Northern Territory Travel Guide

Northern Territory Travel Guide

Basic information about Notrhern Territory

Population:245 980
People per square km:0.15
Cows per square km: 1.3
Longest river: Victoria River – 560km
Longest Road: Stuart Hwy ~ 2000km
Most famous pub: Daily Waters Pub
Highest Waterfall: Jim Jim falls
Local Beer: NT Draught
Biggest Towns: Darwin, Katherine, Alice Springs

Northern Territory is the last frontier if you consider remoteness, harsh environment, and spectacular landscapes. Northern Territory has lots to offer for everyone: vast desert tracks, tropical woodlands, spectacular fishing spots, a paradise for birdwatchers, amazing walks, and 4WD tracks

This Northern Territory travel guide lists all interesting places that are worth visiting.

Darwin and Around


Darwin Average Temperatures and Rainfall

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNowDec
323132333231303133333333Max Temp
252525242220192123252525Min Temp
430350320100201161675140250Rain mm
21201992111271216Rain Days

Travel Guide - time to visit

The best time to visit Darwin and its surroundings is during the dry season, from May to October. There is beautiful weather, lower humidity, and minimal or no rain. It’s a perfect time to enjoy sightseeing. 

From October to December, you can experience a ‘build-up’. It is a hot and humid time that is perfect if you plan to relax in the pool.  

The wet season comes right after and can extend to April. If you come at this time of the year, expect hot and humid weather and afternoon storms.  That’s also the time when cyclones are formed. 

You can wear summer clothes all year round, but some restaurants expect minimal casual outfits, which means in Darwin: shirt and thongs.

  • By air – daily flights arrive from domestic and international destinations. If you come by plane, you can hire a vehicle in Darwin.  
  • By car – Barkly HighwaySavannah Way or Plenty Highway if you arrive from Queensland; Great Northern Highway and Victoria Highway or Great Central Road if you come from Western Australia; Stuart Highway if you come from Victoria or South Australia.
  • By train – Pick The Ghan, a legendary outback train that regularly runs between Darwin and Adelaide.
  • By boat – Darwin is the only city port in Northern Territory. 
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Darwin

Darwin is full of a tropical vibe and colonial feel. It also has a fascinating coastline and wonderful sunsets over the Timor Sea. Darwin is full of aboriginal heritage and multicultural diversity.  It is also a great base for exploring the best attractions of the Northern Territory. 

Hema - Northern Territory

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Northern Territory Travel Guide - Darwin

Must see attractions in Darwin

Northern Territory Travel Guide - Darwin
  • Visit Crocosaurus Cove to experience a close encounter with these dangerous reptiles
  • Visit Crocodylus Park and see crocodile Farm
  • Shop for pearls at Darwin Smith Street Mall
  • Visit Darwin Museum and Art Gallery of the NT – meet Sweetheart and learn more about cyclones.
  • Take a dip in the Darwin Waterfront Lagoon.
  • Eat amazing food and buy art and craft at Mindil Beach Sunset Market
  • Stroll along the Esplanade during high tide and hand-feed hungry fish at Aquascene.
  • Discover Darwin old town and Botanical Gardens
  • Visit and learn about WWII Oil Storage Tunnels
  • Head to Indo Pacific Marine if you want to know more about living coral and other sea creatures.
  • Go on a Darwin Harbour sunset dinner cruise. 
  • Learn about the early years of the town by visiting Pioneer’s Cemetery
  • Fannie Bay Gaol is a beautifully located old prison with lots of dark stories to tell

Read more about the 11 best attractions in Darwin

Accommodation

Darwin has a wide range of accommodation on offer. You can choose marina apartments, tropical tourist parks, small hotels in a quiet neighbourhood, or backpacker houses in the middle of the city.

Hotels

Vibe Hotel Darwin Waterfront, 7 Kitchener Dr, Darwin

Mantra on the Esplanade, 88 The Esplanade, Darwin

Darwin City Hotel, 59 Smith Street, Darwin CBD

Tourist Parks

Darwin Freespirit Resort, 901 Stuart Highway, Holtze

Oasis Tourist Park, 20 Morgan Rd, Virginia NT 8034

BIG4 Howard Springs Holiday Park, 170 Whitewood Road, Howard Springs

Litchfield Tourist Park, 705 Litchfield Park Road, Finniss Valley

Hostels

Darwin Hostel, 88 Mitchell Street, Darwin CBD

The Cozy Hostel, 4 Harriet Place, Darwin CBD

Youth Shack Backpackers, 69 Mitchell Street, Darwin CBD

Top Events in Darwin

There are also many wildlife adventures around Darwin. You could watch massive saltwater crocodiles in their natural habitat of Adelaide River and view the wetlands with their abundant wildlife and admire thousand of colourful birds.

9 must see attractions Around Darwin

Northern Territory Travel Guide - Darwin
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Darwin

Kakadu National Park


Kakadu National Park Average Temperatures and Rainfall

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNowDec
343333353332323436383735Max Temp
252424242219181921242525Min Temp
3503303207010134930160210Rain mm
20202072000131216Rain Days

World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park is one of a kind.  Coastal rivers and billabongs are home to thousands of birds and flood plains that carry a wet season frenzy. 

The park is also a spawning ground for barramundi – Northern Territory best-known fish that gives an amazing fight when caught. Kakadu National Park is also a home for Yolngu people that lived in the area for over 40 000 years. Yolngu people are well known for their arts and crafts.

9 must see attractions in Kakadu National Park

  • Be at sunset at Ubirr lookout.
  • Walk around Australia’s most outstanding Aboriginal art site at Nourlangie Rock.
  • Have a dip at Gunlom infinity pools
  • Don’t miss a Yellow Waters cruise
  • Discover amazing water holes at Koolpin Gorge
  • Walk to the tallest in Kakadu waterfalls – Jim Jim Falls
  • Watch birds at Mamukala wetlands
  • Appreciate the beauty of Twin Falls 
  • Take a scenic flight over Kakadu
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Kakadu National Park
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Kakadu National Park

Arnhem Land

Arnhem Land is located in the north-eastern corner of the Northern Territory. Cahill crossings separate it from Kakadu National Park. 

Aboriginal Yolngu people are the traditional owners of Arnhem Land.  The Yolngu people are famous for their arts and crafts and their skill at playing the didgeridoo. Visiting this unspoiled wilderness is a must if you love true wilderness and aboriginal culture. Visitors must apply for a permit before entering.

5 must see attractions in Arnhem Land

Northern Territory Travel Guide - Arnhem Land
  • Visit Injalak Arts and Craft Gallery
  • Admire aboriginal open art galleries 
  • Explore ruins of Victoria Settlement at Cobourg Peninsula
  • Fish for barramundi
  • Learn to play the didgeridoo
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Arnhem Land

Fishing in Northern Territory

Top End is one of the best places to go fishing. Every year hundreds of people come to fish for barramundi and reef fish like giant trevally, Spanish mackerel, rainbow trout, and many more.  

A good time for offshore fishing is between October and December. At that time, the conditions are calmest. Between May and September weather is great with the south-easterly wind. It is a season for Spanish mackerel, golden trevally, and tuna. It is also a great time to fish for barramundi. 

Wet season (January to April) could be challenging but also rewarding. At this time, barra is usually found in mangroves and estuaries. Ocean fishing in the wet season depends greatly on weather conditions. At this time of the year, monsoonal storms are often, and fishing offshore should be avoided.

If you feel lucky, a serious Million Dollar Fish competition is happening annually. Catch barramundi with a $1 million tag or 100 others carrying a $10 000 tag to get richer fast.

Best places to go fishing:

  • Darwin Harbour
  • Corroboree Billabong
  • HeliFishing 
  • Bluewater charters
  • Dundee Beach
  • King Ash Bay
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Arnhem Land

Katherine and around


Katherine Average Temperatures and Rainfall

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNowDec
353435343230303335383837Max Temp
242423201714131620242524Min Temp
24021516030621163090200Rain mm
1515102100013812Rain Days

Drive around 300 km south from Darwin to reach a place where the tropics meet outback – the town of Katherine. The main attraction here is definitely Katherine Gorge, but the area has definitely many more great things to offer.

Northern Territory Travel Guide - Katherine
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Katherine

What to do around Katherine

Top Events around Katherine

Apr 

May

May

Aug

Fishing Competition at Timber Creek

Never Never Festival at Mataranka

Katherine Cup 

Rodeo at Mataranka

Northern Territory Travel Guide - Darwin

The Red Centre

Red Centre Average Temperatures and Rainfall

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSeptOctNowDec
363533282320202327313435Max Temp
21211713854610151820Min Temp
404030202915151010203040Rain mm
553233322566Rain Days

Alice Springs is the most famous outback town in Australia. Situated between East and West MacDonell ranges it is a town full of character and reach of pioneer history.  Alice Springs is a great spot to discover nearby attractions as well.  Here even rust-coloured dirt looks amazing!

How to get to Red Centre

  • By air – Fly to Ayers Rock Airport in Yulara (463 km away from Alice) or Alice Springs airport. You can hire a car or find an organised tour.
  • By car – If you hit the road, Stuart Hwy will take you here from Darwin or Port Augusta from the south.
  • By train. The Ghan legendary outback train regularly runs between Darwin and Adelaide. 
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Red Centre
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Red Centre
Northern Territory Travel Guide - Alice Springs

What to do around Alice Springs

The Red Centre has spectacular landforms, blue skies, and deserts. You can feel the monumental sense of the scale of Uluru, Kata Tjuta, or Kings Canyon. 

Visit Devils Marbles to admire the most iconic outback destination, where massive orange boulders sit atop each other defying gravity. 

The Aboriginal story tells they are the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent. There is also an amazing story told by the Arjanngu people where Uluru and Kata Tjuta were laid down during Tjukurpa – creation time. 

Accommodation

The Red Centre offers luxurious hotel accommodation, through to a wide range of apartments and amazing camping.

Hotels

Quest Alice Springs, 9 – 10 South Terrace, Alice Springs

A Good Rest B & B, 51 Dixon Road, Alice Springs

Sails In The Desert, Yulara Drive Ayers Rock Resort, Yulara

Kings Canyon Resort, Luritja Road Watarrka National Park, Kings Canyon

Tourist Parks

Heritage Caravan Park, 40 Ragonesi Road, Alice Springs

BIG 4 MacDonnell Range Holiday Park, Palm Circuit, Alice Springs

Kings Canyon Resort, Luritja Road Watarrka National Park, Kings Canyon

Squeakywindmill Boutique Tent B & B, 971 Ilarpa Road, Alice Springs

Ayers Rock Campground, 173 Yulara Dr, Yulara

Top Events around Alice Springs


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One Comment

  1. Great Info thank you for sharing.

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