Northern Territory Holidays

Ormiston Gorge [centre]
The jewel in the West Macdonnell Ranges

Territory Wildlife Park [top end]
See displays of native flora and fauna in this bushland setting

Ubirr [top end]
Outstanding rock art galleries in Kakadu National Park

Uluru [centre]
The Red Centre's most famous landmark

The Northern Territory is mostly untouched by modern development, with countryside ranging from rugged, coastal wetlands to a dry, red desert centre. The state is home to much of Australia's aboriginal culture with historical sites, rock art painting and community life in evidence throughout most areas.

The northern part of the state, often referred to as the Top End, is dominated by wetlands.  In the wet season, torrential rains send vast amounts of water cascading over an escarpment, the rain then settling in the tropical wetlands of the Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land. The wet season has a major influence not only on the environment, but also on activities and access to certain parts of the state.

Above the escarpment the land stretches away into the Tanami Desert in the west and Barkly Tableland in the east before its transition into the dry, red Simpson Desert in central Australia. This is the region of Uluru, The Olgas, Devils Marbles, Katherine Gorge and the home of many dreamtime legends.

Northern Territory Holidays - Things To Do

In addition to the highlights detailed above, here are just a few ideas on getting the maximum enjoyment from a Northern Territory holiday.

For a comprehensive list of tours and activities, see the Tours To Go icon on this page

Northern Territory Holidays - Places To Stay

Darwin accommodation consists of a selection of traditional hotels, a small number of serviced apartments as well as motels and motor inns. Accommodation in the other towns tends to be sparse and usually consists of roadside motels.

Northern Territory Holidays - Transport

Travel in the Northern Territory travel involves long distances and the road network is  limited. Most of the popular attractions are accessible via sealed roads, although some attractions require a 4WD vehicle for access.

The Northern Territory is big, being around six times the size of Great Britain. To travel from Darwin in the north to Alice Springs in Australia's red centre involves a journey of 2 days. The state is 1600 kilometres (1000 miles) north-south and 950 kilometres (600 miles) east-west and those are straight line distances on a map, so actual road distances are considerably further.

The only rail service through the Northern Territory is the "Ghan", named after the Afghan camel drivers who opened up much of the inland routes. The train runs between Darwin and Adelaide with a stop in Alice Springs and other centres.

Air services are the most popular way to travel to and from the Northern Territory. The three major carriers are Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar and between them, they provide services to all major towns and attractions such as Uluru.

All major Australian car rental companies have northern Territory offices. Campervans and motor homes rental is available for both sealed road and off-road 4WD touring. Campers are only available for pick-up and return in Darwin and Alice Springs.

There are numerous tour operators with itineraries that cover all the popular Northern Territory sites and destinations. Some of the more remote areas can only be travelled in 4 wheel drive vehicles, especially in the wet season.

For visitors planning a self drive holiday, driver information, maps and travel planning guides  are available from the offices of the regional tourist associations. Road travel within the Northern Territory involves long distances and we recommend travel distances and times be calculated accurately prior to departure.

Northern Territory Holidays - When Is The Best Time

The Top End is tropical and humid with minor temperature variations between winter and summer. Of greater climatic significance are the Wet Season and the Dry Season. The Wet occurs between November and April with 33-35° C averages during the day dropping to overnight lows around 23-25° C. The Dry is between May and October where temperatures average 30-32° C during the day dropping to an average of 20-22° C overnight.

The inland areas revert to four distinct seasons with winter maximums around 20-22° C during the day dropping to around 4-6° C overnight. Summer sees maximum temperatures around 34-36° C during the day and 20-22° C overnight.

Temperatures in the remote inland areas can be more extreme. Summer daytime maximums can climb to 40-42° C with winter nights dropping to 2-3° C. The Australian Bureau of Meteorology provides detailed weather information.

Northern Territory Holidays Locality Maps - gateway to locality map pages for all the major NT regions
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