Northern Territory

NORTHERN TERRITORY

The Northern Territory at large is home to the iconic natural wonders of Kakadu national Park and Uluru/ Ayers Rock. Aboriginal people hold a spiritual connection to this land; their 40000 year old story is shared on rocks and canvas, discovered in the sand and passed down through generations.

The Territory is blessed with diverse and contrasting environments, where change is the only constant. Intriguing and spectacular wildlife vary dramatically from the deserts of Central Australia to the tropics of the Top End.

Regional Northern Territory

Darwin and Surrounds

Darwin takes all the best things in life and does them outside. Eating? Alfresco is standard up here, and better still you can do it on a wharf until very late at Stokes’s Point. Drinking? Beer gardens may as well have been invented for the 32 degree average temperature. Talk about lifestyle. It doesn’t get much more laid back than this .Even movies are screened in a Deckchair Cinema.

Uluru – Kata Tjuta

There are some Aussie driving memories that are likely to be burned into the mind for all time. Winding around the cliff carved Great Ocean Road for example, or crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Approaching Uluru on the gently snaking 10 km track from Yulara is certainly one of them. The size and scale of this landmark is something you cannot prepare for. And that’s why it’s absolutely worth seeing for yourself. Central Australia in general is not an environment you can get a genuine sense of by looking at photos or scenery on a screen. You need to be there, to actually stand at the foot of Uluru and look up to walk into the cool, dark shadows cast by Kata Tjuta and touch the coarse rock. And the quiet of the desert is just as indescribable. It is an odd concept but the space of these vast plains and open roads in Never captured on one dimension; you can only feel the freedom it brings when you are in the thick of all three.

Alice Springs and Surrounds

Alice Springs is a well appointed outback town for several very good reasons. One, it is nestled between ancient ranges that appear from the air like the spine of a giant crocodile. Two, it wants for nothing in terms of hotels, shopping and dining. And lastly, it is a place with undeniable character. Whether it is the wealth of stories about the land, shared by those who have lived on it for hundreds of thousands of years, or a team of blokes sailing in a dusty creek in a boat made out of beer cans … in the unique sense, there is sure no place like Alice.

Kakadu and Arnhem Land

The appeal of this fertile landscape, and the culture that runs through it, runs far deeper than just surface appeal. The northern Territory is a composite of many different Aboriginal cultures. There are hundreds of different languages, customs and laws. Learning about Indigenous art and culture is central to the Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land experience.

Tennant Creek

Tenant Creek is a small township of about 3500 people, located 500 km north of Alice Springs and 1000 km south of Darwin. It is a place whose culture and history has been shaped by Aboriginal tradition, gold mining and pastoralism. The surrounding area is called the Barkly Tablelands, a region characterised by wide grassy plains, endless blue sky and massive cattle stations. The Aboriginal owners of the area surrounding Tennant Creek are the Warumungu people. Their culture and stories are showcased at one of the country’s best art and cultural centres, Nyinkka Nyunyu. The Tennant Creek Visitor Information Centre at Battery Hill screens interesting short films focusing on the regions pastoral and droving history as well as a concise documentary on local mining.

Katherine and Surrounds

Katherine is the third largest town in the Northern Territory, with a population of about 11000 people, and is located three hours drive south of Darwin and the banks of the Katherine River. The area was officially renamed Nitmiluk – meaning “Cicada Place” in 1989 when traditional owner, the Jawoyn Aboriginal people, regained full title to the land.

Attractions around the town include the old railway station, the small Katherine Museum in the old airport terminal building, and the Springvale Homestead nearby, which claims to be the oldest cattle station in the Northern Territory. The larger Katherine region is great for activities like fishing, canoeing, bushwalking, camping and four wheel driving. The Katherine River flows through the township of Katherine, about 320 km south of Darwin, and is split by towering sandstone walls at nearby Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park.

Classic Drive

Dreamtime Trail Northern Territory

Start: Alice Springs

Finish: Glen Helen Resort

Distance: 187 km

Roads/Warnings: Some roads in West Mac Donnell National Park are unsealed, but route is suitable for 2WD. Aboriginal land permits are not needed as far as Glen Helen Resort. Take care and make adequate preparations when travelling in the outback.

The dry, weathered folds of the Mac Donnell Ranges stretch 500km across Central Australia, at the heart of the Dreamtime landscape of the Arrernte Aboriginal people. This drive explores the western part of the ranges, preserved within west Mac Donnell National Park, which is renowned for tis spectacular gorge scenery and wealth of flora and fauna. Superb swimming holes and walking trails mean you can easily spend a couple of days here; the park is well set up for camping, and accommodation is also available at Glen Helen Resort.

Outback Capital

Alice Springs, capital of the outback, has evolved from an unruly desert outpost to a well resourced community and an impressive cultural centre. The Alice Springs Cultural Precinct includes various sites – don’t miss the Museum of Central Australia and the Araluen Centre, with its focus on Aboriginal art and performance.

Desert Life

The Alice Springs Desert Park provides an excellent introduction to the plants, animals and environments of Australia’s arid regions. A 1.6 km path winds through three habitats; Desert Rivers, Sand Country and Woodland, while just beyond the entrance to the park is the grave of John Flynn (1180 – 1951) founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service and one of the enduring heroes of the Australian outback.

Red Walls and Wallabies

Arrernte legend associates Simpsons Gap with several dreaming trails, including the Perentie (Goanna) Dreaming. This gap in the ranges has towering walls of red rock, sheltering river red gums and a picturesque waterhole; black footed rock wallabies can be seen along the short access track, especially at dawn and dusk. This is the first stop in West Mac Donnall National Park and there is a visitor centre on site.

Midday Marvel

The walls of Standley Chasm rise to 80m at their highest point, forming a narrow corridor through the ranges. A 20 minute walk into the cleft takes you past rare and relict plants, including cycads and ferns, which flourish in this shaded environment. Time your wall at midday, when sunlight turns the chasm walls an incandescent red.

Birds at the Big Hole

Beautiful Ellery Creek Big Hole is surrounded by river red gums and backed by red cliffs. The permanent waterhole is a popular swimming and picnic spot, and camping is permitted (there are basic facilities). The water attracts a variety of birds, including spotted bowerbirds, Port Lincoln parrots and white plumed honeyeaters.

Writhing Watercourse

Serpentine Gorge is part of the Carpet Snake Dreaming, but it is snake like even to European eyes and gets its English name for the slithering course it forges through the ranges. The base of the gorge is often studded with waterholes. Swimming is permitted in the first waterhole, but observe signs elsewhere; the higher waterholes are protected habitats for rare plants and animals.

Ceremonial Colours

Explore the ancient Ochre Pits along the three hour circuit walk. It is here that Aboriginal people once quarried for ochre, a substance that plays an important part in their traditional life. Mixed with water or fat, it is used in body decoration, rock art and medicine, and comes in a range of colours, from deep red through to bright yellow and pure white, due to varying amounts of iron oxide.

Cliffs High, Waterhole Deep

The cliffs at Ormiston Gorge are the highest in the West Mac Donnells (around 300m in places), while the near permanent waterhole is estimated to be 14m deep (swimming is permitted). The area is home to the long tailed dunnart, once thought to be extinct. There is an information centre here offering ranger conducted activities and a campsite with good facilities.

Resort to the River

Glen Helen Resort is a homestead style resort not far from the Finke River. Stop overnight (camping and accommodation are available) and take time to enjoy the surrounds. Nearby Glen Helen Gorge is a breathtaking sandstone formation created by the ancient flow of the Finke River. A pretty reed fringed waterhole provides a haven for ducks, herons and waders, and creates a magnificent setting for a swim.