The Australian Holidays Getaway Project : A National Collaboration

A previous version of this website encouraged people throughout Australia to contribute useful facts and travel related information about their town and/or district. The initiative met with mixed success and the following contributions for the Northern Territory are published as an extract from the original.

Alice Springs
The pure centre of Australia, and the essence of Australia itself. The town of Alice Springs is small, but fascinating. Located on the mostly dry Todd River, Alice Springs is a town of character and steeped in history of exploration, pastoralism, military occupation during WWII and fabulous and colourful Australian personalities over the years. Aboriginal culture, Dreaming and art/artefacts are ever-present in Alice Springs an tourists have a better chance of purchasing real artefacts in Alice than they do in other parts of the Territory because several of the galleries in the town are owned by Aboriginal organisations.

From Alice, there are many beautiful sights: N'Dhala Gorge, Standley Chasm, Glen Helen Gorge, Ross River Homestead, Ooraminna Bush Camp, the Olgas, and, of course, Ayers Rock (or Uluru). In addition, there are countless other activities: ballooning at dawn or dusk, Harley Davidson rides in the outback, horse riding, bush walking, desert trekking, bush camps, etc, etc. You can be a mainstream tourist or a go-getter in this town and the locals are fabulous! You can even arrange to visit Aboriginal communities (such as Hermannsberg) from Alice. If you want Central Australia - this is it! Robyn in Darwin

Just about every sport is catered for, with an excellent 6200 metres Championship Golf Course, good Tennis facilities, Bowling Clubs, Swimming Centre and most of the field sports are catered for. The Honda Masters Games are held every two years and usually has in excess of 4000 competitors whose ages range from 35 to 90 +. They are known as the FRIENDLY GAMES and this sums up the attitude of local residents to visitors.

As well as the Masters Games, there is the Henley on Todd, boat races on the dry river bed. A feature of Alice Springs is the Todd River, which only flows after heavy rain (once or twice a year), separates the city into two when it floods. Other events include The Alice Springs Show, The Camel Cup, usually Australia vs America and numerous other events designed to ensure visitors have a good time and see something that they are unlikely to see anywhere else in the world.

There are numerous venues such as the Old Telegraph Station, which has been restored, The Old Ghan and Transport Museum. Where a steam runs on the Old railway line and a restored diesel that operates nearly everyday during the Tourist season, and they run about the same speed as the original Ghan Train. Bill Towers

Barunga
Darwin
The tropical north of Australia with some 60 cultural/ethnic groups. Darwin itself is a cosmopolitan, tropical, tolerant "city". There is a tropical, laid back atmosphere about the place and plenty to do by day or night. For the scholarly, a variety of museums and historical sites are available. For the inquisitive, there are sites such as Indo-Pacific Marine (one of three natural coral/reef environments in the world). There is a good selection of Darwin hotels offering accommodation in all price ranges.

Of course, there are many WWII sites because Darwin was bombed some 94 times over 18 months during WWII. For the naturalist, Darwin is paradise: head north on the ocean, south on the Stuart Highway. We have natural parks and waterfalls, great fishing, great camping, great Aboriginal culture, great caves - all within what Australians consider easy distance (some of this is at least a day's drive, but well worth the effort). Robyn in Darwin

Grove Hill
Grove Hill Heritage is the former Grove Hill pub, post office and railway siding located on the Overland Telegraph Line. It is approx 195 km from Darwin and about 17 km off the Stuart Highway. Most of the road from the highway is corrugated dirt, but the road is easily managed in conventional vehicles. About 20 metres from the actual pub site, you will find remnants of the Overland Telegraph Line (OT Line) and the railway line which followed to transport ore from the Pine Creek district during gold and tin rushes.

The pub has been restored to its original condition with the added bonus of mains electricity and running water. It is set up as a museum display, and "rustic" accommodation is available with great Aussie outback food. There are only about 12 rooms, so it is best to book first. Grove Hill is in the region dealt with in "The Shackle" written by Dudley Kelsey, an OT Operator, and edited by Ira Nesdale. It's not a five-star setup, but neither are the prices. It's well worth a visit. Robyn in Darwin

Katherine
Katherine is another 190km south of Pine Creek and is known or promoted as the Jewel of the Territory. It features the magnificent Katherine (or Nitmiluk) Gorge, Cutta Cutta Caves, Mataranka Homestead (out of Katherine about 30km) and Old Elsey Station from where and about which Mrs Aneas Gunn wrote "We of the Never, Never". It was once a central cattle slaughtering and transportation area, although these activities have scaled down somewhat in recent years.

People can canoe the Katherine Gorge either at an hourly rate or go overnight or for weeks (there are something like 10 gorges) and make a camping adventure of it. I canoed with some girlfriends last year - we hired canoes at the Gorge itself and went overnight - only made the fourth gorge. It was fantastic, although we were a little stiff and sore.

For those who don't wish to be quite so adventurous, tours on flat-bottomed barges are available on a daily basis. They range from two hours to full-day tours and they are excellent for older people or those who are not water-confident (or competent). Bonrook Lodge (on Bonrook Station) is located 6 km to the south of Pine Creek and is Australia's only horse sanctuary. Established by Austrian Franz Weber, who was active in most world conservation movements, this massive property is a sanctuary for wild brumbies and horses, but is a beautiful getaway for a weekend or more.

You can go there just for a break, or you can go to ride horses - by the hour, for a half-day or for a full-day. Accommodation is excellent, meals are excellent. There are two swimming pools and accommodation to take 60 people. Some rooms have share bathroom facilities; others have their own bathroom (these are recent additions). It is not a big destination with Australians, but it is HUGE with Europeans. Robyn in Darwin

Pine Creek
In the late 1800s Pine Creek was the hub of the Northern Goldfields in the Northern Territory and attracted a number of Chinese and European fossickers, some of whom made fortunes. Pine Creek is now a very small town about 300km south of Darwin but has a fascinating history and a number of good historical and heritage sites. Robyn in Darwin

Tennant Creek
Winnellie
Winnellie is a semi-industrial area/suburb on the outskirts of Darwin located near the airport. It was named by two Army officers during WWII because there was an Army camp there. Their wives' names were Winifred and Nellie, so they called their camp Winnellie camp. Robyn in Darwin

- Northern Territory Holidays Guide -

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