Northern Territory Tourism

Northern Territory tourism is growing for a good reason.

One of the remotest, hottest and sparcest populated areas of Australia, Northern Territory has both wet tropics and dry desert landscapes. Farthest north are the world-famous Kakadu National Park, Katherine Gorge and the state's tropical capital Darwin. In the south is the dry Red Centre with Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, King's Canyon and MacDonnell's Ranges. In the middle is Stuart Highway with Devil's Marbles, Daly Waters and some lonely outback towns and roadhouses.



Five most popular things to do in Northern Territory

1. ULURU AND KATA TJUTA

2. KAKADU NATIONAL PARK

3. KATHERINE GORGE

4. KINGS CANYON

5. LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK




Along Barkly Highway - Northern Territory Tourism Information
Northern Territory is the only state in Australia with a speed limit of 130km/h so enjoy your drive but do remember to fill your fuel tank often enough. On one of my visits, I didn’t. I left Mount Isa in Queensland with a full tank, then forgot to fill it up in Camooweal, and got to Barkley Homestead Roadhouse on what was likely to be the l-a-s-t drop of fuel.

Campervan Hire - Compare the Big Companies Here
It was a lonely desert road, I was driving alone, it was burning hot outside and my fuel light had been on for 60km. I started expecting Barkley Roadhouse behind every corner at least 20km before I got to it, so I was delighted to say the least when I finally saw it! It was an adventurous experience but nothing I'd recommend to anyone.

Explore Darwin

AFTERNOON CITY SIGHSEEING

THE FAMOUS JUMPING CROCODILE CRUISE ON ADELAIDE RIVER

CRONOSAURUS COVE

CAGE OF DEATH AT CRONOSAURUS COVE




 
Darwin Travel Information - Northern Territory Tourism Information
But let’s start with the capital of Northern Territory. Darwin is different from all the other cities in Australia, in that there are virtually no buildings here that would have been built before 1974.

In the early hours of 25 December 1974, as the rest of Australia was waking up to Christmas Day, a tropical cyclone (hurricane) called Tracy hit the town, wiped out 90% of buildings and killed 66 people. The whole town had to be rebuilt, and you can see it today – Darwin has got that seventies-look about it. But this doesn't make the town boring - Darwin is one of the greatest cities to visit in Australia. It is tropical and cosmopolitan, and it is famous for its great sunsets and the colourful Mindil Beach Markets. It is also one of the most multicultural cities in Australia, but unlike others it has held on to its small-town feeling.

Visit Kakadu National Park from Darwin

ONE DAY TRIPS

TWO DAY TRIPS

THREE DAY TRIPS











 
Kakadu and Litchfield - Northern Territory Tourism Information
Darwin is in the tropical Top End of Northern Territory, and there are a few great tropical national parks around it. South of the town is Litchfield National Park with its giant termite mounds and many beautiful waterfalls. East is the famous Kakadu – Australia’s largest national park and one of the best ones in the Territory. Do not do what I did here on my first visit: stayed in a caravan park in Jabiru where you can order drinks to the pool, visited Yellow Waters the following day to realise it was closed due to floods, and kept going. You can easily spend weeks in Kakadu National Park - camping, bushwalking, watching wildlife, visiting waterfalls and having cool dips in swimming holes.

Visit Litchfield National Park

DAY TRIP FROM DARWIN

FOUR-DAY KAKADU, KATHERINE AND LITCHFIELD FROM DARWIN










 
Katherine Australia - Northern Territory Tourism Information
South of Kakadu National Park is Katherine - a nice small town where I happened to travel through on my very first trip around Australia, when I went into the fuel station, and noticed some photos on the wall - showing the station crew sitting on the roof of the building, with flood waters and floating debris not far below their feet, and you would think such events are so rare that it must have happened a very long time ago, but the sign said the flood happened on the Australia Day 1998 - exactly four years earlier. I realised it was an interesting time of the year to be up here, but I haven’t heard of such big floods in Katherine since. The main attraction in the area is the pretty Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park with its rugged rock walls, formed 25 million years ago. Other better known attractions are Cutta Cutta Caves and the hot thermal swimming holes in Mataranka.

Visit Katherine and Nitmiluk National Park

DAY TRIP FROM DARWIN

THREE-DAY KAKADU AND KATHERINE GORGE FROM DARWIN

FOUR-DAY KAKADU, LITCHFIELD AND KATHERINE GORGE FROM DARWIN





Along Stuart Highway - Northern Territory Tourism Information
South from here is the most remote part of Northern Territory - the real outback. As you drive south along the Stuart Highway, the lush vegetation disappears, the roadsides turn red, and the distances between places get longer. Between Larrimah and Dunmarra you’ll see a sign: Daly Waters. It is only a few kilometres off the highway, and it's worth turning in. Further south, past a few lonely roadhouses you’ll come to Threeways where Flinders Highway that comes from Queensland meets the Stuart Highway of Northern Territory. South from Threeways is the small town Tennant Creek and the famous rock formations Devils Marbles. Further south are more lonely roadhouses in Mungkarta, Wauchope, Wycliffe Well, Barrow Creek and Tea Tree, before you come to Alice Springs.

Explore Alice Springs

ALICE SPRINGS HIGHLIGHTS HALF DAY TOUR

HOP ON HOP OFF BUS TOUR IN TOWN

SUNRISE HOT AIR BALLOONING









Alice Springs Australia - Northern Territory Tourism Information
Alice, as the locals call it, is a surprisingly big place considering its location. After you have driven thousands of kilometres past lonely roadhouses along the Stuart Highway, you don’t expect much, and as you are still approaching the middle of the continent, in fact you think things will only get smaller. But then you arrive in Alice Springs, and there is a city with 25,000 people, cinemas, large supermarkets, and a great amount of things to see and do.


The old Telegraph Station is an interesting place to visit, but there are also the School of the Air and the Royal Flying Doctors Service, and Australia's best reptile park.

Northern Territory Tourism - Visit West MacDonnell Ranges

HALF DAY TOUR FROM ALICE SPRINGS

FOUR DAY TOUR FROM ALICE SPRINGS

SIX DAY WALKING OF LARAPINTA TRACK






West MacDonnell National Park - Northern Territory Tourism Information
Around Alice Springs are some of Australia’s best bushwalks and drives through some colourful landscapes with great rock formations, views and cooling waterholes. West of Stuart Highway are the magnificent West MacDonnell Ranges. There are some great surprises here like Standley Chasm, Ormiston Gorge and Glen Helen, which you can visit whether you chose to drive, or buskwalk the long Larapinta Trail.

Northern Territory Tourism - Visit Kings Canyon

TOURS TO WATARRKA FROM ALICE SPRINGS

TOURS TO  WATARRKA FROM AYERS ROCK










Finke Gorge and Kings Canyon - Northern Territory Tourism Information
Further south, Larapinta Drive takes you to Hermannsburg and Finke Gorge National Park with its gorgeous Palm Valley. South of it is Watarrka National Park where you can stay at a resort and walk around the beautiful Kings Canyon. You can get to Watarrka either via Merenee Loop Road that starts in Hermannsburg, or Luritja Road and Lasseter Highway (that goes to Uluru), which turns off Stuart Highway further south.

Visit Uluru KataTjuta

TWO DAY ULURU AND KATA TJUTA

TWO DAY ALICE SPRINGS AND RED CENTRE

TWO DAY ALICE SRINGS AND KINGS CANYON

THREE DAY ULURU, KATA TJUTA AND KINGS CANYON

THREE DAY ALICE SPRINGS AND KINGS CANYON

Ayers Rock Australia - Northern Territory Tourism Information
After the turnoff from Stuart Highway you still have about 250km to drive to Uluru Kata Tjuta National Park - and it's worth every kilometre. No matter how many times you’ve seen Uluru on posters and postcards, it is amazing to stand next to it and watch it changing colours in the sunset. Kata Tjuta is fantastic too, and there are some nice bushwalks around both.

Explore Uluru and Kata Tjuta

GETTING HERE

WALKING/DRIVING

RIDING A CAMEL

SCENIC FLIGHTS

ABORIGINAL TOURS

YULARA RESTAURANT

TRIP TO MOUNT CONNOR



East MacDonnells, Rainbow Valley and Chambers Pillar
East of Stuart Highway are the less visited but beautiful East MacDonnell Ranges, Rainbow Valley and Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve. It's worth taking time to discover the Red Centre of Northern Territory. It is amazingly beautiful.


Rainbow Valley. Poster by AllPosters. Click on thumbnail to buy

Here is a map of Northern Territory Australia, where I have tagged the places that I mentioned on this web page. You can click on the tags to see what places they are, and double-click anywhere on the map to zoom it in and see the places closer. Drag the map to move around, and if you want to see the satellite image with Google Earth, click on "Sat" in the top right hand corner.

 
View Larger Map



Here is the local time in Northern Territory Australia: