38 Fun Things To Do In The Northern Territory, Australia

I’m ever telling anyone who volition perceive that the Northern Territory, oregon Top End of Australia arsenic the locals telephone it, is simply a antithetic broadside of Australia.

There are truthful galore things to bash successful the Northern Territory of Australia, it’s hard to cognize wherever to begin.

A Kakadu sunset

It’s an escapade to The Outback and the Red Centre, a accidental to research immoderate of the nation’s astir past and ineffable sites, a spot wherever you tin spot astonishing earthy vistas, aquatics successful swimming holes, beryllium amazed by stone formations, and travel look to look with Aussie wildlife.

The Northern Territory is truthful uniquely Australian and it’s perchance the portion I’ll talk astir astir from our roadworthy travel successful years to come.

If you’re readying to marque a travel determination but you’re not definite what to bash successful the Northern Territory, I’ve listed immoderate of my favourite places, activities and experiences truthful you tin spot the champion of this region.

Is the Northern Territory of Australia Worth It?

Litchfield

Sure, Australia is good known for its stunning beaches that are 2nd to nary arsenic acold arsenic I’m concerned, but it’s The Outback that’s dissimilar anyplace other successful the world.

There’s thing astir the vastness, the past aboriginal culture, the earthy wonders, the starry skies, and the wildlife that you’re improbable to acquisition anyplace other down under.

And Darwin, a tropical metropolis boasting unthinkable sunsets and cloudless skies grows connected you the longer you linger.

Like me, you’ve astir apt seen hundreds of photos and TV commercials astir the Northern Territory, but similar they accidental it’s a spot you person to see and feel, for yourself.

The Northern Territory gave commencement to a deeper emotion and transportation wrong maine for Australia. Below are my favourite experiences. You’re huffy if you miss it.

Getting Around The Northern Territory

On the roadworthy to Uluru successful Outback Australia

The Northern Territory is the cleanable spot for a roadworthy trip. You astir apt are going to request a car to get astir the Northern Territory and to spot each these things to bash successful the NT.

This is due to the fact that astir of the champion attractions are outdoors. The portion is famed for its nationalist parks and quality spots, which are arsenic distant arsenic they are vast. It’s conscionable not imaginable to spot immoderate of them without a car.

The different enactment for those who don’t thrust volition beryllium to articulation tours from Darwin oregon Alice Springs.

Fun Things to Do successful the Northern Territory of Australia

I retrieve an aged tv commercialized astir visiting the Northern Territory, and the tagline simply said, “If you ne'er ever go, you’ll ne'er ever know.”

Well, we spent astir 2 months exploring the NT arsenic portion of our 18-month roadworthy travel astir Australia and it surely captured our heart.

If you’re reasoning of a travel to the Northern Territory but not definite what to do, past support speechmaking to spot our favourite attractions and activities…

1. Watch The Sunset astatine Uluru (Ayres Rock)

We discovered many ways to acquisition the magic of Ayres Rock, Uluru but let’s commencement with sunset.

As the prima sinks beneath the Outback skyline the colours of the stone alteration by the minute, and it genuinely is magical. 

The astir fashionable viewing spot is the authoritative Sunset Lookout 10 kilometres done the entranceway gates to the park.

2. Swim successful Gunlom Falls, Kakadu National Park

I’m putting Kakadu National Park in our apical 3 favourite National Parks successful Australia, and Gunlom was our favourite waterhole.

Let’s telephone it nature’s champion infinity pool. With spectacular views implicit the vale and surrounded by shady gums, it’s cleanable for a refreshing aquatics and a spot of lunch. And the bonus – no crocs up present guys!

3. Visit The Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs

We visited The Kangaroo Sanctuary astatine the extremity of our 18-month road travel astir Australia and had seen enough roos to last a lifetime, and wondered if this spot would beryllium worthy it?

You betcha, it was awesome.

We each got to clasp a joey – which the kids adored – and Brolga the proprietor and prima of the deed BBC TV bid Kangaroo Dundee was arsenic passionate and knowledgeable arsenic anyone I’ve met!

4. Catch The Sunset astatine Mindel Beach, Darwin

Darwin ranks successful our apical places to see the sunset successful Australia and Mindil Beach is astir apt the astir fashionable location, particularly during the Thursday nighttime markets.

This is erstwhile hundreds deed the formation to ticker the prima descend beneath the skyline – a tract successful itself.

Another large spot to drawback a sunset is Darwin Harbour oregon Darwin’s Waterfront, which are somewhat little crowded than the beach.

5. Drive the Red Centre Way

Don’t conscionable instrumentality to the main Stuart Highway betwixt Uluru and Alice Springs, our roadworthy travel on the Red Centre Way taking successful the West MacDonnell Ranges was an escapade to retrieve with an infinite fig of surprises waiting for you to explore.

6. Walk The Kings Canyon Rim Walk

The item of the Red Centre Way is the Kings Canyon Rim Walk, a 6-kilometre loop locomotion including spectacular Cotterill’s Lookout and the Garden of Eden.

The locomotion has stunning views implicit the ‘Lost City’, a mini-Purnululu of striped chromatic domes. A adjacent 3rd down Uluru and Kata Tjuta for things to bash successful the Red Centre!

7. Have Dinner and Drinks astatine the Ski Club, Darwin

Took my parents for sunset drinks astatine the SkiClub successful Darwin – Northern Territory

My favourite spot to decorativeness the time successful Darwin is astatine the Ski Club with meal and drinks. Super casual and cleanable for families, and, you get a beforehand enactment spot for the celebrated Darwin sunset.

This spot is simply a large illustration of Darwins outdoorsy manner that the locals soak up.

8. See The Sunrise astatine Uluru

Watching the godforsaken travel live is an unmissable moment. 

Either caput to the main sunrise lookout at Talinguru Nyakunytjaku and spot the sun shining connected the rock (with autobus loads of others) or, to flight the assemblage and for a large sunrise silhouette head backmost to the sunset lookout spot and you’ll get the stone blocking the prima arsenic she rises.

9. Hike to Glen Helen Gorge, West MacDonnell Ranges

This beautiful, imperishable waterhole lies astatine the headwaters of the Finke River and the accepted owners judge Glen Helen Gorge is the location of an past and almighty Rainbow Serpent.

Stop present a while, the Glen Helen Homestead is the perfect spot to basal yourself and research the West MacDonnell Ranges.

10. Take A Yellow Water Billabong Cruise, Kakadu

A travel done Kakadu’s wetlands connected the Yellow Water Cruise is a memorable experience, particularly astatine sunrise erstwhile the billabongs abundant wildlife wakes up.

Flocks of egrets soar, oversea eagles perch supra looking for their greeting feed, and you get up adjacent with the past illustration of cleanable improvement – the saltwater crocodile!

11. Sunset astatine Kata Tjuta

Also known arsenic The Olgas, Kata Tjuta is the Aboriginal sanction and means “many heads’. 

Kata Tjuta is lone 50 kilometres up the roadworthy from Uluru, and whilst my sunset household photograph doesn’t bash the standard of this spot justice, erstwhile again the changing of the colours successful the rocks arsenic the prima goes down is genuinely remarkable.

12. Swim successful Buley Rockholes, Litchfield National Park

Litchfield National Park is lone a 90-minute thrust from Darwin and is 1 of the champion places successful the Top End to spell swimming. 

Buley Rockholes are a abbreviated locomotion on the Tabletop Track, which takes you to a bid of stone pools that has h2o cascading done them.

They are my favourite portion of Litchfield and the cleanable spot to aquatics with our kids. Get determination aboriginal to bushed the circuit buses!

13. Walk the Base of Uluru

A indispensable bash astatine Uluru, this 10-kilometre loop locomotion astir the full basal of the stone took america 3.45 hours, and that’s with a three-year-old.

Start astatine archetypal airy to bushed the vigor froma the Kuniya walking point and locomotion anti-clockwise.

Take tons of water, snacks, abbreviated breaks, comfy walking shoes, and a hat. Be warned, successful summer, the flies tin beryllium horrendous!

14. Go Tubing in Redbank Gorge, West MacDonnell Ranges

You person to spell tubing astatine Redbank Gorge erstwhile you sojourn the West MacDonnell Ranges. The gorge sits successful the shadiness of Mt Sonder and is known for its chilly but refreshing water.

There’s a tiny swimming spread that leads to a constrictive ace successful the wall. Paddle connected done it with your tubes and past clamber implicit the rocks that pb up to each caller level.

15. See Florence Falls, Litchfield National Park

Florence Falls is simply a stunning double-plunge waterfall starring to a fashionable swimming hole.

There’s a steep staircase down to the pools passing done a beauteous viewing point, and you tin locomotion betwixt Florence Falls and Buley Rockholes.

16. Watch The Sunset astatine Ubirr, Kakadu

The champion spot to spot the prima spell down successful Kakadu National Park is from up apical of the stone astatine Ubirr with views implicit the Nadarb floodplains and Arnhem Land. One of the astir beauteous sunsets we person seen!

17. Take A Sunrise Cruise successful Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk National Park)

Katherine Gorge, oregon Nitmiluk National Park arsenic its known to its accepted owners, is made up of 13 gorges carved done past sandstone by the Katherine River.

The stream has large ceremonial value to the section aboriginal people.

A popular mode to acquisition the gorge is via a cruise, which besides takes you to Edith Falls successful the park.

We chose the 2-hour dawn interruption cruise, and it was magical to spot it awaken successful the greeting light.

18. Swim successful Mataranka Hot Springs

This spot is awesome. The Mataranka Thermal Pool is a constant 34 degrees celsius, its waters are rejuvenating, and surrounded by a thenar forest.

Bring a noodle oregon different flotation instrumentality and fto the existent instrumentality you along. Hop out, and bash it again.

Another fashionable blistery outpouring is Katherine Hot Springs successful Katherine South but I deliberation Mataranka is simply a small little crowded.

19. Cycle the Base of Uluru

If you’re not up to walking 10 kilometres, prosecute bikes from Outback Cycling ($30 for 3 hours) oregon bring your ain and rhythm it.

We had a tag-along for Kalyra, Savannah sat successful a babe seat, and the 15-kilometre way took america 2 hours, again stopping for much photos and portion breaks.

20. Explore Kata Tjuta by Foot

There are galore walking trails that pb you betwixt the domes of Kata Tjuta, specified arsenic the Walpa Gorge Walk, but besides bash the Valley of the Winds Walk for breathtaking views implicit the godforsaken plains.

Start this locomotion astatine archetypal light, particularly successful the warmer months. Be definite to caput implicit to the Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre to larn astir the park’s past and accepted owners.

21. Swim successful Ormiston Gorge

Probably the biggest and prettiest swimming spread successful the West Macs, and the astir popular.

Take a abbreviated locomotion into the gorge for a refreshing swim, oregon locomotion up to the alloy viewing level overlooking Ormiston Waterhole (20 min return) or continue walking on the Ghost Gum Walk (1.5 hr loop).

22. Swim successful Wangi Falls, Litchfield National Park

Litchfield’s astir fashionable attraction with the largest swimming hole, a bully waterfall, and a picnic country and onsite cafe – our kids enjoyed an crystal pick present connected a blistery time – engaged successful highest season.

If you’ve got young kids similar america entering this waterhole is acold easier than astatine Florence Falls and it’s wide and shallow successful close.

23. Visit The Darwin Military Museum astatine East Point

As Australian’s we learned a batch astatine schoolhouse astir Gallipoli, but not arsenic overmuch astir what happened connected our location soil.

On 19 February 1942, Darwin was devastated by Japanese bombing, and contempt 58 further raids, Darwin roseate to the challenge, becoming a large guardant basal for the Pacific Campaign.

The Darwin Military Museum tells the story.

24. Take A Camel Sunset Ride astatine Uluru

Looking for idiosyncratic other to transportation your load whilst you beryllium backmost and marvel astatine the landscape, past 1 of the unique ways to instrumentality successful Uluru is connected the backmost of a trusty camel and you’ll have amazing views each the mode implicit to Kata Tjuta. 

Our kids loved this experience. You tin presumption camel thrust tours of Uluru here.

25. Enjoy Sunset Drinks astatine SkyCity Casino, Darwin

It whitethorn not beryllium Vegas, but Darwin has the SkyCity Casino and the champion portion is you tin instrumentality successful the celebrated Darwin sunset with drinks by the pool.

And I highly urge meal astatine the il Piatto Italian edifice – 1 of the champion meals we had connected our 18-month trip!

26. Catch the Sunrise astatine Mount Sonder

Five minutes down the roadworthy from Glen Helen Gorge is Mount Sonder Lookout, the highest constituent connected the celebrated Larapinta Trail and the place to travel for sunrise (and sunset). 

With its changing colours, it’s a favourite for painters, including the celebrated Australian creator Albert Namatjira.

27. Check Out Standley Chasm

Close to Alice Springs, Standley Chasm cuts done tough quartzite to signifier a picturesque earthy alleyway created by surging flood waters implicit thousands of years.

Noon is the champion clip to visit when the sun’s airy shifts crossed the cleft, the walls of the chasm glows golden, orangish and red.

28. See Aboriginal Rock Art successful Kakadu

Kakadu is location to immoderate of the champion aboriginal stone retired successful the Northern Territory. Guided talks tally done the Ubirr Rock Art Gallery.

An Aboriginal ranger volition archer you galore of the stories down the paintings connected the partition of the 1km circular walk. Also, caput to the Nourlangie portion for much unthinkable stone art.

29. Take the Kids to The School of the Air, Alice Springs

If you’re traveling around Australia similar we did and teaching your kid via Distance Education or Homeschooling, past a sojourn to the archetypal School of the Air is interesting.

The visitors centre has films and guides sharing the stories of this uniquely Australian schoolhouse and however it covers 1.3 cardinal quadrate kilometres.

30. See the Termite Mounds, Litchfield National Park

These elephantine magnetic termite mounds are built by thousands of termites with a north-south predisposition to power the somesthesia wrong the mounds and to minimize vulnerability to the sun.

You volition walk these termite mounds archetypal if you participate the parkland from Darwin.

31. Shop At Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, Darwin

Held Thursdays to Sundays from March to November, Mindil Beach Markets are the spot to spell for inexpensive and tasty eats from astir the world.

The stalls connection a vibrant premix of cultures, unrecorded music, covering and souvenirs, and of course, everyone heads down onto the formation for THAT sunset!

32. Check retired Simpsons Gap, West MacDonnell Ranges

A abbreviated thrust from Alice, Simpsons Gap is 1 of the astir salient gaps successful the West MacDonnell Ranges.

It features the towering cliffs of Simpsons Range, a imperishable waterhole, and astatine dawn oregon dusk is renowned arsenic a spot to spot Black-Footed Rock-Wallabies on the gap’s abbreviated walking track.

33. Visit Arnham Land

Arnhem Land is simply a highly spiritual and ineffable Aboriginal country conscionable eastbound of Kakadu.

The aboriginal radical unrecorded successful adjacent transportation with the onshore arsenic they person ever traditionally done.

To sojourn you request a permit or to spell connected a tour, and it is what would beryllium considered 1 of the astir off-the-beaten-path experiences successful the Northern Territory, if not Australia.

 34. Sunset Drinks astatine Uluru

A fitting farewell to our clip astatine Uluru was sipping connected a fewer glasses of champagne with the folks from AAT Kings. It’s ever bully to mingle with others from astir the satellite and stock stories astir Uluru.

And funnily enough. It looks and feels adjacent amended aft a fewer glasses of the aged bubbly!

35. Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles)

Karlu Karlu, different known arsenic the Devils Marbles, is adjacent to Tennant Creek and is known for its unsocial landscape, covered successful hundreds of elephantine granite boulders.

The boulders prevarication successful a tiny vale and are important to the Warramungu people.

I urge visiting astatine sunset erstwhile the sunlight lights them up successful a firey reddish color.

36. Visit the Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

The Northern territory is known for having a much laid-back, artsy vibe – particularly successful Darwin.

Head to the Art Gallery of the Northern Territory to spot taste and technological collections of pieces from the Northern Territory, including fossils from Alice Springs and a immense postulation of aboriginal art.

37. Ellery Creek Big Hole

Another astonishing waterhole successful the West MacDonnell Ranges is the Ellery Creek Big Hole, which is simply a large spot to aquatics and chill off.

Note that the upwind is highly blistery betwixt October and April truthful adjacent successful those months, you’ll privation to caput determination aboriginal successful the time for a swim.

38. Check Out Jim Jim Falls, Kakadu NP

Jim Jim Falls | Credit: Tourism NT

Jim Jim Falls is 1 of the astir spectacular waterfalls successful Kakadu National Park, oregon each of the Northern Territory for that matter.

It’s a immense 150 metre cliff with h2o plunging into a heavy excavation below.

I highly urge you cheque the visitant centre earlier you spell arsenic the falls volition astir apt person dried up by the extremity of the adust season.

Final Thoughts connected Things to Do successful the Northern Territory

So determination you person it, those are the champion things to bash successful the Northern Territory of Australia, and arsenic you tin see, determination is truthful overmuch to spot and do.

Whether you’re looking for outback adventures oregon you privation to soak up immoderate civilization successful Darwin, determination is thing for everyone connected this list.

I anticipation this usher helped you program your itinerary and gave you immoderate ideas for what to bash successful the NT.

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