4x4 SafarisA most memorable way to experience the remote
Northern Territory is to take to the road in a four-wheel-drive vehicle. Roads in the vast state include sealed, unsealed and rough 4x4 adventure routes, and the
Northern Territory Tourism Commission has some exciting recommended itineraries for those wishing to explore. The main tourist attractions, like
Alice Springs, Uluru, Tennant Creek and the national parks, are accessible by good sealed roads. Off the beaten track, however, there are some exciting opportunities to follow, for example, the "Explorer's Way", which follows
the path of
John McDouall Stuart, famous explorer who was first to traverse the continent in 1862. A shorter journey, called "Nature's Way", winds from Darwin through a wetland wilderness steeped in Aboriginal culture and pioneering history.
BushwalkingNo visit to the Northern Territory is complete without undertaking a bushwalk through the spectacular scenery of the
Outback. Hikers can choose to walk for days, or hours, along challenging rugged tracks or well-worn easy paths. The
Northern Territory Tourist Commission, and the area's national parks, offer a variety of itineraries that can be followed. The Larapinta Trail, for example, is a 139-mile (223km) hike through the West MacDonnell National Park near Alice Springs, which can be walked in 12 stages over one or two days. The Jatbula Trail through Nitmiluk National Park takes four days to walk, offering close-ups of wildlife, cultural sites and deep sandstone gorges. A fascinating four-hour trek is to follow a six-mile (10km) circuit around the base of the mysterious Uluru rock, or to keep cool take the 24-mile (39km) Tabletop Track linking the waterfalls that cascade from a sandstone plateau in the Litchfield National Park.
BallooningOne of the most exciting and popular ways to see the spectacular
Red Center is from the air on a hot air balloon flight. Various companies in Alice Springs offer balloon flights, usually arranged in the early morning accompanied by a champagne breakfast. The sight of the sunrise over the spectacular red plains, and the wildlife scattered across the outback landscape, particularly big red kangaroos, is an awesome experience. A camera is essential to capture memories of this experience.
FishingThe Northern Territory is a sport fisherman's paradise, offering a vast range of fishing experiences on the inland billabongs, tidal rivers, mangrove-lined estuaries and in the clean and clear coastal waters. Particularly exciting are encounters with the barramundi, a predatory fighting fish found in the rivers and billabongs, renowned for its strong runs and high jumps. Among the prey in the ocean and Darwin harbor are black jewfish and snapper. There are plenty of fishing lodges and boat charters on offer, as well as guided fishing safaris.
