When most people describe Australia’s enigmatic Outback, a rugged, near-mythical place full of dramatic vistas and unique wildlife, they’re really talking about the Northern Territory. More than double the size of Texas, it’s divided into two parts. The sultry Top End is known for its tropical savannahs, ancient rock art and showstopping national parks. Farther south is the Red Centre, Australia’s heartland, filled with cattle stations converted into luxury stays, vast star-studded night skies and monuments of deep spiritual significance.
Darwin skyline
TOWNS AND CITIES
Darwin is a popular launching pad to explore Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, but there’s good reason to linger in the Territory’s capital. The consistent balmy nights are perfect for wandering the outdoor food markets, pulling up a beanbag at the open-air cinemas, or boarding a sunset cruise around the harbor. Families will also love the revitalized waterfront precinct with its funky restaurants and man-made and croc-free lagoon.
Alice Springs, Australia’s most famous Outback town, is a magnet for thrill seekers and creatives alike. At the city’s edge lie the MacDonnell Ranges, where visitors can hike, climb or cycle through many chasms and gorges, stopping for a rejuvenating splash in hidden water holes. Meanwhile, the town has a wealth of Aboriginal art galleries and throws regular art festivals celebrating everything from Indigenous culture to Pride.
Located on the outskirts of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, the small town of Yulara is the main base for those wanting to visit Uluru, the 1,140-foot-high sandstone monolith. There are many ways to see it, including at dawn surrounded by a spectacular light show or at sunset accompanied by an expertly prepared banquet of native ingredients like quandong, lemon myrtle and finger lime.
Darwin Festival
HISTORY & HERITAGE
Before European settlement, Aboriginal people lived widely across the Northern Territory in a network of clans, each with their own culture, language and belief systems. The Larrakia people, the traditional custodians of the Garramilla region, which is today called Darwin, traded with their Southeast Asian neighbors and even encountered early Dutch explorers nearly 150 years before James Cook formally claimed New South Wales for Britain in 1770.
It would take some time for settlers to chart the Northern Territory’s dangerous coastline, but Port Darwin was eventually established in 1839. The region then witnessed multiple unsuccessful attempts to settle and use the land, which included pearling, gold mining and early pastoralism. Sheep and cattle farms were successfully established in the region in the late 19th century.
This expansion in land use inevitably led to greater conflict with Aboriginal people, who were increasingly dispossessed of their homelands, and kick-started a cycle of conflict that culminated in Australia’s infamous Assimilation policy during the early and mid-20th century, which saw Aboriginal children taken from their families and placed in missions. The Australian government was forced to pause this policy at the onset of World War II. Darwin suffered a large-scale air assault in February 1942, just months after Japan entered the war. Hundreds of people were killed in the attack, and several ships sank.
In the decades following World War II, a renewed Aboriginal movement dismantled the Assimilation policy and fought for greater land rights. Today, while parts of the Northern Territory are mined for bauxite, manganese and uranium, swaths of land are in the process of being handed back to Aboriginal communities.
Aboriginal Art
ABORIGINAL ART
One of the most recognizable types of Aboriginal art is dot painting, where thousands of individual dots are used to create culturally significant shapes and patterns, but many people don’t realize this is just one style of Aboriginal art.
Each clan has its own distinctive style, as well as its own stories that are expressed on canvas and bark, ranging from the cross-hatched style of Arnhem Land to screen printing on the Tiwi Islands. Learn more about Aboriginal art by browsing the myriad galleries across the territory, such as Maruku Arts in Uluru, Araluen Arts Centre in Alice Springs, and Marrawuddi Arts and Culture in Kakadu National Park.
For a hands-on experience, visitors can join a workshop with an Anangu artist at Maruku Arts or the Tiwi by Design day tour, where they can take home their own screen print creation. Darwin also hosts an Aboriginal Art Fair in August where they can meet and purchase from local artists.
Laska
FOOD & DRINK
With Asia at its front door and a vast bush pantry in the back yard, the Northern Territory blends multiple culinary cultures with native ingredients to create a unique food scene. Think wild buffalo curries, egg noodles with barramundi fish and chocolate tarts peppered with green ants.
You’ll find all these in Darwin, where outdoor markets reign supreme, and locals have a special soft spot for laksa (a spicy noodle dish) despite the stifling temperatures. Deciding which laksa is the best is a serious point of contention, which is why the city hosts a dedicated International Laksa Festival in October. But if you just want a taste, head over to Mary’s at Parap Village Markets or Darwin Laksa at Mindil Beach Sunset Market.
Wild-caught crocodile, emu and kangaroo are common on restaurant and cafe menus around Darwin. The cafe at Aboriginal Bush Traders in Smith Street Mall specializes in native flavors with a modern twist, offering a tasting plate featuring nutty wattleseed, bright lemon myrtle and spicy pepperberry.
Because of their remote locations, there are fewer options when it comes to dining out in Alice Springs and Yulara, but visitors with special dietary needs can usually be accommodated. Most restaurants use locally sourced bush ingredients, which means you won’t need to hop too far for a taste of kangaroo or emu.
Red Centre Way
ROAD TRIPS
The Northern Territory is a dream for drivers and caravaners, with lots of different road-trip routes to choose from. One of the shortest and most popular routes is the five-day Red Centre Way, which sets off from Alice Springs in a wide loop and includes visits to Glen Helen, Kings Canyon and Watarrka National Park. Along the way you can stretch your legs with hikes through spectacular red gorges, and grab a sunset beer at Glen Helen Homestead.
Farther north, road-trippers can take in the epic scenery of Nitmiluk National Park, including majestic Katherine Gorge, carved through ancient sandstone. Or they can tackle the nine-day Nature’s Way from Darwin to Kakadu, then back to the city via Litchfield National Park, to swim beneath waterfalls and admire towering termite mounds. For those who want to see the sights but aren’t confident drivers, another option is to board The Ghan, a transcontinental train between Darwin, Alice Springs and Adelaide.
By Justin Meneguzzi