Judbarra / Gregory National Park

Judbarra (Gregory) National Park covers a vast 13,000 km² across the transition between tropical and semi-arid zones in the NT’s northwest. It’s a land of dramatic contrasts: the Victoria River cuts through sandstone escarpments with broad valley vistas, while elsewhere limestone karsts hide caves and the red earth is dotted with striking boab trees. The park is split into eastern and western sections by the Victoria River corridor. In the east, accessible from the Victoria Highway, visitors will find walking trails to the escarpment lookouts and the historical site of Gregory’s Tree – an ancient boab inscribed by explorer Augustus Gregory’s party in 1856:contentReference[oaicite:95]{index=95}. In the west, reachable via the unsealed Buchanan Highway or Duncan Road, lie the Bullita section and Limestone Gorge. Here 4WD enthusiasts challenge the Bullita Stock Route and the network of old station tracks that traverse river fords, savanna and rocky range country. The park offers several campgrounds (mostly bush camping with basic toilets) along the river and near scenic spots like Bullita Homestead (a preserved pastoral homestead) and Limestone Gorge. Wildlife is abundant – large populations of wallabies, freshwater crocodiles in the Victoria River, and birdlife ranging from cockatoos to waterbirds. The park is also rich in Indigenous culture, home to the Ngaringman, Karrangpurru, and other peoples, with rock art sites and Dreaming stories embedded in the landscape (some areas are jointly managed or have restricted access). Judbarra/Gregory’s sheer scale and remoteness mean that a full exploration could take days. Whether fishing for barramundi in a quiet river bend, hiking to a windy tabletop for endless views, or traversing the outback by 4WD, visitors to this park truly feel the grandeur of the Australian wilderness.