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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.
tour the Kakadu wetlands
see aboriginal culture in Arnhem Land
barramundi fishing
crocodile cruises
cruise the Arnhem Land coast
visit the red centre
climb Uluru
The Olgas
Devils Marbles |
Kings Canyon
wilderness tours
4WD touring and camping
eco tours
farm holidays
hot air balloon rides
ride the "Ghan"
have a Darwin stubbie |
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.
| Summer: December to February |
Autumn: March to May |
| Winter: June to August |
Spring: September to November |


Northern Territory Holidays Locality Maps - gateway to locality map
pages for all the major NT regions
Cheap Car
Rental Australia - the place to go when
you are looking for the cheapest rental deals
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