Katherine River has been cutting through Arnhem Land sandstone for 23 million years, creating thirteen successive gorges — Nitmiluk — that are among the most dramatic landscapes in Australia. The gorges are separated by rapids that require canoeists to portage their boats on land between them. The red and orange sandstone walls soar up to 70 metres above the water, their faces streaked with ancient rock art left by Jawoyn ancestors.
In 1989, after years of land rights struggles, the Northern Territory government returned Nitmiluk National Park to the Jawoyn people, who immediately leased it back for joint management — a model that influenced subsequent Indigenous land returns across Australia. The Jawoyn believe the gorges are guarded by Bula, a powerful Creation Being who is still present in certain deep pools. These sacred sections remain closed to visitors. During the wet season, floodwaters can rise 20 metres in hours, sweeping crocodiles and debris through the gorges with terrifying force.