Rocking the top

The expansive reaches of THE TERRITORY offer up an endless array of COMPELLING activities to wonder at.

IT IS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE to spend time in the Northern Territory and not be in awe of its glorious vastness. And while it might present like a endless lanscape of red, there is something happening all the time, from festivals to sporting fixtures to events celebrating Aboriginal culture.

KAKADU BIRD WEEK, 30 SEPTEMBER – 7 OCTOBER, KAKADU

Kakadu National Park is home to more than a third of Australia’s bird species; this weeklong event brings together traditional owners, Parks Australia and local avian specialists to celebrate all things winged, with free bird activities, expert-guided tours, cruises and more.

ULURU ASTRONOMY WEEKEND,14–16 SEPTEMBER, ULURU

Under the vast outback night sky, with brilliant visibility, stargazers and astronomy enthusiasts can take part in fun family activities and demonstrations, enjoy discussions on cosmic events, dark matter and more and sit down at the headlining Astronomical Stellar Starlit Dinner under a blanket of stars.

JABIRU MAHBILIL FESTIVAL, 1 SEPTEMBER, KAKADU

This annual festival celebrates Kakadu culture with activities, workshops for kids, Aboriginal art exhibitions and demonstrations. There’s art from across Arnhem Land and Kakadu, as well as performances from local traditional dance groups and lots of bush tucker to feast on.

PARRTJIMA FESTIVAL, 28 SEPTEMBER – 7 OCTOBER,ALICE SPRINGS

This stunning festival of light highlights the stories of the oldest continuous culture on Earth using the absolute latest technologies available. Throughout the event, the landscape in and around Alice Springs, home of the Arrernte of Mparntwe, is transformed into a large-scale outdoor exhibition space, with vibrant otherworldly lightshows illuminating the MacDonnell Ranges and creating a breathtaking outdoor gallery at Alice Springs Desert Park and Larapinta Drive. The result is meaningful and relevant to Central Australia, and dramatically reinforces the sense of place.

BLACKEN OPEN AIR FESTIVAL, EARLY 2019,ALICE SPRINGS

Heavy metal fans descend on the outback town of Alice Springs for this three-day festival of earth-shaking, bone rattling heavy metal music by some of the best bands of the genre in the country.

For more information on all the Northern Territory has to offer, visit northernterritory.com

CLOCKWISE: The technicolour beauty of Parrtjima Festival; Traditional dance at Jabiru Mahbilil Festival. Twitching is on the agenda at Kakadu Bird Festival.