Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park Northern Territory
IUCN Category III (Natural Monument)
Cutta Cutta Caverns
Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park Location in Northern Territory
Nearest town or city	Katherine
Established	20 April 1967
Area	259 hectares (640 acres)
Visitation	25,000
Managing authorities	Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory
Website	Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park
See also	Protected areas of the Northern Territory

Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park is a special place in Australia's Northern Territory. It's a reserve covering a large area of land (about 1,499 hectares) with amazing limestone caves. You can find it easily near the town of Katherine, just a short drive (about 27 km) south of the Stuart Highway. This park is famous for its two "show caves" where you can take a guided tour. These are the only tropical caves in Australia that are open for everyone to explore!

Discovering Cutta Cutta Caves

Cutta Cutta Caves are part of a special type of landscape called Karst. This means the ground is made of limestone, which water can slowly dissolve to create caves and sinkholes. The park is a popular spot for tourists because it's easy to get to and offers exciting cave tours.

What are the Caves Like?

The main cave, called Cutta Cutta Cave, stretches for about 750 meters. But don't worry, you only explore about 240 meters of it on a tour. This part has special lights and walkways to make it safe and easy to see. Inside, you'll see incredible rock formations like stalactites (which hang down from the ceiling) and stalagmites (which grow up from the floor). These formations are created over thousands of years as water drips through the limestone.

There are other cave systems in the park too, but they are not open to the public. These hidden caves help protect the special environment and the creatures that live there.

Animals of the Caves

The caves and the surrounding woodland are home to some unique animals. You might spot a ghost bat, which is a type of bat that eats meat, or a brown tree snake. These animals have adapted to live in or near the caves. The park also has a Tropical Woodland walk where you can learn about the plants and animals that live above ground.

A Bit of History

The local Jawoyn Indigenous people have a deep connection to Cutta Cutta Caves. They have stories about the caves, including one about "Barrac Barrac," or the Diver Duck. Some people believe the name "Cutta Cutta" means "many stars" in the Jawoyn language, because they thought the caves were where stars rested during the day. You can find signs that the Jawoyn people used to live in the park, like old campsites and stone tools. However, they generally didn't go deep into the caves.

Europeans discovered the main cave around 1900. It was first called Smith's Cave. During World War II, soldiers called it 16 Mile Cave. In 1967, the caves became a protected area called the Sixteen Mile Caves Reserve, and guided tours started. The park got its current name, Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park, in 1979. Another cave, Tindal Cave, was opened to the public in 1991, but it has since been closed.

Planning Your Visit

Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park has a visitor center and a small shop. It's important to know that during the tropical wet season (when there's a lot of rain), the caves can sometimes flood. This means they might be closed for a while, so it's a good idea to check before you go.