Easily accessed from Darwin, this area is a popular destination for fisherman and easy weekend trips. The Daly River settlement, or the ‘Daly’ as locals fondly refer to it, has a population of around 560 and is located 110 kilometres west off the Stuart Highway. The Daly River crossing was traditionally a meeting place for the local Aboriginal people to trade and hold ceremonies. By the end of the 1800s, European farmers, missionaries, miners and pastoralists had arrived. The Merrepen Art Centre holds an Aboriginal arts and cultural festival every May or June. The festival includes art sales and an auction, traditional music and dance, bush tucker displays, and a sporting carnival.
Hotsprings and butterflies
The Daly River region is located between Darwin and Katherine and begins where the Katherine and Flora Rivers intersect and flow west to the Timor Sea. It encompasses many unique ecosystems, including hot springs and gorges, making it a fantastic spot to camp and bushwalk. Prior to European settlement, the Daly River was traditionally a meeting place for Aboriginal people to trade and hold ceremonies. Today it is a popular fishing and camping area renowned for its plentiful supply of barramundi. The Merrepen Arts Centre, located at the Daly River Aboriginal Community, is also popular with visitors. The centre sells Aboriginal art and craft made by the local Aboriginal people and occasionally visitors can see the artists at work. Just east of the Daly River is the area known as the Douglas Daly, which is home to the popular Douglas Hot Springs. In certain parts, the springs bubble at temperatures reaching 60 degrees Celsius and swimming is recommended in cooler pools downstream. There are plenty of camping and caravan facilities in the region, including the Douglas Daly Tourist Park where you can swim through The Arches, an amazing natural formation, into a waterhole that's safe for swimming. Butterfly Gorge Nature Park is another popular attraction and can be reached 17 kilometres past the Douglas Hot Springs turn-off. The last few kilometres are suitable for four-wheel-drive vehicles only. The gorge attracts thousands of butterflies seeking shelter in the crevices of its sheer rock faces. more
