Holidays in the Northern Territory open the heart and mind to Australia’s beating heart. The Northern Territory is Australia’s real Outback and heartland of the country. Under a big blue sky, from tropical beaches to red dust desert, the NT is very easy to fall in love with.
From Arnhem Land to Uluru, the Territory's attractions are as diverse as the landscapes they appear in. There are Aboriginal art galleries, crocodile and wildlife parks, WWII memorials and pearling exhibitions, not to mention the world-famous natural attractions, like Kakadu and the Olgas.
Darwin presents all the sophistication of an international city. Its restaurants, hotels, museums, galleries, and nightlife reflect a colourful history that’s contributed to cultural diversity - more than 50 nationalities make up its population. Whether it’s the relaxed lifestyle, compelling cultural attractions, majestic monsoonal storms, or just the scent of the tropical frangipani, people who experience Darwin never forget it.
Three hours from Darwin, Kakadu National Park is a landscape of worldly beauty – a tropical Garden of Eden where waterfalls cascade into limpid pools and lotus flowers conceal lurking crocodiles. Kakadu is World Heritage listed for both its natural and ancient cultural value and is home to a staggering variety of wildlife. A few days here will restore your love of Mother Nature’s supreme beauty.
Down the Stuart Highway, deep into the country’s red heart, Alice Springs is Australia’s most famous outback town. The Alice’s desert climate and landscapes are a dramatic background to outback adventure and for the price of a beer you’ll hear tall tales of outback history flowing like floodwaters on the Todd.
Four hours south of Alice, in splendid isolation at the deep centre of Australia, Uluru/Ayers Rock stands tall as our most recognisable natural icon. One of the world’s natural wonders, this symbol of Australia dates back over 500 million years is of deep cultural significance to its traditional owners. Thousands of travellers who visit each year are discouraged from climbing the rock out of respect to its significance.
Northern Territory fun facts
A Darwin stubby contains 2 litres of beer
Alice Springs’ Henley-on-Todd Regatta is an annual boat race along the dry Todd river bed
In the NT outback you might come across date palms planted by the original Afghan camel drivers
Hunter Valley, NSW, Australia
Friday 5th March 2010
Travel Counsellor: Allison Prusina
We recently decided to visit the Hunter Valley as it is only about a 2 and 1/2 hour drive from Sydney. By the time we got to Hunter Valley it was dark. We checked in at the golf resort which I chose because they have 3 bedroom villas.
Little did we know what we were going to wake up to! First thing in the morning I opened up the balcony door curtains and what a nice surprise, the view of the Hunter Valley was amazing!
We made our way to the restaurant for breakfast and there was another amazing view. The restaurant is by the lake and next to the resort pool. What a great place to have your Saturday morning coffee.
The staff at reception helped us organise a Winery Tour and babysitting for our children. Nothing was a problem. The children stayed at the resort with the baby sitter and we got picked up by the coach to go and do some wine tasting. We stopped at three vineyards, and I must admit by the time we got to the last one all we could do is watch others drink more wine.... view full story
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