Backpackaussie.com

Northern Territory is blessed with amazing natural beauty. From tropical Darwin and teeming Kakadu National Park up north, to the vast deserts and monumental scenery of the National Parks including Red Centre Uluru National Park, also better known as Ayers Rock in the central Australia.

 

Northern Territory is known for its astonishing natural flora and fauna. No matter if you start your journey from Darwin or Alice Springs, you will have an amazing journey, seeing the landscape changing from tropical climate to arid desert, or the other way around.

 

Darwin

Darwin is the capital of Northern Territory and one of the most modern capitals in Australia. 
There are a lot of restaurants, trendy cafes, casinos, a great nightlife and many beautiful beaches.
Darwin has everything a modern city requires, despite its small size, and a very laid back style compared to the some of the other capitals in Australia.

The Tropical Cyclone Tracy swept through Darwin back in 1974 and nearly flattened the whole city. Since then Darwin has been rebuilt to form its own identity, with a mix of tradition and it is now a modern city with a young population. 

There are a lot of historical attractions in Darwin even after the 1974 cyclone visited, such as the Chinese Temple, which has been destroyed two times and then rebuilt, historical buildings like The Old Ruins, Brown’s Mart and the World War II Oil Storage Tunnels, which today is more like a museum, with hundreds of black and white photos depicting Darwin’s involvement.  

 

Darwin also has many markets, each worthy of several visits. The best known is the Mindil Beach Markets, which attracts thousands of people every week. The market is held twice a week, Thursdays from 5 pm to 10 pm and Saturdays from 4 pm to 9 pm. The Mindil Beach Market closes down for the wet season, which starts November and end in April. There are also other markets in Darwin you can enjoy and which are open all year, like Parap Markets which are open every Saturday from 7.30 am to 1.30 am, Nightcliff Markets are open every Sunday from 8.00 am to 2.00 pm and Rapid Creek Markets are open every Sunday from 7 am to 1 pm. 

 

Because of the weather, most tourist and backpackers prefer visiting Darwin during the dry season. The dry season starts in May and end in October, where the temperatures are more bearable, from the mid to high 20 degrees Celsius. During the summer, the temperatures can easily reach into mid 30 degrees Celsius, and get very wet with tropical humidity. 

 

If you are in Darwin and want to discover the rainforests, waterfalls and crocodiles, a visit to Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park is a good idea.

 

Kakadu National Park is the best known National Park in the north as well as one of the largest. You can spend several days here without scratching the surface of what Kakadu National Park has to offer. Litchfield National Park, which is only 1 ½ hour drive from Darwin, has an amazing nature experience on a smaller scale, if you do not have much time, you should have a look at Litchfield National Park.  

 

There are rarely saltwater crocodiles in both Kakadu and Litchfield National Park, the crocodiles are more commonly freshwater crocodiles, which are generally smaller and more peaceful, however they are still known for attack humans. So no matter what be careful.

 

Devils Marbles

Devils Marbles is one of the most visited packs in Northern Territory and the main tourist attractions in the Barkly region. 

 

With much of the scenery in the Northern Territory, Devils Marbles is a geological wonder. Millions of years ago a huge lake drained, leaving a big red desert with beautiful red rocks of granite. Because of the change from being in water to standing in a desert, these rocks began to crack and settle into what is now an amazing sight of balancing round multi-hued granite boulders. During sunrises and sunsets you can experience the most astonishing sight, the multitude of boulders transforming into beautiful red sculptures. 

 

If you are in the northern territory you must not miss Devils Marbles!

 

Alice Springs

When you arrive to Alice Springs, no matter if it is by plane, train or car, you have about 1,500 kilometres to the nearest major city, up north to Darwin or Adelaide in south. Alice Springs is like a green oasis, but as soon as you leave Alice Springs the vast desert with the beautiful red rock begins. 

 

If you want a little taste of what to expect or learn about the desert before you go out in the real desert, you should definitely visit Alice Springs Desert Park. Alice Springs Desert Park is probably one of the worlds best parks and defiantly a visit worth. You can also visit The Red Centre Alice Springs. There are many guided tours, but if sharing a mini bus with lots of other people does not appeal you can always drive yourself, but you need to rent a 4WD and have in mind all the time, that you are in the middle of the desert and it can be hard to get suppliers.

 

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (Ayers Rock)

Ayers Rock or Uluru and the Olgas are two unique rock formations, you cannot see like this any other place on earth. The entrance fee into the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is $25 AuD per adult (16 years and over) for a three days pass. Children under 16 years enter free. 

 

Uluru, or Ayers Rock, is truly huge, being the second largest rock in the world despite only 2/3 of the rock visible for the eye. Especially around dawn and dusk the rock changes colour with the sunrise and sunset. During the daytime you can walk around on the rock, but it is something you should be very careful doing. Ayers Rock is holy ground for the aboriginal, and they prefer no one climbing on it, so you should show respect and be cautious. Every year people get hurt or die when they climb the rock, from slipping or simply because their body cannot take the heat.

 

The Olga 

The Olga is a lot of rocks pushed together far beneath the earth, which then have been shot up in the air. It is very different compared to Ayers Rock. The area varies a lot which makes it very interesting to explore.

 

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon also called Watarrka National Park by the aboriginals is a huge canyon 270 meters high. The view is spectacular and definitely something you should take the time to see if you are in the area. 

There are walking tracks around the rim as well as right through the canyon. A walk around the rim takes between 3 and 4 hours, you need to be extra careful during summer time, because of the heat and only walk early in the morning carrying plenty of water. The walk through the canyon only takes 1 hour, and has great views of the canyon above you.

 

Tennant Creek

Tennant Creek is one of the only towns located on the Stuart Highway between Darwin and Alice Springs and original an old mining town.

 

There are a lot of things to do, but primarily about mines, like guided tours to the old Gold Stamp Battery. If you want to experience the real mine life, you should visit Moonlight Rockhole, where you can find gold yourself, just remember you need a permit from the Department of Mines and Energy first.

 

Katherine

Katherine is the largest town between Darwin and Alice Springs with more than 10,000 people living here and it keeps growing.

 

Earlier the main economic came from mining, but with the mine Mount Todd closed, the economy is now based around tourism and the Tindal Air Force base, not long from Katherine. 

 

Katherine has with its size several options for you to do. In the centre of town is a shopping complex for re-supplying as well as several great art and craft stores. The area around Katherine is amazing and along the Victoria Highway are some small pools, where it is great to take a swim in the dry season. There are also great swimming holes near the Katherine River, with many picnic facilities. 

 

The main tourist destination at Katherine is The Katherine Gorge National Park also called Nitmiluk quite close to the township. Katherine National Park has amazing walking trails and also contains the spectacular 25 million year old Katherine Gorge. The popular Katherine Gorge is actually 13 gorges, broken by small cascades in the Katherine River. 

 

There are different things to do at Katherine Gorge National Park, canoeing and walking is very popular because of the incredible view. Canoes can be hired and there are several cruises and walking tours in the area. If you want to see it on your own, you need to have a permit obtained from the visitor centre and you need to be extra careful, especially during the wet season, because the rivers can be extremely rough and the Katherine River is prone to flooding. Seek local advice if unsure. 

 

Another park worth visiting whilst staying in Katherine is the Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park. Here you can take guided tours through limestone caves. At the Mataranka Thermal Pool you can see a crystal clear thermal pool surrounded by rainforest.

 

What to be aware of

No matter where you are in Australia, there is a golden law, which says that you respect the nature and the locals.  

 

When you are in the nature there are different animals to be aware of, no matter if you are in the rainforest or out in the desert. Particularly snakes and spiders, but also animals you do not know anything about. There is no reason to take the chance, just stay away. 

 

If you are planning to go in the water, always check for warning signs, that alert you to a potential danger. The chance of meeting a crocodile, snake or a jellyfish is very high especially in remote regions. On most beaches they have areas where you can go swimming enclosed with stinger nets. Once again, always check for warning signs. 

 

If you are travelling around, especially in National Parks, you have to keep in mind that you might enter holy ground, which means a lot to the aboriginals. When you enter the National Park you will get a brochure about what to be aware of.

 

Climate: 

The Northern Territory has both Tropical and Arid climates.

 

The North - which is a tropical climate - has two seasons, wet or dry. The wet season (November to April) has a very high humidly and many people choose not to travel around the North at that time of the year. But if you are into waterfalls, the wet season it the best time to see them. The dry season (May to October) is more tolerable, with a temperature around 30 degrees in the daytime and night temperatures around 20 degrees.  

 

The central region - which has desert climate - has little rain during October to March, which are also the hottest months.

 

Month Darwin Alice Springs

January 31.8 °C 36.3 °C

February 31.4 °C 35.1 °C

March 31.9 °C 32.7 °C

April 32.7 °C 28.2 °C

May 32.0 °C 23.0 °C

June 30.6 °C 19.8 °C

July 30.5 °C 19.7 °C

August 31.3 °C 22.6 °C

September 32.5 °C 27.1 °C

October 33.2 °C 30.9 °C

November 33.2 °C 33.7 °C

December 33.6 °C 35.4 °C

Source: Bureau of Meteorology

 

Accommodation

Depending on how you wish to travel, you have different options when you are looking for accommodation.

 

Hostels

You can find a hostel or two in almost every town/city. The thing you should be aware of is the price. There can be big price difference - therefore if you have the time it is a good idea to compare prices.

 

If you are planning to stay at a hostel for a longer period some hostels can help you find work, helping to put money aside to go further on your trip. Mostly seasonal/temporary jobs, you should check at the hostels reception every morning to see if they have received any job offers.

 

Hotels

Beside hostels you can book a hotel in most cities all over Australia.

 

Caravan Parks

If you drive a campervan or have a tent there is are a lot of camping places around Australia, and it is a good way to experience the nature. It costs between 20 to 40 AuD per night to stay at a caravan park, depending on if you need electricity or not. Most camping grounds have shared kitchens, and fine toilets and baths.

 

Outside of a caravan park you cannot pitch a tent just anywhere, however. Many areas do not permit camping, and you can well end up with a fine if discovered by the authorities. Once again, ask around or look for a sign-posted area.

 

Also bear in mind that if you are camping in the wet season, do not camp close to the rivers or dry creek beds as they may flood.

 

Transport

If you prefer to be your own boss and go wherever you want to go when it suits you, it is easy to rent a car. 

 

If you want to rent a car and drive around in Northern Territory, it is essential to plan ahead, and crucial to know where you are going. It is easy to end in the middle of nowhere if you do not know exactly where your next stop is. If you want to drive off-road you need to have a 4WD - otherwise you must stay on the road. Either way you need to take an up to date map.

 

There can be a long distance between the gas stations, so for you own safety fill the tank as often as you can.

 

Campervan

If you want to travel around and see as much as possible without thinking too much of where you going to sleep a campervan is the best option.  You still just need to be aware of the signs that tell you if you are allowed to sleep where you park. Campervans vary, but the normal gear in a campervan is a table with benches (which also functions as a bed), kitchen equipment and a tank with water to drink of and wash the dishes with.

 

Bus

If you want to come from one city to another it is pretty easy to take the bus, and the Northern Territory is no different. There are busses from Darwin that can take you out to the different National Parks, all the way down to Alice Springs or Adelaide, even Melbourne should you wish.

 

Train

If you want to see the Northern Territory but don’t have the time to drive, or you only want to explore the amazing Red Centre in the middle of Australia, or the beautiful rainforests up north, you can take the train “The Ghan”. “The Ghan” runs from Darwin to Adelaide, stopping in Alice Springs.

 

Collapse