Katherine Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
1939 Giles Street, Katherine NT 0850
Jatbula Trail · Checked October 2026
Jatbula Trail emergency & health guide: hospitals, rescue, 000 and PLBs
How to call for help with no phone signal, the nearest hospital for each of the 6 stages, and the park rules: permits and fees, the 15-walker limit, campsites, gas stoves, heat and safe swimming.
In an emergency call 000 from any phone, or 112 from a mobile; both reach the same service. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: NT Police run search and rescue, and evacuation from the trail is by helicopter at the walker's expense. There is no mobile signal on the trail, so in a life-threatening emergency activate a personal locator beacon (PLB) or call 000 on a satellite phone; at a campsite, use the Emergency Call Device to reach a ranger. Say which stage you are on, the nearest campsite and, if you can, your GPS coordinates.
Emergency numbers
| Number | What it is |
|---|---|
| 000 | Triple Zero: police, ambulance and fire, free from any phone, 24/7. For a lost or injured walker ask for the police: they run search and rescue. |
| 112 | Works from mobile phones only and reaches the same service as 000; it needs signal from any network and does not use satellites. |
| 106 | Text emergency calls from a TTY for people who are deaf or have a speech impairment. Australia has no SMS emergency service. |
| 08 8973 8888 | Nitmiluk Ranger Station: park and trail status, not an emergency line |
| 131 444 | NT Police Assistance Line, non-emergency, 24/7 |
| 1800 022 222 | healthdirect: medical advice from a nurse when it is not an emergency, 24/7 |
There is no mobile signal on the Jatbula Trail, so NT Parks asks every group to carry a personal locator beacon (PLB) with GPS or a satellite phone; use a PLB only in a life-threatening emergency. Every campsite has an Emergency Call Device that connects you to a ranger. Give someone at home your campsites, start and finish dates and any health conditions, and check the Bureau of Meteorology heat warnings before you start.
Rules to know
- Closed now: in October 2026 NT Parks lists the Jatbula Trail as closed, with a forecast reopening on 1 June 2027. This is the normal wet-season closure: the trail opens about 1 June and closes on 30 September (April and May only if rangers declare it ready), and from October to March no permits are issued. Check the NT Parks Nitmiluk status page before you book or travel.
- Every walker needs a Jatbula Trail permit booked online with NT Parks for a fixed start date. Only 15 walkers start each day, each campsite holds 15 people and you may stay one night only at each. Bookings open in early February (3 February 2026, 9 am ACST) and sell out fast; there is no waitlist, but cancelled places go back on sale at once.
- Fees: $25 per person per night walking fee, capped at $125, plus $10 per adult ($5 per child) per night for camping; about $175 per adult for 6 days. Visitors from outside the NT also need an NT Parks Pass ($30 for 2 weeks for an adult). Refunds: full more than 14 days before the start, 50% 8–14 days before, none within 7 days.
- Attend the walker safety briefing at the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre (8 am or 3 pm; 3 pm the day before for the 7 am ferry). Book the Nitmiluk Tours ferry across the Katherine River ($25, 7 am or 9 am) and show your signed permit before boarding.
- No fires: cooking is on gas stoves only. There are no bins on the trail, so carry out all rubbish and food scraps to Leliyn.
- Heat: days reach about 30°C even in the dry season and over 40°C from October to April. Carry at least 3 litres of water when you leave camp, more on the long day to Sandy Camp, treat all creek water and walk early.
- Swim safely: never jump or dive into creeks or waterholes, stay back from cliff edges and do not climb waterfalls. Wash off sunscreen and insect repellent away from the water before you swim.
- The trail crosses Jawoyn Country: stay on the marked track, do not touch rock art and respect sacred sites.
- Transport: book the transfer from Leliyn back to Nitmiluk Gorge (90 km) or Katherine (63 km) before you start, for example with Gecko Canoeing and Trekking or through the Katherine Visitor Information Centre. If you leave a car at either end, tell the parks desk or the Leliyn kiosk your name, car and return date.
- Pets are not allowed in Nitmiluk National Park. Recreational drones must not fly over or within 200 m of waterholes or campgrounds and may need a permit.
Nearest hospital for each stage
| # | Stage | Hospital (24/7 emergency) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nitmiluk Gorge → Biddlecombe Cascades | Katherine Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 2 | Biddlecombe Cascades → Crystal Falls | Katherine Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 3 | Crystal Falls → 17 Mile Falls | Katherine Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 4 | 17 Mile Falls → Sandy Camp | Katherine Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 5 | Sandy Camp → Sweetwater Pool | Katherine Hospital – Emergency Department |
| 6 | Sweetwater Pool → Leliyn (Edith Falls) | Katherine Hospital – Emergency Department |
Hospitals
Royal Darwin Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
105 Rocklands Drive, Tiwi NT 0810
Palmerston Regional Hospital – Emergency Department
- 24/7 emergency
- Stages 4, 5, 6
Linco Road, Holtze NT 0829
Pharmacies, cash and supplies
- Pharmacies:
- ATMs:
- Shops:
- Bus stops:
There is no pharmacy at Nitmiluk Gorge, on the trail or at Leliyn, and Australia has no duty-pharmacy rota. Buy all your medicines, rehydration sachets, a blister kit and insect repellent in Katherine or Darwin before you go. There is no power on the trail: carry a power bank.
Pharmacies, ATMs, shops and stops: © OpenStreetMap contributors. Hospitals and health centres checked online.
Have the nearest help on your map, offline
Outest shows these hospitals, pharmacies, ATMs and stops on the Jatbula Trail map, offline, together with the route, water and places to sleep.