Driving tip
Epic outback
from Katherine to Nhulunbuy distance 729 kilometres (one way)
You’re going to need time to tackle this epic drive through one of Australia’s last unspoiled wilderness areas. Promising the adventure of a lifetime, The Central Arnhem Road, for 4WD vehicles only, begins 50 kilometres south of Katherine and finishes in Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula and follows a rainbow of ever-changing landscapes from blazing red earth to the bluest of seas. Beyond its otherworldy beauty, the region’s cultural significance is its greatest lure. The home of the traditional landowners of the Yolngu nation, Arnhem Land offers an insight into the living traditions of the Yolngu people.
• Visit Djilpin Arts in Beswick to learn authentic aspects of First Nations culture.
Keep the kids busy with a game of wildlife spotto with kangaroos, emus, buffalo and brumbies.
Take the kids to Jurassic Park. There are no dinosaurs, just epic views over the escarpment. Stop for a picnic lunch at pretty Guwatjurumurru (Giddy River)
Enjoy a self-guided walk around Gayngaru (Town Lagoon) or Gadalathami (Town Beach), a great spot to catch a Top End sunset.
Explore white beaches, rugged coastline and inland waterways at Dhimurru recreational area. Visit the Roy Marika Lookout on the summit of Nhulun (Mount Saunders), for views over the Nhulunbuy township and coastline.
Join an Aboriginal cultural tour with Lirrwi Tourism Visit Buku-larrnggay Mulka Art Centre at Yirrkala for local Indigenous arts and crafts eastarnhemland.com.au
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A permit from the Northern Land Council is required when travelling to Arnhem land to preserve the culture and beauty of the region.
from Launceston to Mountain distance 167 kilometres (one way)
Starting in the delightful riverside city of Launceston in Northern Tasmania, this route through farmland and history winds through the picturesque towns of Longford and Deloraine, before cutting inland to the dairy farming town of Sheffield and up onto the Alpine Plateau to the gates of Cradle Mountain-lake St Claire National Park. The journey takes around two and a half hours non-stop, but it’s worth making a day of it and breaking up the drive with stops to stretch legs and explore all the pretty villages along the way. Stay the night in a tent, a rustic log cabin or in one of the luxurious resorts scattered throughout the National Park, so you can make an early start the following day.
With ancient rainforests, glacier-sculpted gorges and some of Australia’s most breathtaking alpine mountain scenery, the Cradle Mountain-lake St Clair National Park is one of Australia’s most hauntingly beautiful treasures and a perfect location for active outdoorsy families. Soak up heavenly views or trek one of the 20 guided or self-guided walks, some better suited to little legs than others, along divine Dove Lake. Make sure kids stay alert for wallabies and platypuses that call the National Park home, while grazing wombats can be seen on the open grasslands around the trails. northwesttasmania.com.au launceston.tas.gov.au