NT

Kakadu is nature at its most dramatic. The secret of getting the best out of Kakadu is to spend at least two days there.

Nature took millions of years to create it, Aboriginal people and their culture have thrived there for 40,000 years. It isn’t possible, in a quick trip, to experience what makes it special. The World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park covers 22,000 sq km in all.

Renowned attractions include Nourlangie Rock and Ubirr rock, Yellow Water billabong, sandstone escarpment and the thundering waterfalls Jim Jim and Twin falls.

Katherine lies 314km south of Darwin and is the center of a large region covering cattle country, farmlands and national parks. The spectacular Katherine Gorge located, just 30kms from Katherine’s town centre in Nitmiluk National Park, is the region’s main draw card.

You can explore the gorge system on foot, choosing from 100km of marked walking trails or take a relaxing boat tour through the cool blue waters.

Tennant Creek is known as the Territory’s heart of gold; a reference to the friendliness of its people and the area’s gold mining history. Australia’s last gold rush took place here in the 1930s, and there are plenty of opportunities to learn about it at attractions around the town. Visitors can even try fossicking for their own gold.

Darwin is the Territory’s capital, clustered around beaches of Australia’s largest harbour. Visitors enjoy a relaxed, tropical lifestyle, with wonderful sunsets, city streets shaded by palms and flowering tropical shrubs. This vibrant city is the ideal starting point for a Top End experience.

Museums, galleries, nightclubs, restaurants, a casino and a cinema complex provide visitors with plenty of entertainment choices, while accommodation varies from five-star international hotels to budget apartments and backpacker stays.

There is no town in all Australia quite like 'The Alice'. Alice Springs was formerly known as ‘Stuart’ and made famous by several movies including ‘Priscilla Queen of the Desert’. It’s been a centre of activity for thousands of years and visitors wishing to wind down after the excitement of a visit to Uluru/Ayers Rock or an adventure through the Centre’s 4WD country, you will find Alice Springs the perfect place to hang your hat for a while.

450km south west of Alice Springs is Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the centre-piece of which is the Territory’s internationally renowned icon, Uluru/Ayers Rock. Within this vast park are many Aboriginal sacred sites, spectacular scenery and rock formations.

Short and extended tours leave Alice Springs by coach and air. Ayers Rock Resort, on the edge of the park, has accommodation ranging from camping, budget to luxury hotels.