The Northern Territory has some of the most dramatic landscapes in Australia. Most of the Northern Territory is vibrant red desert, but there are also grassy savannah plains and palm-fringed shores. The two major gateways to the Northern Territory are Darwin (the state capital) and Alice Springs. The Northern Territory is closely tied to the Aboriginal people, who make up a third of the state’s population.

REGIONS OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY:
The Northern Territory can be divided into six regions: Darwin, Kakadu and Arnhem Land, Katherine, Tennant Creek, Alice Springs, and Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Darwin
Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory with a population of about 105,000 people. Located on the far north coast of the Northern Territory, Darwin is closer to Jakarta than it is to Sydney. People in Darwin enjoy a relaxed lifestyle with a tropical city setting and beautiful natural scenery. Darwin is full of history, Aboriginal culture, and interesting tourist attractions. In central Darwin, you will find many excellent restaurants, bars, shopping centres, art galleries, theatres, markets, museums, historical sites, and much more. Darwin is also the perfect starting place for your holiday around the Northern Territory. From Darwin, you can easily travel to various national parks and locations in the outback. And don't forget the great Fishing

Kakadu and Arnhem Land
Kakadu is located 250 kilometres east of Darwin, accessible by the Arnhem Highway. Listed as a World Heritage site, Kakadu National Park is an ecological and cultural gemstone. As you journey through Kakadu National Park, there’s a chance you could see crocodiles, wallabies, dingos, goannas, and exotic birds. Kakadu National Park is also rich in Aboriginal culture—you can discover Aboriginal shelters and Aboriginal rock art.

Arnhem Land, a region of exceptional beauty, lies just east of Kakadu National Park. Arnhem covers over 91,000 square kilometres and is the home to many Aboriginal Australians who live their traditional way of life. To visit Arnhem Land, you need to apply for a permit from the Northern Land Council.

Katherine
Katherine is one of the main tourist destinations for anyone travelling to the Northern Territory in Australia. As one of the only large towns between Darwin and Alice Springs, the town of Katherine has a small town centre with shopping, restaurants, quaint accommodation, art galleries, and museums. However, most people travel to Katherine to explore the surrounding national parks with its breath-taking gorges, rainforests, natural hot springs, brilliant waterfalls, and the unique habitat of birds and wildlife. Many of tours are available in and around Katherine, including nature tours, wilderness safaris, and canoe trips down the Katherine River.  If visit ing in May make sure you take the time to enjoy the Katherine Country Music Muster.

Tennant Creek
Tennant Creek is located 500 kilometres north of Alice Springs and 1000 kilometres south of Darwin. The region is surrounded to the east by the Barkly Tablelands, a large expanse of land used for cattle farming. Tennant Creek is known by many as the Northern Territory’s ‘heart of gold’ because of its gold-mining history. The last gold rush in Tennant Creek took place in the 1930’s, but the town still makes its living with museums and tours of the old gold mines. Aboriginal culture is also very prominent in Tennant Creek. Much of the land is owned by the Warumungu people, including Tennant Creek’s most prominent landmark—the Devil’s Marbles.

Alice Springs
Alice Springs, located in the heart of Australia, is unofficially known as the capital of the Outback. Sensationalised by Nevil Shute’s 1950 novel A Town Like Alice, Alice Springs was built when the 19th century pioneers began to settle in the outback. Known as “The Alice” to many Australians, Alice Springs continues to play a pivotal role in outback life; people who live on the outback cattle stations travel to the Alice to do the majoring their shopping and to socialise. For travellers, Alice Springs is a fascinating place to visit because of its rich history, Aboriginal culture, and central location in the outback. The town itself has plenty of shopping, restaurants, museums, and air-conditioned plazas. While you are there make sure you pay a visit to "Johhny Mangoes" Red Centre Farm and try their fantastic local produce and wine. Alice Springs is also the gateway to many exciting outback destinations such as Uluru and Kata Tjuta.

Uluru and Kata Tjuta
Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park is located 440 kilometres south-west of Alice Springs. Listed as a World Heritage Site, Uluru and Kata Tjuta National Park is filled with natural beauty and rich Aboriginal culture. Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, literally looks like a giant red rock that dropped from the sky. However, Uluru is actually the world’s biggest monolith, coloured red from the high amounts of iron in it. You can enjoy Uluru by walking around its base, or watch it change from red to orange to deep purple when the sun sets.

Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas, is another breath-taking rock formation—it’s made up of about 30 rounded red conglomerate rocks. Kata Tjuta is a sacred site for the Aboriginals, so there are only certain areas you can explore.