Northern Territory

Caravanning near Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve
Tourism NT

The Northern Territory is Australia’s least settled state or territory, with vast tracts of desert and tropical woodlands. To regard this country as empty though 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 regard 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 red, rocky 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 and home to many groups who still live a semitraditional lifestyle. It is also the custodial land of Australia’s most famous indigenous instrument, the didgeridoo, and saw the incredible trade and mingling of cultures that occurred between Yolngu people and Indonesian seafares from the 1600s. 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, with the MacDonnell Ranges home to some 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.