DO THE TOP END YOUR WAY
Going luxe or less in the Northern Territory.
WHILE TRAVELLING around the Northern Territory’s northernmost region, I was surprised at the diversity of travellers we crossed paths with. We met a family who had travelled by car all the way from Melbourne (“We are 3498 kilometres from home!” their excited son told us); girlfriends who had recently moved to Darwin and wanted to explore their new home state; a married couple toting a baby in a BabyBjörn; and an intrepid Sydney couple on a year-long road trip around the country (“We came via the Gibb River Road – it was epic”). Grey nomads usually have plenty of time and savings (an outback trip is widely known to hit the pocket), but it is possible to get a good snapshot of the region in a short trip, and once you’ve got your transport and accommodation sorted you can do the Northern Territory with the family and on a shoestring. And it doesn’t have to be all damp, dirt and Deb mash; people who aren’t willing to leave their after-five attire at home have found their niche out here in the outback among Leyland Brother-types. If you have the money to splurge, there are plenty of ways to upgrade your experience. So whether you’re ready to spend or hoping to save, here’s how to do the NT your way.
DARWIN
Not just the tropical gateway to the outback, Darwin is a youthful, vibrant city, with a rich indigenous culture and a colourful mix of more than 50 nationalities.
On a shoestring
Pick up a rental 4WD at the airport (from $60 a day at Thrifty) for the 15-minute drive to the city’s waterfront precinct, which is almost always bustling with holidaymakers and families. The grassed area here is an ideal picnic spot that stretches between the recreation swimming lagoon and wave pool (which has a man-made beach), so families can loll between swims and sandwiches. The Vibe Hotel (from $101 a night; tfehotels.com) is located almost directly adjacent to the Wave Lagoon, which will keep the kids entertained for hours ($18 for a family of five), while the precinct’s restaurants (from modern Mexican to easy pub grub) exude a casual resort atmosphere; wet hair, sandals and shorts are totally acceptable. The Sky Bridge will take you from the waterfront to the CBD, and it’s a fairly easy walk to Smith Street Mall and Knuckey Street, where you’ll find more small bars and restaurants, and boutique shops. From here you can head over to the Deckchair Cinema. Watch a film with a glass of wine under the stars ($16 adults, $8 children; deckchaircinema.com) at this outdoor theatre, which is open every night during the dry season. A five-minute drive from the CBD is Mindil Beach. You’ll find the bustling Mindil Beach Sunset Market ( mindil.com.au) here every Thursday and Sunday evening. There’s everything from live music to fire twirling and Chinese massage, and a huge number of stalls selling local arts and crafts. The beach is known for its sunsets, so grab a bite to eat from one of the food stalls and watch the sun disappear.
The Darwin upgrade
Check in to SKYCITY Darwin ( skycitydarwin. com.au), a glamorous casino/hotel with spacious rooms, five restaurants, seven bars, infinity pool and direct beach access (from $359 a night).
Then head out for a high tea at Parisian-style restaurant and bar The Pearl ( thepearl.com. au), with bottomless Champagne and canapés of oysters, cured meats and petits fours ($125). To get the heart racing again go for a dive in the Cage of Death at Crocosaurus Cove ( crocosauruscove.com), the country’s only crocodile dive (from $165). After sunset on Mindil Beach, dine on a DIY Korean barbecue at laneway restaurant Little Miss Korea (from $49–65 for a banquet; littlemisskorea.com), or try Pee Wee’s at the Point (mains from $41; peewees.com.au) on the waterfront for its local-produce-driven menu.
KATHERINE
Just 10 minutes out of Darwin grab a coffee for the road at Laneway Specialty Coffee ( lanewaycoffee. com.au) in Parap. Once you and your 4WD are fuelled, hit the Stuart Highway for the three-hour drive to Katherine. En route you should stop at Leliyn (Edith Falls) for a refreshing dip, 19 kilometres off the highway. There’s a large pandanus-fringed pool at the base of the falls, or walk along the Leliyn Trail to the upper pool.
On a shoestring
Just 45 minutes from here is Katherine, the Top End’s ‘adventure territory’. Base yourself at Nitmiluk campground ( nitmiluktours.com.au) for easy access to the main attraction, Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge (powered camping sites from $47.50 per night; permanent tents from $143 per night). Comprising 13 separate gorges, Nitmiluk Gorge has some of the most stunning scenery in the NT; this ancient wonder winds along 12 kilometres of sheer rock that reaches more than 70 metres in height. Walking tracks abound in Nitmiluk National Park – each one offers differing views of the gorge from lookouts, the escarpment and along the banks. There are shorter walks from one to six hours, or adventurers can take a five-day hike along part of the epic Jatbula Trail. You’ll need a permit if you do an overnight walk. If you prefer to see it from the water, hire a canoe (from $41.50) and go at your own pace – you should reach the third gorge in a day. From this perspective the cliffs look even more dramatic and you might spot wallabies and water monitors along the banks as you paddle by, with time to stop for a swim, walk or picnic (or join a guided tour from $61). Thirty kilometres south of Katherine, Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park is home to a limestone cave system, an unusual find in sub-tropical Australia. Join one of the daily tours ($22 adults; $11 children) to descend 15 metres below the surface into caverns formed millions of years ago. While it’s not strictly a ‘budget’ activity, we highly recommend topping off your Katherine stay with a helicopter flight. Nitmiluk Scenic Flights ( nitmiluktours.com.au) offers flights to three gorges ($99), eight gorges ($159) or all 13 ($215). Seeing the landscape from above gives you a sense of how vast this Jawoyn-owned land is.
The Katherine upgrade
Stay at the wonderful Cicada Lodge, an indigenous-owned luxury lodge with 18 spacious rooms, located inside Nitmiluk National Park (from $409 a night including breakfast; cicadalodge.com.au). During your time here, join a Nabilil Dreaming Sunset Dinner Cruise to experience the otherworldly colours of the gorge as the sun sets. The three-course meal is (almost) as impressive as the locale ($159.50; nitmiluktours.com.au). If you’d rather take to the air, then upgrade the helicopter flight to an Adventure Swim Tour, which includes all 13 gorges and one of Australia’s most remote swimming holes, or do the Jawoyn Rock Art Tour and fly to an
indigenous art site (both options $499). Back towards town, Marksie’s Stockman’s Camp Tucker ( marksies camptucker.com.au) is a unique bush food experience cooked with aboriginal bush ingredients, and served under the stars with campfire yarns ($75).
KAKADU
Hit the road for the two-hour drive to Kakadu (be sure to fuel up and purchase provisions first). Kakadu National Park is enormous, almost half the size of Switzerland, so driving distances can be long. Pass the time by spotting termite mounds – they can be up to six metres tall.
On a shoestring
After the long drive, you’ll be thrilled to see the turn-off to Gunlom Falls (Waterfall Creek). The sign says ‘unsealed 2WD’, but the 40-kilometre road can be extremely uneven; a 4WD is recommended. Swim at the base of the falls, or trek to the top for spectacular views of southern Kakadu from the natural infinity pool. Base yourself at the centrally located Cooinda Campground & Caravan Park (from $41 for a powered camping site; kakadutourism.com), which is right on the doorstep of Yellow Water Billabong. If camping isn’t your thing check out Flash Camp ( flashcamp.com.au), semi-permanent ‘glamping’ sites available during the dry season (from $140 a night). Purchase your national park pass at your accommodation for $40 or $25 per adult; $20 or $12.50 per child (dry and wet seasons respectively). Kakadu is home to one of the greatest concentrations of rock art sites in the world and archaeologists have found evidence of aboriginal life dating back 50,000 years. The three main sites are Ubirr (where you’ll find a painting of a Tasmanian tiger, said to be extinct on the mainland 2000 to 3000 years ago), Nourlangie (home to Dreamtime figure Lightning Man) and Nanguluwur (with representations of Namandi spirits).
The Kakadu upgrade
Stay at Wildman Wilderness Lodge, just 30 minutes from the western border of Kakadu (in Mary River National Park). Closed for the wet season, the lodge is absolute bush luxury with supremely comfortable safari tents and cabins (from $615 a night; wildmanwildernesslodge.com.au). During your time in the park take a Yellow Water Cruise through wetlands to spot some 60 species of bird, as well as crocodiles and buffalo grazing on the floodplain (from $72; kakadutourism.com). Also consider the Guluyambi Cultural Cruise on East Alligator River with an aboriginal guide; spot wildlife and disembark on the Arnhem Land side where you’ll be shown traditional hunting methods ($76 adult, $49 child; kakaduculturaltours.com.au).