Ayers Rock (Uluru) looms so large that it’s easy for the rest of Australia’s Northern Territory to end up hidden behind it. Make sure clients don’t miss out on the other attractions, from Alice Springs to the tropical Top End.
The Northern Territory accounts for 20% of Australia’s landmass, but only 1% of its population, so there’s a lot of wilderness. It’s home to 10 national parks, four of which are owned by Aboriginal groups. From the red deserts in the south, the landscape changes to become lush and green in the tropical north.
Here’s our run-down of what’s on offer.
Alice Springs
Australia’s most famous outback town is sandwiched between the panoramic landscapes of the East and West MacDonnell Ranges, which the indigenous Arrernte people believe were created by giant caterpillars.
They can be viewed from above in a hot-air balloon or a helicopter, or on terra firma by bush walking or in a four-wheel drive. Highlights include Ormiston Gorge (pictured above), Palm Valley, Gosse Bluff comet crater, and gold rush ghost-town Arltunga.
The town began as a repeater station and the Alice Springs Telegraph Station, built in 1872, is now a heritage site. The town was also the birthplace of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. Visitors can check out the working base and interactive museum.
The Ghan Train
One of the world’s great train routes, The Ghan celebrates its 80th birthday this year. It started life running from Adelaide to Alice, but in 2004, the route doubled in length to run up through Northern Territory all the way to Darwin, stopping at Katherine on the way.
It’s the perfect way for clients to cover the vast distances of Northern Territory with minimum effort.
They can choose from red, gold and platinum services, depending on the level of luxury they require.
The train departs Alice Springs at 6pm on Mondays and Thursdays, arriving at Katherine at 9am the next day. Departing Katherine at 1pm the same day, it finally reaches Darwin at 5.30pm or 6.30pm that evening.
Katherine
This town is a remote spot three hours or so south of Darwin, a great base for exploring the southern part of Kakadu, and the spectacular Katherine Gorge in Nitmiluk National Park.
Clients can take a cruise or canoe past the latter’s towering sandstone walls and sandy beaches. Suggest a scenic helicopter flight for those who enjoy a bird’s-eye view.
Nitmiluk is home to plenty of walking trails and swimming holes, including Butterfly Gorge, where thousands of the brightly coloured creatures nest in the rock crevices.
South of the town, visitors can take a guided tour of the Cutta Cutta limestone caves.
Kakadu and Arnhem Land
This wild and deserted area of the Northern Territory is the perfect location for outback adventures by four-wheel drive and on foot, allowing clients to discover nature and learn about aboriginal culture. Those who really want to experience the wilderness can go on a camping safari.
Kakadu is the largest National Park in Australia. At nearly 7,722 square miles, clients will need at least three or four days to make the most of it. It is a stark contrast to the Red Centre, with flood plains, mountains, roaring waterfalls and serene pools. Its biodiverse wetlands create a birdwatcher’s paradise, with species such as pelicans, egrets, spoonbills and sea eagles to spot.
Visitors can take cruises on the landlocked Yellow Water Billabong to see the birds, or on Alligator River – so named by a 19th century explorer who mistook the native crocodiles for their similar cousins.
Aboriginal peoples have occupied the area for 50,000 years, and there are iconic rock painting sites at Nourlangie Rock and Ubirr. Visitors can find out more about the history and significance of Kakadu at the Bowali Visitor Centre and the Warradjan Cultural Centre.
Weather can be extreme here. Lightning can strike 80 times a day, and the wet season’s rains can last for 100 days at a stretch. The cooler, dry season is from May to September and all the roads are open. Scenic flights are popular during the wet season.
The Arnhem Land escarpment stands 300 metres above the plains, and winds for 313 miles, forming a natural boundary between Kakadu and Arnhem Land to the east.
The latter is wholly aboriginal-owned land, where visitors can learn about traditional ownership, hunting and bush tucker. Indigenous guides can take visitors to Aboriginal settlements and sites with ancient rock art.
Darwin
Closer to Jakarta than Canberra, Darwin is Australia’s only tropical city. It sits on the shores of a harbour twice the size of Sydney’s, and harbour cruises are popular, with options ranging from quaint old sailing ships to new jetboats. There are also scuba-diving expeditions among the harbour’s many wrecks.
These days, Darwin is a vibrant, multi-cultural city with buzzing nightlife centred around lively Mitchell Street, upmarket Fannie Bay and the boardwalks of the Cullen Bay Marina. The Mindil Beach sunset markets are an institution not to be missed, with thousands thronging around stalls selling delicious food from more than 30 countries.
In the daytime, visitors can take a stroll through the exotic Darwin Botanic Gardens, surrounded by palms, orchids, mangroves and baobabs, while the Territory Wildlife Park is the place to go to meet local animals.
For an even closer encounter, send clients to Crocosaurus Cove, where visitors can be locked in the ‘Cage of Death’ and dropped into a crocodile tank. If this is a step too far, they can just view the saltwater crocs in the aquarium instead, alongside barramundi and turtles.
Darwin is at the forefront of the Aboriginal art movement, and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory is the place to go for indigenous arts and crafts, and exhibitions on the area’s history.
An easy 90 minutes’ drive outside Darwin is the lush rainforest of Litchfield National Park, which makes a great day trip. The main attractions are the huge, spring-fed waterfalls of Florence and Wangi, and the cascades at Buley Rockhole. The adventurous can try a bush walk on the Tabletop range or learn about the pioneering past of the region at the Blyth Homestead.
Sample product
Australian Pacific Touring is offering a six-day Top End Escape starting from £615, visiting Darwin, Kakadu, Nitmiluk and Litchfield National Parks. Price valid until March 2010. aptouring.co.uk, 0845 604 0792
Travel 2 is offering a 10-night stay, including international and domestic flights, gold service sleeper aboard The Ghan train, and accommodation in Melbourne, Adelaide and Darwin from £2,463 per person on November departures. travel2.com, 0800 0224 182
Read Janine Kelso’s Ayers Rock tour and hotel tips; find out more about the Northern Territory at www.travelnt.com
