Sunshine CoastNORTHERN TERRITORY
Northern Territory Accommodation and Travel Info
| Drink plenty of water
and carry extra water
Other State Information
Nothern Territory Destination InformationDarwin . Kakadu . Katherine . Tennant Creek . Alice Springs . Yulara
Food and fuel (petrol, gas, diesel) all cost more in The Territory, because of the distance it has had to be carted to get it there. Accommodation too is usually a little dearer than in our other State capitals, especially in places like Ayers Rock (Yulara). When travelling by road in The Territory, always carry spare tyres and plenty of water. Some spare fuel can be a good idea too. Service stations are hundreds of kilometres apart in some places. Booking accommodation ahead is always a wise idea. DARWIN Taking the ARNHEM HIGHWAY toward KAKADU NATIONAL PARK there are a number of good stopping places en route. These include DJUKBINJ NATIONAL PARK, FOGG DAM CONSERVATION RESERVE, LEANING TREE LAGOON NATURE PARK, WINDOWS ON THE WETLANDS at Beatrice Hill, BRIAN CREEK MONSOON FOREST at Mary River and CORROBOREE BILLABONG, 20 kilometres off the highway at Mary River. On the same route there's also MARY RIVER CROSSING RESERVE and in the general area MISTAKE CREEK, NORTH ROCKHOLE, SHADY CAMP and WILDMAN RIVER PRIVATE WILDLIFE AREA WILDERNESS LODGE. KAKADU OUT
OF DARWIN DOWN
THE TRACK FROM
DARWIN SOUTH
FROM LITCHFIELD KATHERINE WEST
OF KATHERINE TENNANT
CREEK THE DEVILS MARBLES 106 kms south of Tennant is a spectacular attraction. Thousands of huge rounded boulders scattered over a wide valley, precariously balanced one on top of the other, change colour during the day. Self drive, or take a tour from Tennant Creek. TENNANT CREEK IS “AUSTRALIA¹S LAST GOLDRUSH TOWN” and has many reminders of the rough tough goldrush days of the 1930¹a. AT BATTERY HILL overlooking Tennant Creek, there are many surprises in store. The Information Centre has displays, films, interactive touch screen, photographs, history, sheltered picnic area, nature walk and more. BATTERY HILL MINING CENTRE - BATTERY HILL TOURS daily through the operating Gold Stamp Battery where you¹ll see the gold ore treatment process and have it explained, with fascinating stories of the early goldrush days. The tour includes the small gold mining museum. The Battery Hill underground mine tour demonstrates working machinery, and creates the atmosphere of a real mine with special sounds and lighting effects. A memorable experience. THE DOT MINE EARLY MINE TOURS Take a tour with Colin through his original mine. Learn how it was dug with hammer and tap. More stories are told and poems recited while you sip your billy tea around the camp fire. THE GOLD FEVER TAG-ALONG TOUR takes you with miner Paul to his old gold mine, where he demonstrates how to fossick and pan for gold. Gold detectors and pans are provided to try your luck. Keep what you find. Also in the region is a public fossicking area. HORSE RIDING - CATTLE DRIVE You can do on a trail ride through bush country and learn about bush tucker, but book ahead. Bush camp available. ATTRACTIONS include a MINING TRAIL, the MARY ANN DAM recreation lake, historic sites, TED RYKO BIKE PATH through the Honeymoon (McDouall) Ranges and more. ACCOMMODATION ranges from backpacker, self contained, family style and caravan parks to three star motels. DRIVING THE EXPLORER HIGHWAY (Stuart Highway) is an experience not to be missed. The fascinating history at Wayside Inns and small towns along the Stuart (Explorer) Highway will capture your imagination. ELLIOTT, 360 kms north of Tennant Creek, is a town of 600 people. You¹ll be surprised to find a grassed nine hole golf course - clubs can be hired from the Elliott Hotel. Just north of Elliott is the historic droving town of Newcastle Waters, with its bronze statue of the Drover in the park, and historic hotel and store. No services available here. FOR BROCHURES, INFORMATION AND BOOKINGS contact The Tennant Creek Regional Tourist Association, P.O. Box 601, Tennant Creek. Tel: +61 8 8962 3388, Fax: +61 8 8962 2509 Email: tcrta@topend.com.au CENTRALIA ALICE
SPRINGS WEST
MACDONNELL RANGES EAST
MACDONNELL RANGES YULARA DESERT
COUNTRY
Australian State Information
© Holiday Australia - Your Guide to Oz |
The
Northern Territory is to be found at the top centre of
Australia. It is a tropical, very sparsely populated region,
which nevertheless has some of Australia's most famous tourist
attractions - ALICE SPRINGS, AYERS
ROCK and KAKADU
NATIONAL PARK.
Its capital, DARWIN, is closer to
Singapore than Canberra (our national capital) and thus its population
has a high Asian as well as Aboriginal content. Its climate varies
from the Wet season (November to April) to the Dry season (May to
October) and these dates can vary slightly by a couple of weeks.
However, some northern tour operators do not operate between late
October and mid April during The Wet. Flash flooding is then a
real hazard. However, The Wet is the very best time to see Kakadu
National Park's prolific bird life. It is an amazing spectacle.
the
shallow waters at high tide), the AUSTRALIAN
PEARLING EXHIBITION
(an important industry off our northern coast), CROCODYLUS
PARK (see plenty of these creatures in
this new park, along with other Australian wildlife), DARWIN
BOTANIC GARDENS,
the ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE,
HOLMES JUNGLE
NATURE PARK
at Karama, INDO PACIFIC
MARINE (a living coral reef eco-system)
at Stokes Hill Wharf and many lovely nature reserves in and around
town. There are plenty of car rental companies and the Tourist
Information Centre is the place to go for information on accommodation
if you haven't pre-booked.
who
wish to know more about this country's first settlers. There are
many guided tours and cruises available daily within the park, but
people may get around on their own, if they choose. Special care
must be taken when camping near the rivers though, as the crocodile
danger is a very real one. Don't miss the rock art tour at UBIRR.
It is quite extensive and unique. The EAST
ALLIGATOR RIVER CRUISE and the
YELLOW WATERS CRUISE are good and there are also Gorge
tours and air tours, which cost more, but which are very spectacular.
before you reach Katherine. Just out out of Darwin there's
lovely little BERRY SPRINGS NATURE PARK
(take your swimming togs), HOWARD SPRINGS
NATURE PARK (equally scenic in a rainforest setting) and
LAKE BENNETT WILDERNESS RESORT. There's also MANTON
DAM, the MAJESTIC ORCHID FARM
at Darwin River and the TERRITORY WILDLIFE
PARK at Berry Springs. LITCHFIELD
NATIONAL PARK has many spectacular waterfalls dropping into
wonderful, natural swimming pools. This is a really good spot for a
picnic and to see the magnetic giant termite mounds that are such a
feature of the Top End. In this area you can also see the LOST
CITY, BATCHELOR
BUTTERFLY FARM
and the old BLYTH HOMESTEAD.
tourist
parks, motels and first class hotels. And as for attractions,
there is the ABORIGINAL ART & CULTURE
CENTRE in Todd Street; the ADELAIDE
HOUSE MUSEUM,
the SCHOOL OF
THE AIR
and the FLYING DOCTOR
SERVICE BASE;
the historic TELEGRAPH STATION
RESERVE; the ARALUEN
ARTS CENTRE;
CHATEAU HORNSBY
WINERY; the DATE
GARDENS; the FRONTIER
CAMEL FARM;
the GHAN PRESERVATION
SOCIETY train collection; MINERALS
HOUSE, the MUSEUM
OF CENTRAL
AUSTRALIA; the ROAD
TRANSPORT HALL
OF FAME;
the NATIONAL WOMEN'S
HALL OF
FAME; the PITCHI
RICHI SANCTUARY;
the OLD TOWN
GAOL; the OLD
TIMERS FOLK
MUSEUM; the OLIVE
PINK BOTANICAL GARDENS;
PANORAMA GUTH - a must unique art gallery; the
ABORIGINAL DIORAMAS;
some great murals on the town's walls, the historic cemetery with some
very famous graves, the ART GALLERY;
LASSETER'S CASINO;
BALLOONS ALOFT;
the AIRCRAFT MUSEUM
and much more. Then there are all the day trips you can take out
to places like PALM VALLEY
(don't miss it), RAINBOW VALLEY,
FINKE NATIONAL
PARK, the GORGE
COUNTRY and other points of
spectacular interest in either your own vehicle or in an air
conditioned coach or 4WD. Cars can be rented at the airport or from
various agencies in
town,
if required and there is a regular town tourist minibus travelling
around all the most popular attractions from 9-5 daily. Hop on and off
as often as you please with your all day ticket. An informative
commentary is given by the friendly driver. Eating is no problem
in The Alice, as there are plenty of takeaway food bars, cafes and
good restaurants, as well as a number of supermarkets and
hotels. Here you can try crocodile, emu, buffalo and kangaroo
steaks, if you have a mind to do so. There are many festive events
taking place in The Alice all year long and these include the CAMEL
CUP RACES, the HENLEY ON
TODD REGATTA
in a dry creek bed and a JAZZ FESTIVAL,
to name but three.
spot, which has a fine colony of little rock wallabies. GLEN
HELEN GORGE
NATIONAL PARK
is simply beautiful, with colour all around. It looks at its
best when there is water in the ancient FINKE
RIVER. There is
accommodation available at various prices in the old Glen Helen Lodge,
which was recently purchased by new operators and upgraded.
There is a bar and a good restaurant there too, which day trippers
also enjoy using.
middle of the desert. Ayers Rock is a very ancient monolith
(single piece of rock) that measures nearly 10 kilometres around the
base and about 350 metres in height. It is sacred to the local
Aboriginal people, so they ask that visitors do not climb it, but at
least half of them do. Entry to this park, which was deeded back to
the Aboriginal people some years ago, costs $15 each for adults, but
there is no charge for children under 16 years of age. Guided tours
around its base and caves are available and there is an Aboriginal
Interpretive Centre at Yulara that costs nothing to enter. There
are also shops, several hotels from three to five stars, apartments,
lodges and a caravan and camping park that is quite expensive. People
can drive to Yulara, arrive by bus, or fly in from The Alice in about
40 minutes. Once visitors have seen and photographed the Rock,
they will usually drive out (or be driven) to the Olgas, which are far
more dramatic, colourful and somewhat spooky, because of their colours
and the sighing of the wind in the VALLEY
OF THE
WINDS. The Aborigines call
them Katajuta, meaning 'many heads'. They are a group of
massive, wind worn boulders, that have strong mineral stains and quite
a bit of bush around their bases which, with the brilliant blue sky
and the rich red desert sands, makes for some great photography.