Victoria River District

Victoria River District is a major tropical savanna situated in the territories south of Katherine, Northern Australia. It covers 270,000 of the area, and it is considered as one of the major cattle grazing spots of Australia's Northern Territories. While savannahs are often thought as dull landscapes, the region openly dispels this belief as it is actually home to unique tourist spots, several towns, and Aboriginal communities.

The climate of Victoria River district has a tropical climate characterized by longer humid and hot summers and dry, sunny, and warm winters. During the wet season, maximum temperatures can reach 36 degrees Celsius.

The Victoria River

The Victoria River, the longest river in Northern Australia, is the region's highlight, lifeline, and primary tourist destination. One of the river's first visitors was Reverend Julian Edmund Woods, who referred to the river as "The Australian River Nile." The great river, also warmly called "The Vic" flows northward for 350 miles and joins Joseph Bonaparte Gulf in the Timor Sea.

The shores of the Victoria river provide a perfect haven for grazing cattle and surrounding wildlife, and a great deal of tourists and locals cruise on its pristine waters. The river is also one of the top fishing spots in Northern Australia, famous for its large barramundi. The Victoria River is also a venue for many fishing competitions each year. But tourists and fishermen alike should also take note of the Estuarine Crocodiles that populate the waters.

Attractions and Landmarks

Victoria River region is one of the prime tourist locations in Northern Australia as it boasts of a park and historical sites, scenic locations and diverse landscapes that are teeming with rich wildlife. Park sites such as Keep River National Park and Gregory National Park provide displays of spectacular rock formations such as the Limestone Gorge and Keep River Gorge, in addition to historical locations of Aboriginal artwork. Timber Creek, one of the region's historical landmarks, holds a Heritage Trail, which tourists can follow to learn about historic sites, Aboriginal culture, communities and local wildlife.

Timber Creek was first inhabited by the Ngaliwurra and Nungali Aboriginal group whose descendants continue to live in the area. It is also famous for the Gregory Tree Reserve, the site where Augustus Gregory supposedly made camp when his boat was wrecked during his North Australia Expedition in 1855. It was believed that Gregory called it "Timber Creek" after cutting down timber to fix his boat.

These parks have camping facilities for every tourist needs such as toilets, barbeque areas, and picnic tables. Several four-wheel-drive tracks for tourists are also available like the Bullita Stockroute, Humbert Track, Wickham and Gibbie Tracks and Broad Arrow Track in Gregory National Park. Keep National Park is also a habitat for many interesting local animals such as sandstone shrike thrush, short-eared rock wallabies and white-quilled rock pigeons.

Aside from parks, other scenic locations such as the Kuwang Lookout, Policeman's Point Lookout and Escarpment Lookout provide captivating eye candy views of Victoria River District's cliffs, ranges, mountains, and valleys. Tourists will surely enjoy taking pictures of these breathtaking locations, most of which are best explored by walking and following grass trails.

Aboriginal artworks preserved by parks are famous tourist attractions with historical value, but Boab trees are also popular among tourists. The Boab tree is native to Northern Australia and is often called the "bottle tree" because of its puffed trunk. A large boab tree on the Victoria River bank is particularly popular since it was reputed to be a marking for John Finlay's grave. John Finlay was identified as the first white man to be buried in the Victoria River District. He was the carpenter who built the wagon that Augustus Gregory used to reach Victoria River District. The tree is now considered as a historical and cultural heritage of Northern Australia.

Museums are other sources of historical attractions, and Victoria River District has its own called the Old Police Station Museum. The police station was initially a hut built in 1898 and was reconstructed in 1908 using steel and iron. It served as a border outpost designed to withstand the tropical weather conditions and eventually became the museum run by by the National Trust today. It shows the rich history of the area complete with pictures and artifacts.

After a whole day of visiting historical landmarks or trekking the terrains of Victoria River District, tourists can relax in the Top Springs Hotel Roadhouse, which provide accommodation, spring swimming areas, pools and meals. Tourists can also re-stock their supplies since the Roadhouse also offers groceries and fuel.

Victoria River District offers a wide variety of opportunities for adventure, culture, history, and nature. Its captivating landscapes clearly prove that savannas are not always uninteresting grasslands, for they can be as beautiful and exciting as any other tourist destination.

Katherine Photos