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
The Great Southwest
Thursday 11th June 2009
Travel Counsellor: Ian Wandel
After our 2 hour flight from Adelaide, we landed in Perth for what is my first visit to Western Australia. They say you can tell how much money a state has by the number of high-rise cranes there are in the city. I think Perth has one on every block. We stayed in a city hotel for a couple of nights.
The next day we took in the sights of the city, Kings Park, Perth Mint, Burswood Casino etc and picked up a hire car for the drive southwest. The next morning we headed off to Busselton (228km). After a short stop in Mandurah and Bunbury, we arrived at our hotel in Busselton. Before getting to the hotel, we thought we would have a stroll along the Busselton jetty. Nobody told us it is two kilometres long!! Unfortunately we got to the underwater observatory at the end of the jetty a bit late. We also picked a day when the jetty train wasn't running. Not to worry. At least we could check out what the fisherman were catching.
The next day, we headed along the Caves Road to Margaret River.... view full story
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