Best for... wilderness
BETWEEN ITS SIZE (one sixth of the Australian continent in an area equivalent to France, Spain and Italy combined) and history (a groundbreaking archaeological discovery four years ago at Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land, which unearthed ancient artefacts including tools and ochre crayons used to make pigments, placed the length of time Aboriginal people have inhabited the continent to between 65,000 to 80,000 years), it’s easy to feel small in the NT.
And you don’t need to travel far to feel it. Drive just two hours north of Darwin in the END, for example, and you’ll reach TOP (1): the largest national park in KAKADU Australia that’s home to vast swathes of wetlands, wildlife to take your breath away, ancient rock art and soaring escarpments. And bordering Kakadu, and the ARNHEM LAND unspoiled tropical paradise of its east (2), with a rugged coastline, sandy beaches and vibrant Indigenous culture that you can explore on day trips or overnight adventures with locally owned operators including Lirrwi Tourism.
Drive 90 minutes south of Darwin, meanwhile, and you’ll reach the crystal-clear waterholes and tumbling waterfalls of
(3) and just a LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK little further still, the spectacular sandstone gorge country of NITMILUK NATIONAL PARK.
The desert wilderness of the RED CENTRE presents another proposition altogether and is more accessible than you might think: it’s possible to indulge in the bucket-list item of (4) ULURU-KATA TJUTA NATIONAL PARK over a long weekend with flights from the capitals on the east coast all under four hours.
Or head to (5) to experience ALICE SPRINGS the diversity of desert landscapes all in one place at the ALICE SPRINGS DESERT PARK before heading to spots like ORMISTON
(6) and (7) GORGE GLEN HELEN GORGE within the TJORITJA/WEST MACDONNELL
PARK, which stretches for 161 NATIONAL scenic kilometres west of Alice. Here you’ll also find the legendary TRAIL, LARAPINTA which takes between 12-14 days to complete in full but can be sampled in sections on day, overnight or shorter multi-day hikes.