Northern Territory attractions

Australia's Watarrka National Park protects one of the Northern Territory’s most legendary destinations: Kings Canyon. It's a rocky red desert park of rugged geological formations and sheer-edged sandstone gorges plummeting to waterholes and unexpected oases of cycad palms. Walking trails lead to lookouts for views over the canyon, and there are picnic tables at the sunset-viewing area and Kathleen Springs.

Far less crowded than popular Uluru/Ayers Rock, Kata Tjuta (the Olgas is where the Aboriginal Anangu people still practice cultural ceremonies. Walpa Gorge offers visitors the shortest and easiest trail in Kata Tjuta. For what it lacks in length, however, it makes up for in dramatic views overlooking some three dozen sandstone domes.

Following dusty desert paths around the north-western edge of Ayers Rock (Uluru, the Mala Walk offers a chance to see the mighty landmark up close. The short and accessible trail runs to the Kantju Gorge, passing beneath the towering red rock walls of Uluru and dotted with ancient Aboriginal rock art sites.

Yacht-filled Cullen Bay attracts landlubbers with its collection of shops, restaurants, bars, and day spas in one of Darwin’s sleekest neighborhoods. The marina has space for 250 vessels, as well as an assortment of upmarket accommodations where visitors enjoy sea views and easy access to the ferry terminal.

A light, modern, tropical building with an airy, ocean-view setting, Darwin’s Parliament House is quite the contrast to the heavy, neoclassical style of so many state legislatures. The seat of government of the Northern Territory, Darwin’s answer to a state capitol, it opened in 1994 on the site of a famous World War II Japanese bombing attack.

Part of Darwin Military Museum, the multimedia Defence of Darwin Experience transports you back to one of the most pivotal moments in the city’s history—the Japanese Bombing of Darwin on Feb 19, 1042. Learn about life in the Northern Territory during the war and uncover the long-untold stories of those who experienced it first-hand.

More than a dozen full-size aircraft are on display at the Darwin Aviation Museum (formerly the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, including a rare Boeing B52 bomber and Japanese planes that crashed in Darwin during WWII. A must for anyone with a passion for planes, it’s one of the city’s most visited museums.

One of the 12 stops along the Australian Overland Telegraph Line, the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve is a great place for a picnic. The reserve has walking paths, swimming holes, a bicycle path, and shady spots to rest. There are also free electric barbecues.

The Royal Flying Doctors Service is the largest air medical response team in the world. The doctors fly an average of 40,000 miles (65,000 kilometers) a day attending to sick people in the remote outback of Australia. They have 53 aircraft operating out of 21 bases and 964 staff members who attend to around 750 patients a day.

The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens offer a portal into the diverse wilderness and tropical ecosystems of Australia’s Top End, all without having to leave the city. There are more than 104 acres (42 hectares to explore, including palm-lined walkways, a rainforest gully, and a vast variety of exotic plants and flowers.

The MacDonnell Ranges are a 400-mile (644-kilometer) stretch of mountains offering spectacular views and some of the top natural attractions in Australia’s Northern Territory. Visit the ranges to experience Simpson’s Gap, Standley Chasm, and the secluded water holes of Serpentine Gorge and Ellery Creek Big Hole.

With dramatic sandstone escarpments, ancient Aboriginal rock art sites, and crocodile-filled billabongs, the wild landscapes of the Kakadu National Park are beyond photo-worthy. Spread over 4.2 million acres (1.7 million hectares), Australia’s largest national park offers a thrilling look at the native landscape, wildlife, and culture.

Established in 1951 to provide educational resources for children living in remote areas of Central Australia, the School of the Air broadcasts lessons across an area of half a million square miles (1.3 million square kilometers), allowing students to study in a virtual classroom.

To learn more about the Aboriginal inhabitants of Kakadu, visit the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre in the heart of the park. It was developed by the traditional owners of Kakadu and shares local stories through multimedia exhibits, artifacts, images, and videos. You can also browse the attached Aboriginal art gallery.

Towering red-rock canyons, wildflower-filled gorges, and weathered mountain peaks make up the West MacDonnell Ranges, which stretch west of Alice Springs over an area of 1,240 square miles (2,000 square kilometers. The wild landscapes afford ample opportunities for outdoor activities and harbor a wide variety of wildlife and a rich Aboriginal heritage

Around 79 miles (137 kilometers) west of Alice Springs, the settlement of Hermannsburg (Ntaria in the local language) is more than just the gateway to Finke Gorge National Park. Historic whitewashed buildings date from the 19th century, artist Albert Namatjira’s home invites visitors, and Hermannsburg potters craft unique terra-cotta.

The Alice Springs Desert Park showcases the three main desert environments in Australia. Wander through sand, woodland, and river deserts and learn about their different plant and animal inhabitants. Take the short walking route through the park or explore further afield to find kangaroos and birdlife.

Covering around 114,000 acres (46,000 hectares) of central Australia, Finke Gorge National Park is one of the Red Centre’s most startling wilderness areas. The Finke River formed around 300 million years ago, and some sights, such as Palm Valley with its rare red cabbage palms, seem to re-create the landscapes of that lost world.

One of the star attractions of central Australia’s West MacDonnell Ranges, Ormiston Gorge has stark red walls that house an almost permanent waterhole and attractive ghost gum trees. Facilities include a visitor center, a campground, and a kiosk, while the gorge forms the trailhead for sections 9 and 10 of the Larapinta Trail.

Perched on Beatrice Hill, the highest point of the lower Adelaide River floodplain, Wetland View Top Centre (formerly Window on the Wetlands) offers 360-degree wetland views from its top floor. Designed to resemble a dancing brolga (a wetland bird), it hosts interpretative displays, a small cinema room, a little café, and a gift store.

Just outside busy Darwin, Charles Darwin National Park is a natural treasure. The park includes part of the Port Darwin wetlands and is home to 36 distinct mangrove species. Walk by shimmering waterfalls and bask in eucalyptus-scented shade. It’s the perfect getaway from the city, whether you want to picnic, hike, or mountain bike.

One of the most striking features of the West MacDonnell National Park, Simpsons Gap is a cliff-lined red-rock gorge where tropical birds flicker in the gum trees and black-footed rock wallabies leap and play at dawn and dusk. It’s the starting point for a range of hikes and an important spiritual site for the aboriginal Arrernte people.

During the 1950s, a resident of Doctors Gully began tossing breadcrumbs into the water at high tide, and fish started turning up for the free meal. Today hundreds of fish, including mullet, batfish, catfish, and milkfish, come near to shore for the daily feeding frenzy that disrupts the typically tranquil waters of the Gully.

Located in the Timor Sea, 50 miles (80 kilometers off the north coast of the Australian mainland, the Tiwi Islands are part of the Northern Territory, and offer rich Aboriginal culture and beautiful landscapes. Melville Island and Bathurst Island are the largest of the 11 islands and the ones that most travelers visit.

Like a vein through the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage–listed Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park, the rugged Valley of the Winds trail is a scenic, mind-bending journey. It’s a spot where the silence can often seem deafening—even in busier times of year—and the sun bathes the rocky Olgas in a deep, reddish hue.

If you’ve ever wondered what it was like inside a 19th-century prison, this is your chance to see for yourself. Dating back to 1883, Darwin’s Fannie Bay Gaol served as the city’s principal jail for almost 100 years. The historic site is now a museum, where visitors can see the prison cells, maximum security compound, and gallows.

This cattle station (ranch in Australia’s “Red Centre” is bigger than the state of Rhode Island. Curtin Springs is a welcome, comfortable stop on the road leading west toward Uluru/Ayers Rock. Most travelers who stay here use it as a base for exploring Uluru, Kata Tjuta, and Kings Canyon, ,thereby escaping higher prices and crowds found near the rock.

Built in 1934, this former aircraft hangar was once owned by Qantas, Australia’s largest airline—aka the “Flying Kangaroo.” After withstanding Japanese bombing during World War II and Cyclone Tracy, the historic hangar is now a museum. Run by the Northern Territory’s Motor Vehicle Enthusiasts Club, it is home to an impressive yet little-known collection of automobiles, locomotives, and other vehicles.

In downtown Alice, the intimate Alice Springs Reptile Centre offers the chance to get up close and personal with some of the Northern Territory’s most fascinating inhabitants. The collection of over 100 reptiles includes pythons, goannas, a saltwater crocodile, and the bizarre thorny devil lizard, with interactive shows three times a day.

Stretching for about 1 mile (1.5 kilometers) along Darwin’s waterfront cliffs, Bicentennial Park is an airy green strip with a track great for running and walking. The south end is home to the Darwin Cenotaph; the north offers fish feeding at Doctor’s Gully. In between, attractions include a kids’ playground and an outdoor gym.