exploring Australia's Northern Territory

see also:

• helpful travel links and information - Australia
• Northern Territory - Alice Springs and the Macdonnell Ranges
• Northern Territory - Uluru (Ayer's Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
• Northern Territory - Kings Canyon

• the Northern Territory is one of those MUST SEE locations, in particular:
  • Uluru
  • Kings Canyon
  • Alice Springs and:
    • the beautiful West MacDonnell Ranges and its Gorges
      • the iconic multi-day Larapinta Trail near Alice Springs
      • loop drive along the Ranges to Glen Helen (stay a night here) then optionally continue on to pass Roma Gorge, Tnorala Gosse Bluff meteor site, Namatjira, historic German town of Hermannsburg, then back to Alice Springs
      • option to continue west in this area to go to Kings Canyon then continue down to Uluru
  • Kakadu
  • Litchfield NP
• it is hot and humid all year round in the northern parts while the southern areas such as Alice Springs and Uluru have drier winters with cold nights
• summer is very hot and humid with frequent thunderstorms, flooding of roads and cyclones - the National Parks are generally inaccessible by road during this time

• the capital city of the NT
• famous for the night market near a beach with crocodiles

• Jabiru is 255km 4WD east of Darwin and in dry weather takes abut 3hrs drive and you need to cross the Mary River and South Alligator River
• you may wish to check out Mary River NP en route
  • hiking trail to bird billabong
• from Jabiru, you can loop 213km SW down to Pine Creek and then either back to Darwin or further south to Katherine
  • this gives potential side routes to Jim Jim Falls, Barramundi Gorge, and Waterfall Creek Falls

• Litchfield NP - 2hrs 4WD from Darwin in the dry season
  • a range of walks including the 39km Tabletop walk
  • can swim at the base of the Florence and Wangi falls, but swimming is not permitted at Tolmer Falls

• Butterfly Gorge Nature Park - one of the best walks in the NT
  • 4-5hr 12km return hike - the gorge is home to large numbers of common crow butterflies but no swimming as there are crocs
  • 150km north from Katherine - last 17km is 4WD only NOT suitable for caravans
  • dry season only, no camping - can camp at the nearby commercial campground at Douglas River Esplanade Conservation Area, no pets allowed.

• 1500km south of Darwin
  • Katherine (1182km Nth of Alice Springs), Tennant Creek (508km Nth of Alice Springs) and the Devil's Marbles (412km Nth of Alice Springs) are on this route
• 470km NE of Uluru
• 332km east of Kings Canyon via Hermannsburg
  • this route gives access to Finke Gorge NP and its palm trees (4WD)
• see Northern Territory - Alice Springs and the Macdonnell Ranges

• see Northern Territory - Kings Canyon

• see Northern Territory - Uluru (Ayer's Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)

• Stuart Highway 3030km
  • 30-35 hours of driving time
  • allow 7-10 days to fully experience the journey and stop at interesting spots along the way.
  • Katherine and Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk National Park) / Butterfly Gorge
  • Tennant Creek: A small outback town with historical significance related to gold mining
  • Alice Springs - side trips to West MacDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon / Uluru
  • Coober Pedy: A fascinating underground town, known for its opal mines. Many of the buildings and hotels are built underground
  • Port Augusta: Gateway to the outback
• or you can catch the Ghan train

• should only be done in the dry season (ie “Winter”)
• fastest route is 1871km without any side diversions
  • Litchfield NP
  • Katherine
  • Kununurra
    • Lake Argyle to the south
    • Argyle diamond mine
    • Wyndham and Ord River to the NW
  • Ord River crossing
    • side diversion near the Ord River crossing to Purnululu NP and the amazing Bungle Bungles
  • Fitzroy Crossing
  • Broome
• Kimberleys alternate side route Kununurra to Broome via the Gibb River Track
  • this is for serious remote off-road 4WDers and you will miss out on the Bungle Bungles and Fitzroy Crossing but you get to see Gibb River, Hann River Crossing, Barnett River Gorge, Manning Gorge, Spider Crater, Galvans Gorge, Adcock Gorge, King Leopold Ranges, March Fly Glen, Lennard River Gorge, Queen Victoria's Head, Lennard River Crossing, Derby
  • 923km
  • El Questro Station
    • 103km SW of Kununurra
    • large camp ground with shaded camp sites adjacent the Pentecost River for swims, nice showers
    • Emma Gorge and waterfall hike and swim
    • Saddleback Ridge 4WD climb for views
    • Pigeon Hole Lookout 4WD climb for views over the winding Pentecost River - nicer than Saddleback
    • Branco's lookout difficult 4WD climb and river crossing (6-8 minutes to cross the river)
    • El Questro Gorge hike 4.8km return Grade 5 very rocky but awesome hike with some bouldering to the last pool
    • Zebedee Springs small moderate temperature thermal pools for a warmer than normal swim and 300m each way walk through lush rainforest ambience
    • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTqcLikK5U
  • alternate diversion options:
    • Mitchell Falls camp ground on Mitchell Plateau
      • 4WD to the far north-west of WA - 242km each way from Gibb River Free Camp (Google says it takes 4.5hrs each way in dry conditions)

• serious remote off-road 4WDers
• remote 2800km long road route only for the well prepared as it crosses the Gibson Desert / Little Sandy Desert
• Great Central Rd / Gunbarrel Highway track goes south west to Leonora then up to Leinster and then there are two options:
  • continue W on the Great Central Rd via Mount Magnet to Geraldton
  • head NW via Wiluna then either:
    • west via Meekatharra to Canarvon and Shark Bay
    • north to Marble Bar and Port Hedland to then access the Kimberleys or head south down the west coast
      • there is an alternate route to Marble Bar turning north at Warburton, WA on the Great Central Rd to cross the desert and go via Telfer

• serious remote off-road 4WDers
• this is perhaps the most remote road in Australia and is only for the extremely well prepared as it crosses the Great Sandy Desert
• the most remote off-road caravan journey in Australia and travels through Australia's most isolated communities including Kiwirrkurra, Australia's most remote town
• 4-5 days; you need plenty of water and fuel and check your wheel bearings and grease up bushes, etc
• you will have to pay cash for very expensive fuel top ups (~$AU1600 for the trip or more) and these are only in communities and only open for a few hours each day
• Google maps Marble Bar - Kiwirrkurra - Alice Springs = 1743km
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AmWEmWeSfNk

• serious remote off-road 4WDers - unsealed, red dirt corrugated road
• one of the most remote roads in Australia and is only for the extremely well prepared
• this route provides access to the Kimberleys from NT during the wet season when other routes are cut off by northern flood waters
• 1000km trek across the desert which, if all goes well, takes about 25hrs of driving without any side trips.
• from Hall's Creek in north-eastern WA, it heads SE, passes Wolf Creek asteroid crater to Sturt Creek, to then go easterly across the Tanami Desert, to enter NT, then again SE to Chilla Well, Lake Mackay, Yuendumu, past Lake Lewis, and hits the Stuart Highway at Burt Plain just north of Alice Springs
• in 2022, the $500m Tanami Road Project aims to seal the WA 313km stretch of this road with bitumen and then eventually sealed all the way to Alice Springs when the NT Govt commissions this work - the whole road is expected to be sealed by 2032.