Travel: NT/Central Australia

It won't take much to discover that a sojourn into the Northern Territory could mean that you might be staying longer than first planned.

Talking with fellow travellers, checking the extensive reading material from Central Australian Tourism and surfing the Internet will tell you that apart from travelling time, no matter whether you approach Alice Springs from the north, east, west or south, a stay of a week or more would be ideal.

On arrival in Alice Springs head for the Gregory Terrace-located visitor information centre. Some tours and activities need advance reservations, plus there is a wealth of other useful knowledge to be found.

Possible treats include the Alice Springs Desert Park early in the morning, before the real heat of the day. The park opens at 7.30am daily. Don't overlook the stunning cinematic presentation. It's a wonderful project and provides a great introduction to the Centre.

Try a Camel to Breakfast or a Camel to Dinner tour while in the Alice. It is as much fun as it sounds. Other attractions include the Royal Flying Doctor Service, the School of the Air, the Telegraph Station and the Alice Springs Cultural Precinct, the National Road Transport Hall of Fame, the Alice Springs Reptile Centre, Frontier Camel Farm and the Olive Pink Botanic Garden. Set aside the first day to join the Alice Wanderer, a mini-coach which offers a transfer service to the major town attractions. Entry fees are paid on arrival at the selected attractions.

For early risers, a hot-air balloon flight sets the mood for a great day in the Alice. Departure for the flight is half an hour before sunrise.

Cultural 'theatre' such as Red Centre Dreaming, and the Sounds of Starlight Theatre, along with the galleries in Todd Mall, and further afield, should always be part of an itinerary.

Golf is another option and a good one too: the Alice Springs Golf Club is listed among the best 10 desert golf courses of the world.

There are many options when it comes to dining out, from superb cuisine to bush tucker.

For the fit walker there's the world famous Larapinta Trail, now regarded as one of the top walks in the world. Chambers Pillar and Rainbow Valley are two other high spots to be scheduled into your holiday plans (see our story by Colin Kerr starting on page 66).

Heading west you can choose the 4WD Mereenie Loop Road between the Alice and Kings Canyon; or the well-maintained sealed road through to Kings Canyon and then another few hundred kilometres of asphalt to Uluru.

Two nights spent at each allows plenty of good walks. At Kings Canyon, the Rim Walk is the thing to do but there are also choppers operating out of the resort area and also from nearby Kings Creek Station.

The Base Walk around Uluru is another highlight, as is the Valley of the Winds Walk out at the Olgas (Kata Tjuta).

Throughout Central Australia, there's excellent accommodation such as the multi award winning MacDonnell Range Holiday Park, which is well-known for its free pancake breakfasts each Sunday morning. At major tourism sites, the NT government has installed free gas barbecue facilities.

The Centre is the 'great giver', so much to see and to do, guaranteeing a journey which will demand much more than the two or three days which are too often allocated.

Top End happenings
'Destination Darwin' is now a recognised holiday destination in its own right and visitors are often pleasantly surprised at the sophistication of the town and how much is on offer.

Excellent sealed highways provide ease of access into the Top End region. The Stuart Highway is sealed all the way from Adelaide, the Barkly Highway from Queensland and the Victoria Highway from WA. For the more adventurous travellers, access into the Top End may also be made by way of the Gulf Track, entering the region from Qld on an unsealed road which starts at Wollogorang.

But no matter which way you decide to go, caravanning or driving, the Top End offers an incredible range of attractions and top class facilities for motoring and caravanning visitors.

Autumn/early winter is a great time to visit the Top End, as the Green season is in full flow, for example the waterfalls in the Litchfield National Park. It is accessible by a sealed road, so set up camp and venture into each area.

Kakadu is also accessible, by either the Arnhem Highway or the Kakadu Highway, where you can take a cruise on the Yellow Waters or the East Alligator region. It's a great time to take a flight over the Jim Jim & Twin Waterfalls, they are great to see at this time of the year, view the Rock Art sites and visit the Cultural Centre. Check with local rangers whether 4WD are open.

There are many attractions to visit in the Darwin region as well, it doesn't close down over the wet season and all is green and lush.

If you like fishing April is a great time to hook the great barramundi, with many of the rivers fishing well.

March events
The NTFL Grand Final happens on 19 March in a great weekend of local Aussie Rules football. The Tiwi Islands Grand Final is on 20 March over on Bathurst Island, where you can watch the local Tiwi Islanders play a great game of footy and also buy the local art and craft on the day and experience the culture of the Tiwi Islands.

April events
3: Craft Expo at the Museum out in the grounds, an opportunity to purchase all local arts and crafts.

20: The opening of the Deckchair Cinema, on The Esplanade in the Darwin CBD.

29: The first night of the famous Mindil Beach Markets, set out on the shore of Mindil Beach where you can enjoy an abundance of foods and crafts, sitting on the beach while the sun goes down; it's a lovely way to end your day.

Get some culture
Tennant Creek, in the heart of the Northern Territory's Barkly Region, has a new attraction: the Nyinkka Nyunyu (Ny-inkk-a Ny-oo-ny-oo) Art and Culture Centre. The Centre is a Julalikari Council Aboriginal Corporation Community Development Project. Nyinkka Nyunyu is a Warumungu sacred site, the home of the spiky-tailed goanna.

The Centre houses a visitor information service, an art gallery, museum and multimedia exhibition, retail shop and café, set in an arid zone landscaped garden with two traditional dance rings for men and women's performances.

The ideally located precinct celebrates Warumungu Art and Culture; encourages visitors to explore and learn about the Warumungu history, language and land. In the Jajjikari Café the inlaid marmoleum floor was designed by the community and features a bush banana motif with the inlaid words translating as 'When you are hungry eat bush bananas'.

Fast Facts

Tennant Creek
Visitor Information Centre, (08) 8962 3388, email info@barklytourism.com.au, website: www.tennantcreektourism.com.au

Tourism Top End
GPO Box 4392, Darwin NT 0801, 1300 138 886 or (08) 8936 2499, fax (08) 8981 0653, www.tourismtopend.com.au