Northern Territory Travel Information
The Never Never land is an Australian expression meaning the uninhabited parts of the Northern Territory and Queensland. It was first used by Europeans in the late 19th century but has since been given a new slant – it’s called spin – by advertisers in the late 20th century. The saying now is, “You’ll never never know if you never never go”. That means you’ll miss the thrills and excitement of the Northern Territory [the Never Never land] if you give it a miss.
Backpackers are keen on Northern Territory tours. It has such variety from Darwin and the Top End to the Alice [Alice Springs] and Uluru [Ayers Rock] in Central Australia with lots more in between.
If you’re from Europe and you don’t like winter, consider the popular time Down Under. In Darwin in winter the average top temperature is in the mid to high 20s. That’s in winter. Plus it’s not the wet season so the humidity is reduced. Darwin with more than 100,000 people in summer is a tropical town – lots of rain, high temperatures and high humidity. Still well worth a visit but winter Down Under is the popular choice of backpackers.
Darwin in particular caters extremely well for backpackers with plenty of Northern Territory accommodation for those trekking around Oz. Again you should look at a map and understand that Australia is a big place and depending on your mode of transport, getting from A to B in most parts of the country, and especially in the NT, is a long journey. Australia now has a north-south railway and you can catch a train from Darwin to Alice Springs and vice versa. It’s a great way to travel, to see the country, meet people and to take the weight off your feet.
The Kakadu National Park is a must. It’s a vast area of some 20,000 square kilometres, is World Heritage listed and has been inhabited by indigenous Australians for about 50,000 years. You can take one of the many tours into Kakadu or you can take yourself. Just remember to follow the tourist rules and regulations. The beauty of the Net these days is that you can take a virtual tour to whet your appetite. There are camping areas in the Park as well as budget accommodation. More expensive accommodation exists too if you’re an up market backpacker although that sounds like an oxymoron.
If you like bushwalking, Kakadu offers fantastic sights and sounds. You can, with permission, even go bushwalking at night. The culture, the history, the plant, bird and animal life is amazing.
Katherine has about 10,000 inhabitants and is an excellent stopping point travelling between Darwin and Alice Springs. One spectacular activity is to paddle a canoe in the Katherine Gorge. Australia is the driest continent on Earth but even in the desert areas you will find areas of water and spectacular beauty. The gorge is only 25 million years old and when it matures will be even more interesting. Katherine even has some caves to explore, a thermal pool and, would you believe, a mini rainforest?
Alice Springs, often called The Alice, has about 30,000 residents and is part of what Australians call the Red Centre. It’s pretty much in the middle of the country and is situated alongside the Todd River. Being in a dry climate, the Todd doesn’t always flow and so, with typical Aussie humour, Henley on Todd is a boat race held where the sailors run along the river bed holding their craft as they sprint. Alice Springs is a tourist town and backpackers are well looked after. If you want to see and feel the heat and dryness and yes, the beauty, of the heart of Australia, head to The Alice.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking Alice Springs and Ayers Rock [now called by its aboriginal name of Uluru] are side by side. They’re not. It’s nearly 500 kilometres to the south of The Alice. Is it worth the trip? Millions would say ‘yes’. It’s the world’s largest rock about 3.6 kilometres long and 350 metres high. In truth the rock is like an iceberg in that most of it is below the surface. Climbing the Rock has been allowed for some time although there has been debate about this practice. The Rock has enormous significance for the indigenous Australians and all visitors should be aware of this and behave accordingly.
Of course if you visit Uluru, you must travel another 30 kilometres to The Olgas which is a collection of smaller rocks but just as spectacular and interesting as their much larger relative.
So the Northern Territory is definitely worth considering as a travel destination. It’s big, dry, wet and big again. There is a definite difference between the wet and dry seasons. In summer it’s wet and sticky. And besides, any place which has an Alligator River has to be exotic.
