Brisbane to Darwin road trip: Best stops, distance & drive time
Attractions between Brisbane and Darwin: Katherine Gorge
The Sterling Mill Rest Area and King River Rest Area are feasible stops on the leg from Mataranka to Katherine. But the Cutta Cutta Caves, part of a massive limestone karst system, are the biggest draw.
Katherine is usually used as a base for visiting Nitmiluk National Park, where the Katherine Gorge cruises and canoe tours are highlights of the whole trip.
Good things to do in Katherine itself include the Katherine Hot Springs, the Katherine Outback Experience and the Top Didj Cultural Experience.
Katherine experiences to book in advance
- Two gorge boat cruise through Nitmiluk National Park – with commentary on nature, wildlife and Aboriginal Dreaming stories.
- Half day Nitmiluk Gorge canoe hire – get closer to nature, paddling through at your own pace.
- Outback show with live music, horse and working dog demonstrations.
- Top Didj Aboriginal cultural experience – learn about ancient customs and feed baby wallabies.
- Cutta Cutta Caves guided tour – spot bats and birds in the limestone cave system.
Best Katherine accommodation
The best Katherine accommodation choices are:
- For a pool-based resort: Knotts Crossing Resort.
- For location next to Katherine Gorge: Nitmiluk Chalets.
- For really good value: Pine Tree Motel.
- For a solid holiday park: Big4 Breeze or Discovery Parks – Katherine.
- For glamping with a view: Gorge View Bush Retreat.
Further north along the Stuart Highway is the turn off for Leliyn (Edith Falls), which has a fantastic natural swimming pool at the base.
Brisbane to Darwin drive: Pine Creek and Adelaide River
Keep going and you’ll reach Pine Creek, where the Kakadu Highway from Kakadu National Park joins the Stuart Highway. The Old Railway Station and Railway Museum is worth a look in Pine Creek, as is the Enterprise Pit Mine Lookout. This former open cut mine that has now filled with water, and is effectively a weird-looking lake.
Next is Adelaide River, where the Adelaide River War Cemetery is the only war cemetery in the country. There was a large World War II military base here.
A word of warning: This is not where you do the infamous jumping crocodile cruises. They run on the Adelaide River, but further upstream, just off the Arnhem Highway.
Next section: Litchfield National Park and Humpty Doo