The Northern Territory is vast. Occupying about one sixth of Australia’s total land mass, its boundaries encompass a variety of contrasting landscapes and experiences, best tackled by exploring a few key destinations – each with their own distinct personality.
The Top End of the Northern Territory is known for its tropical weather, crocodiles, rich indigenous culture, great fishing, national parks and laid-back lifestyle. Aboriginal people are the original custodians of the Top End and have a unique relationship with the land.
It is home to an eclectic mix of cultures whose outdoor lifestyle is complemented by brilliant sunsets and fantastic fishing.
Darwin is the Northern Territory’s multicultural capital, famed for its markets and festivals, Asian cuisine and beautiful natural harbour. It is also the perfect base from which to explore the natural treasures of World Heritage-listed Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks as well as the Tiwi Islands.
Further south, is the Katherine region, with a vast network of rivers, escarpments and gorges that weave through sprawling plains of cattle stations, national parks and reserves. In Nitmiluk National Park, the mighty Katherine River slices through towering sandstone cliffs to form the world famous Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge.
Darwin and its surrounds are studded with a range of things to see and do. Visit the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, Australian Pearling Exhibition, Crocodylus Park or Charles Darwin National Park. Enjoy the view from Cullen Bay Marina and Darwin Wharf Precinct or marvel at the Indo Pacific Marine display. Go back in time at Fannie Bay Gaol or visit the Museum & Art Gallery of NT. See the NT Parliament House and WWII Oil Storage Tunnels or shop at Mindil Beach Sunset Market and Parap Village Markets.
No visit to the Top End would be complete without experiencing the magnificence of Kakadu National Park. Renowned for its supreme beauty and sacred Aboriginal history, the World Heritage listed park is 260 km east of Darwin and covers 19,000 square km. The Bowali Visitor Centre is an excellent starting point to orient yourself with the wide range of natural wonders including Jabiru, Jim Jim Falls, Maguk, Mamukala, Nourlangie Rock, Twin Falls, Ubirr and the Warradjan Aboriginal Centre.
Arnhem Land covers a vast corner of Australia’s wild Top End from Kakadu National Park to the Gulf of Carpentaria. This rugged region of escarpments, billabongs, woodlands, rivers and rainforests has been home to the Yolngu people for more than 50,000 years. Arnhem Land is 94,000 square km of Aboriginal territory at the top of the Top End with only 2 areas accessible to visitors. The Cobourg Peninsula to the west is renowned as one of the best fishing spots in Australia, mostly made up of Gurig National Park and is surrounded by Cobourg Marine Park. The Gove Peninsula to the east is a major bauxite mining area and is a major centre for Aboriginal art and craft. Fishing here is also excellent as is snorkelling, scuba diving, reef walking, scenic flights and sunset cruises.
Just 80 kilometres north of Darwin lie Bathurst and Melville Islands, known collectively as the Tiwi Islands. Europeans first made contact with the Tiwi people in 1705. Then, 119 years later, the British established a settlement which was the first in Northern Australia. This was at the short-lived Fort Dundas on Melville Island near where Pirlangimpi now stands. The Tiwi people are known around the world for their distinctive fabric prints, pottery, sculptures and carvings. There are several art galleries on both Melville and Bathurst Islands and visitors are more than welcome to purchase directly from the artists.
An excellent introduction to the flora and fauna of NT, the Territory Wildlife Park is just 60 km south of Darwin and covers 400 hectares of natural bushland. With 6 km of walking trails, this multi-award winning park features an aquarium, aviaries, a nocturnal house featuring unique Australian animals, a birds of prey display as well as free roaming kangaroos. The Territory Wildlife Park also boasts a natural lagoon and Monsoon Forest Walk teeming with birds and wildlife.
Litchfield National Park is an unspoilt wilderness featuring monsoon rainforest, large groves of cycads, the impressive Tabletop Range and a network of creeks and waterfalls. You can drive from Darwin into the western corner of the park in 2 hours however most waterfalls will require a short hike to access. The park offers some of the Top End’s most lush and sought after attractions including Wangi Falls, Buley Rockholes, Florence Falls, The Lost City, Tjaynera Falls, Sandy Creek, Tolmer Falls, the Magnetic Termite Mounds and Batchelor.
Katherine is a land of gorges, plateaus and small rivers that cut through this wide brown land. You can take to the skies with a scenic helicopter flight or see ancient Aboriginal rock art of the distant ancestors of the Jawoyn people. There are also a range of attractions including Nitmiluk Visitor Centre, Nitmiluk National Park Leilyn, Cutta Cutta Caves, Katherine Hot Springs, Katherine Museum, Katherine Barra Farm, Katherine School of the Air and Manyallaluk (an opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture).
This eerie outback destination is said to be the oldest religious site in the world. The Devil’s Marbles are strange, circular, stacked rocks that can be found in the desert halfway between Alice Springs and Darwin. Known as Karlu Karlu by the lands traditional Aboriginal owners, the large, round granite rocks are scattered across a large valley – many of them ‘balancing’ upon one another.
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