Northern Territory
Capital City: Darwin
The Northern Territory is Australia’s least settled state or territory, with vast tracts of desert and tropical woodlands. But to regard this country as empty is to do it a disservice; Aboriginal people have lived and travelled across the territory for thousands of years, and still do. Many non-Aboriginal Australians see it as the last great frontier because of its remoteness, spectacular landscapes and hardy outback characters.
Desert regions lie towards central Australia, while the tropical Top End is lapped by the Timor and Arafura seas. Although the diversity of landscape and wildlife makes it one of Australia’s most inspiring destinations, visitors should expect a lot of distance between highlights. The tropical coastline and offshore islands are places of special beauty – pearly white beaches interspersed with rocky red cliffs and rich mangrove habitats. The coastal rivers are home to thousands of bird and marine species, and their flood plains carry the annual wet season deluge out into the Timor and Arafura seas and the Gulf of Carpentaria. The rivers are also spawning grounds for barramundi, which attract anglers from around the world.
The north-east includes Arnhem Land, the largest Aboriginal reserve in Australia, which saw the incredible trade and mingling of cultures that occurred between Yolngu people and Indonesian seafarers from the 1600s. Today it is home to many groups who still live a semi-traditional lifestyle. It is also the custodial land of Australia’s most famous Indigenous instrument, the didgeridoo. Here visitors can explore parts of the Gove and Cobourg peninsulas, with their green vegetation, turquoise waters and great fishing.
The Red Centre is ancient and breathtaking, a land of intense as well as muted tones created by beautiful gorges, rock holes and vistas. While many travellers are drawn to Uluru and Kata Tjuta, the surrounding countryside is equally impressive – from the rolling red sandhills of the Simpson Desert to the undulating grasslands west of Glen Helen. North of Alice Springs, the Tanami Desert is incredibly remote and vastly interesting.
Some more things to do while you're in the Northern Territory
-
Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu)Enormous red and orange boulders balance precariously atop each other against a vast desert backdrop.
-
-
Old Police Station Waterhole camping areaA tranquil waterside campsite for those who like sleeping beneath a starry outback sky.
#
A
B
- Bamurru Plains
- Barkly Homestead
- Barra Bistro
- Barrow Creek Hotel camping area
- Batchelor Caravillage
- Big Horse Creek Camp Area
- Birthday Waterhole camping area
- Bluestone Motor Inn
- Bojangles Saloon and Dining Room
- Borroloola
- Brunette Downs Rest Area
- Bullita Homestead camping area
- Bush camping area (Section 11)
- Bush camping area (Section 5)
- Banka Banka Homestead Camp Area
- Barkly Homestead camping area
- Barrow Creek
- Batchelor Butterfly Cafe
- Biddlecombe Cascades
- Big4 Katherine Low Level Caravan Park
- Black Jungle Springs camping area
- Boggy Hole camping area
- Bonney Well Rest Area
- Bridge Creek Rest Area
- Buley Rockhole camping area
- Burdulba camping area
- Bush camping area (Section 4)
- Butterfly Springs camping area
C
D
- Daly River
- Daly Waters Historic Pub
- Daly Waters Hiway Inn Roadhouse camping area
- Darwin
- Darwin FreeSpirit Resort
- Davenport Range National Park
- Desert Gardens Hotel
- Desert Oaks Rest Area
- Devils Marbles camping area
- Docker River Community camping area
- Douglas Hot Springs Camp Area
- Dugong Beach Resort
- Dunmarra Wayside Inn camping area
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
- Kakadu Culture Camp - Darwin to Katherine NT
- Kakadu National Park
- Karlu Karlu-Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve
- Katherine Park Area
- Keep River National Park
- King Ash Bay Fishing Club camping area
- King West Rest Area
- Kings Canyon Resort
- Kings Canyon Wilderness Lodge
- Knotts Crossing Resort
- Koa And Malak Caravan Parks
- Kumbidgee Lodge Tea Rooms
L
M
- Macassans Restaurant
- Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) camping area
- Mann River
- Manyallaluk
- Mardugal camping area
- Mary River Park Area
- Mataranka Park Area
- Maude Creek Country Lodge
- Merl camping area
- Mindil Beach Sunset Markets
- Mount Borradaile Safari Camp
- Muirella Park Camp Area
- Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
N
O
P
R
S
- SKYCITY
- Sails in the Desert Hotel
- Seadogs Pizza And Pasta Bar
- Serpentine Chalet camping area (four-wheel drive)
- Seventeen Mile Falls
- Shady Lane Tourist Park
- Simpson Desert
- Smith Street
- Snake Bay
- South Alligator River
- South Gutter
- Spring Creek Yard camping area
- Stokes Hill Wharf
- Sullivan Creek camping area
- Swim Creek
- Saddle Creek Rest Area
- Sandy Billabong camping area
- Seagrass Restaurant
- Serpentine Gorge camping area
- Shady Camp
- Shady Lane Tourist Park
- Skirmish Point
- Smith Street Mall
- Soudan Rest Area
- South Alligator River Rest Area
- South-East
- Springvale Homestead Tourist Park
- Stuart Monument Rest Area
- Surprise Creek Falls camping area
- Saffrron
- Sandy Camp Pool
- Serpentine Chalet Dam camping area
- Seven Spirit Bay Wilderness Lodge
- Shady Camp camping area
- Silver Screen
- Smith Point campgrounds
- Smitt Rocks
- Sounds of Silence
- South Australian Border Rest Area
- Southern Lost City camping area
- State Square
- Sullivan Creek Camp Area
- Sweetwater Pool
T
- T and W Bore Rest Area
- Tennant Creek
- Territory Manor Holiday Park
- The Bark Hut Inn
- The Juicy Rump
- The Overlanders Steakhouse
- The Swagmans Rest Motel
- The Wharf Precinct
- Ti Tree Roadhouse Caravan Park
- Timber Creek Gunamu Tourist Park
- Tiwi Islands
- Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve
- Top Springs Hotel
- Travelodge Mirambeena Resort Darwin
- Trephina Gorge Nature Park
- Tali Wiru
- Tennant Creek
- Territory Manor Motel and Caravan Park
- The Carriage Stonegrill Restaurant and Bar
- The Katherine Club
- The Rainbow Connection
- The Walkabout Lodge Restaurant
- Threeways Roadhouse
- Ti-Tree Roadhouse camping area
- Timber Creek Gunamu Tourist Park
- Tjaynera (Sandy Creek) Falls camping area
- Tommycut Graveyard
- Top Springs Roadhouse camping area
- Trephina Bluff Campground
- Trephina Gorge Nature Park
- Taylor Creek Rest Area
- Territory Manor Caravan Park
- The Bark Hut Inn
- The Esplanade
- The Lost Camel Hotel
- The Savannah Bar and Restaurant
- The Wetlands Restaurant
- Ti Tree
- Timber Creek
- Tiwi Islands
- Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs Park
- Top Humbert Yard camping area
- Towns River Crossing camping area
- Trephina Gorge Campground
- Two Mile Hole camping area
U
V
W
Y
Fishing spots
Angling adventures await you in the Northern Territory, whether it be gigantic barramundi in the wilds of Arnhem Land, or barracuda off the tropical reef at Skirmish Point. Of course, nothing beats the excitement of landing a threadfin salmon in Kakadu, or spotting crocodiles while fishing on the evocatively named Wildman River …
Eco-friendly activities
Looking for a destination where you can cool off under a waterfall, learn about Aboriginal culture in a five-day Indigenous ‘Bush College’ tour, or trek a legendary outback hiking trail? The Northern Territory’s eco-friendly activities will excite your senses: there’s something in this wild state to suit every green-minded adventurer.
Golf courses
When it’s time to tee off, the Northern Territory provides a spectacular golfing setting at Alice Springs Golf Club. Start off easy on the first hole, but be prepared to work as the following holes present their own challenges.
Restaurants & cafes
Often associated with arid outback and inaccessible wilderness, the Northern Territory will surprise you with its culinary offerings. Darwin boasts tasty Asian eateries, seafood restaurants and down-to-earth cafes, as well as fine harbourside dining. Alice Springs does a wide range of international fare; elsewhere, mouthwatering local barramundi and hearty steaks prevail.
Restaurants & cafes by region
Popular restaurants & cafes in this region
- Bojangles Saloon and Dining Room
- Escarpment Restaurant
- Hanuman
- Mayses Cafe
- The Walkabout Lodge Restaurant
Eco-friendly places to eat
Despite a plethora of eco-friendly activities and accommodation, sustainable dining is yet to really catch on in the Northern Territory. Hopefully the environmentally conscious approach of Darwin restaurant Saffrron will inspire others to follow suit. Meanwhile, much of the seafood served in Territory restaurants is caught locally – a step in the right direction.
Campsites
Pitch your tent within hiking distance of beautiful swimming holes, ancient Aboriginal art, dramatic gorges or iconic rock formations. Go bush in the remote Top End, or fall asleep to the sounds of Kakadu wildlife. Camping during the dry season is a wonderful way to experience the Northern Territory’s abundant natural wonders!
Campsites by region
Caravan parks
Caravanning the Northern Territory is exhilarating and unforgettable. Not all roads are sealed, so four-wheel drives are recommended; the wet season can be challenging, too … all part of the fun, of course! For smoother touring, there are plenty of long, sealed highways with access to key attractions. Territory caravan parks are generally well equipped.
Caravan parks by region
Hotels, motels & B&Bs
Finding somewhere to stay in the Northern Territory is as easy as spotting a croc in Kakadu! After a luxury escape? Choose from lavish safari camps or spa suites with ocean views. Mid-range more your style? Welcoming B&Bs and historic resorts are just the start. Road houses and cattle stations are popular budget options.
Hotels, motels & B&Bs by region
Eco-friendly places to stay
Sustainable tourism in the Northern Territory has strong Indigenous links, and this is evident in its eco-friendly accommodation. Aboriginal-owned camps and resorts maintain a holistic relationship with the land, central to Indigenous culture and tradition. Staying in Alice Springs? It’s hard to miss this city’s growing use of solar power and sustainable technologies.
Eco-friendly places to stay by region
Popular eco-friendly places to stay
Rest areas
Sometimes it might seem like you’re the only one on the road in the Northern Territory. But from the tropical beauty of Kakadu to the glory of the Red Centre, the rest areas that line the Territory’s highways are a reminder to stop and enjoy the scenery, and get a much-needed break at the same time. The road will be where you left it (although no guarantees in the wet season).
Rest areas by region
Events
Like the Top End and Red Centre themselves, festivals in the Northern Territory can range from the cultural to the downright wild. Hosting a national Aboriginal art award and a beer can regatta, Darwin epitomises this dichotomy. Rodeos and traditional Indigenous festivals are widespread; then there’s the Camel Cup in Alice Springs …
