|
northern territory
 From
Kakadu to Uluru (Ayer’s Rock), the vast Northern Territory
is like nowhere else on Earth. It spans two climate zones and
comprises two very different worlds.
The Top End is a tropical paradise of swaying palms, fragrant
frangipani and tepid waters, which are alive with crocodiles and
fat barramundi. By contrast, the Red Centre around Alice Springs,
is the raw untamed heart of Australia - as ageless and limitless
as the fabled Aboriginal ‘Dreamtime’. The classic scene
of a brilliant sunset illuminating Uluru, is the recognised
pictorial symbol of the Outback. It is so unique that locals will
say that you haven’t seen Australia until you've been to the
Outback.
One way to access the Red Centre is to drive from Adelaide
through Coober Pedy to Alice Springs. Another option is to take
one of the world’s great rail journeys, ‘The
Ghan’, which was named after the Afghan camel drivers of
antiquity. ‘The Alice’ as this lively frontier town is
affectionately called, is the hub of a surreal landscape of giant
monoliths, meteorite craters, canyons, chasms, sacred sites, lost
cities and palm-fringed gardens.  The
must see highlights are Uluru, MacDonnell Ranges (including the
Larapinta Trail), Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta and Mt Olga. Once you
have caught the ‘land before time’ magic and eerie
emptiness of the Red Centre, you will easily grasp the logic of
September’s Henley-on-Todd regatta on a dry riverbed. This
is followed by Octoberfest, which is a feature of the boisterous
festival spirit of ‘The Alice’. North of Alice Springs
is the old mining town of Tennant Creek, and a geographical
curiosity - the balancing Devil’s Marbles.
Driving north on the Stuart Highway is sound logic too, as at the
other end of ‘The Track’ is Darwin. The Northern
Territory’s boomtown capital is multi-cultural, and very
proud of its modernity - a legacy of a total rebuild after
Cyclone Tracey in 1974. The new tropical metropolis has excellent
museums, art galleries, gardens and wildlife parks. Take an
evening stroll along the esplanade and savour the atmosphere and
glorious sunsets.
 Darwin is an ideal base for exploration of
the Top End attractions. Foremost of these are three national
parks all within three hours drive. Kakadu is a natural wonder,
featuring Aboriginal rock art, and vast wetlands teeming with
life. Nitmiluk contains the precipitous Katherine Gorge and
Litchfield embraces the Tabletop Range, replete with cascading
waterfalls. Remote Arnhem Land and the Gove Peninsula are
renowned for culture, ecotourism, fishing and diving, and can
only be reached by sea or air.
Visiting the Northern Territory is not simply a holiday but a
deeply moving experience. Although the torrid desert landscapes
are severe, the sheer grandeur and beauty make them user
friendly. Dancing with a local tribe at a corroboree, listening
to the primitive sound of a didgeridoo, and sampling a succulent
witchetty grub, is all part of the unique Outback Experience.
|
| 
| 
| 
