The Walls of Katherine Gorge

The sandstone walls of Katherine Gorge are alive with many types of plants. The walls are very porous so water moves down through the rocks providing a permanent supply of water for the plants. It is said that the water takes about ten years to filter from the top to the bottom of the rock faces. During the Wet, water pours over these rock faces bringing lots of debris which erodes the walls and produces sand for the beaches along the Katherine River. The black stains are not from minerals but are also living things - lichens sustained by the falling water.