MY 10 TRAVEL BUTLER PICKS
1 THE Tropical Top End in the Northern Territory: start your trip in Darwin, gateway to Kakadu, Katherine Gorge and Litchfield National Park. Mindil Beach Sunset Market in Darwin is a must, on Thursday and Sunday afternoons, until October 26: 200plus stalls, with food from all over the world, clothing, jewellery, homewares and Indigenous products.
2 TAKE two to three nights in each destination. It can all easily be combined with bucket-list spots: Flight Centre can tailor make your Australian Journey to include all must-sees.
3 THE Field of Light exhibition in Uluru, by artist Bruce Munro, Illuminating the Desert, until December 2020.
4 DISCOVER a less well known area: MacDonnell Ranges National Park, near Alice Springs, has vast, spectacular landscapes.
5 BE BRAVE. You’ll see kangaroo featured in many restaurants. Or how about crocodile, likened to chicken? Try barramundi, similar to sea bass.
6 HOTEL Longitude 131 – part of Luxury Lodges of Australia – a stunning property with unobscured views of ‘The Rock’ in sumptuous surroundings, with gourmet food and wine and some of the best guided tours. Or Wildman Wilderness Lodge in The Top End, just outside Kakadu, the ultimate in bush
7 HEAD over to Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin for a selfie with a 5m saltwater crocodile during a cage dive.
8 GUNLOM Falls at Kakadu National Park has a breathtaking crystal-clear plunge pool to cool down in.
9 VEGEMITE! You either love it or you hate it. (Personal favourite: with cheese in a toasted sandwich.)
10 STAY overnight at Kings Canyon to rise before the heat and be rewarded with the spectacular changing colours of the sunrise over the canyon.