Northern Territory Destinations

Kata Tjuta, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, NT.  Photo credit: Tourism NT

Northern Territory Destinations

Australia’s 3rd largest state has only 1% of the population, but don’t let that fool you. The Aboriginals have been here for 40,000 years, so there’s more than enough to keep you occupied for a few weeks…

Welcome to the Northern Territory, where the locals are Territorians (or Top Enders in the North), where tourism rules and where the climate demands your attention.

 

Map of the Northern Territory Australia

Map of the Northern Territory Australia

Plan your visit to the Northern Territory and find things to do that’ll take your breath away.

Darwin
The state capital is a great base for exploring Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks. The city’s well worth a visit too, with a vibrant nightlife, the Mindil Beach Sunset Market and the Deckchair Cinema. If only all cinemas were like this…

Arnhem Land
The scale of Australia can be disorientating. Take that tiny outcrop at the very top of the Top End, for example. This is Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve. And it’s the size of Portugal.

Douglas Daly
Hot springs, great walks and a stunning landscape make for a piece of camping heaven.

Gulf Region
Unless you’re journeying around the whole of Australia’s coast or tackling the Savannah Way, the Gulf of Carpentaria is a long diversion from pretty much everywhere – but then, that’s part of its appeal.

Kakadu National Park
Kakadu is Australia’s largest National Park but some claim it’s all a bit overrated (which has led to it being nicknamed Kaka-don’t). We think it’s one of the things to do in the Northern Territory – and we’d recommend you give yourself 3 days to cover just a small part of it.

Katherine and surrounding area
The gateway to Nitmiluk National Park and the stunning Katherine Gorge, but when you’re planning your visit to the Northern Territory don’t worry about putting this high up the to do list. Find out why.

Litchfield National Park
A gorgeous wilderness of scenic waterholes, gushing waterfalls and the strangest magnetic termite mounds you’ve ever seen. Perfect for daytripping, bushwalking and camping.

Mary River National Park
It’s one of the Northern Territory’s most beautiful areas. It’s also a world-class bird watching destination, but the Mary River National Park is a haven for far more than twitchers.

Mataranka & Elsey National Park
People use Mataranka as a base for exploring the nearby Elsey National Park and taking a dip in the thermal pools. Yet there’s history here too – and it would be a shame to miss it.

Nitmiluk National Park
Whether you’re trekking, swimming or taking a scenic flight, Nitmiluk’s mixture of rocky escarpments, waterways, and monsoon rainforest make for a dramatic way to get back to nature.

Northern Territory Climate
Australia at its most majestic can also mean Australia at its most dangerous. Stay safe in the Northern Territory by understanding when to visit.

Red Centre
The red dust conceals many things. Stunning natural wonders. Millennia of aboriginal history. Sights to make the heart soar. Australia’s Red Centre is alive with adventure.

Tennant Creek & Barkly Tablelands
Gold rush country, cattle farms and Aboriginal settlements. Experience the archetypal small outback town.

The Savannah Way
3700km from Broome, WA to Cairns, QLD (or vice versa), passing through 15 national parks and 5 world heritage areas. Now that’s something to write home about. That’s the Savannah Way.

Timber Creek & Judbarra
85km south-west of Katherine, along the Victoria Highway, you’ll reach Timber Creek, gateway to the mighty Judbarra/Gregory National Park.

Tiwi Islands
If you were to distil and bottle the Australian experience you’d probably end up with the Tiwi Islands. 80km north of Darwin, and nicknamed the ‘island of smiles’ the Tiwis are a sort of greatest hits of Australian culture.

Uluru & Kata Tjuta
Is there a more iconic natural sight in Australia than Uluru? It’s not hard to see why Aboriginals view it as sacred, but there’s more to the area than visiting Uluru. Don’t miss the remarkable rock domes of Kata Tjuta, or the area’s Aboriginal rock paintings.

 

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Ghan baby, Ghan – getting around NT

Road

The Stuart Highway (known locally as ‘The Track’) runs from Darwin through Alice Springs down to Port Augusta in South Australia, just 300km north of Adelaide. With so many towns dotted along it, the Stuart Highway makes exploring the Northern Territory easy.

Rail

The Ghan, affectionately named after the Afghan cameleers who transported food and resources across the outback from the 1860s to the 1930s, is one of the world’s great railways – and one of the world’s epic journeys.

Running from Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs, the journey takes 2 nights and 3 days. The Ghan runs once a week (twice between June and August). You can find timetables here.

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