Mataranka to Darwin road trip: Your guide to the best stops
The best stops on a Mataranka to Darwin road trip are Katherine Gorge and Litchfield National Park. Expect to cover the 422km distance in around four hours and 22 minutes.
The Mataranka to Darwin drive is usually undertaken as part of a longer road trip through the Northern Territory. If you’re going from Alice Springs to Darwin, or Melbourne to Darwin, you’ll pass through Mataranka. The settlement just happens to have a couple of attractions that make it an excellent overnight stop.
Darwin, meanwhile, brings schooner cruises, airboat tours and cage-swimming with massive crocodiles. To search for the best Darwin accommodation deals, head here. To check out the full range of tours and experiences available, go here.
The Mataranka Homestead is a classic outback overnight stay. It’s right next to the Mataranka Thermal Pool – better known as the Mataranka Hot Springs. You can also explore Elsey National Park around the Roper River from here.
7 great Darwin experiences to book before arriving
- Swim face to face with an enormous crocodile in the Cage of Death.
- Enjoy the romance of Darwin Harbour on a sunset dinner cruise aboard a traditional fishing ketch.
- Explore Darwin’s food and art scenes on a 3.5 hour walking tour – with lunch or dinner included.
- Flit between Darwin’s top attractions with a hop-on, hop-off bus tour.
- Combine a wildlife tour with the famous jumping crocodiles cruise.
- Get a history fix on a Bombing of Darwin WWII tour and harbour cruise.
- Get the adrenalin pumping on a high speed airboat or jetski tour.
Mataranka to Darwin distance and driving time
By car, the distance from Mataranka to Darwin is 422km. That makes for a driving time of around four hours and 22 minutes. Obviously, there are a few road trip attractions worth considering along the route.
On the leg from Mataranka to Katherine, the Sterling Mill Rest Area and King River Rest Area are more places for weary drivers to take a break than attractions in their own right. But that’s not the case with the Cutta Cutta Caves National Park.
The Cutta Cutta Caves are part of an enormous limestone karst system, and home to five species of bat.
You can visit on tours of the Cutta Cutta Caves, run by Nitmiluk Tours. This is the Aboriginal-owned company that also runs Katherine Gorge cruises and canoe trips.
Next up: Katherine and Nitmiluk National Park.