What’s not to love about Australia’s Northern Territory? It’s an incredible mixture of bustling cities, important cultural sites, stunning national parks diverse wildlife. We’ve had the tough job of whittling our list down to just 7 things that’ll make you fall in love with the Northern Territory.
1.The Rich Culture
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The Northern Territory is proud of its Aboriginal history, which makes it a fantastic place to learn more about the worlds’ oldest living culture. Of course, you can discover a lot about this culture while visiting the iconic Uluru (Ayers Rock), but there are so many more opportunities to learn. Head to the stunning Tiwi Islands, a short distance off the coast from Darwin, visit the Alice Springs Parrtjima Festival of Light each April or spend some time exploring one of the many art galleries located across the Northern Territory that showcases Aboriginal work from many communities.
2. The Landscape
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One reason to visit (and fall in love with) the Northern Territory is its landscape. The Territory is split into two very distinct and juxtaposing regions, which are both just as breathtaking as one another. In the Top End, you’ll find vast floodplains, wide snaking rivers, monsoon forests, soaring sandstone escarpments, roaring waterfalls and iconic Aussie wildlife. In the Red Centre, explore mountain ranges, deep gorges and canyons, rolling red sand dunes and some of Australia’s most iconic scenery with Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) at its heart.
3. The Tours
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Heading to Australia solo? But not sure how to tackle the Northern Territory alone? Fear not! The Northern Territory is a great place to join a tour and get exploring. You can choose to stick to the Top End or the Red Centre, or you may opt to see a bit of both. Whether you want a Kakadu, Katherine and Litchfield adventure or an Uluru explorer tour, there is something out there for everyone.
4. Exhilarating Lifetime Adventures
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Just visiting the Northern Territory is an adventure in itself. But once you arrive you’ll find that around every corner, there is an amazing activity or experience to try. Kayak down Katherine Gorge, take a hot air balloon ride from Alice Springs over the MacDonnell Ranges, flay across the floodplains of the Top End in an airboat, segway around Uluru, or grab a ticket to the Wide Open Space Festival.
5. The Wildlife Experiences
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Visiting the Northern Territory is your chance to spend some time with the local wildlife. Crocodiles are native in the Top End and you can choose to see them in the wild on a river or billabong cruise. Fancy a more up close and personal experience? Head to Darwin’s Crocosaurus Cove and jump into the ‘Cage of Death’ with a huge saltwater crocodile. If marsupials are more your thing, you’ll find kangaroos aplenty at the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs and also at the towns’ Desert Park, or simply keep your eyes peeled for glimpses of them in the wild as they bound across the landscape.
6. National Parks
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The offering of national parks in the Northern Territory is truly astounding and absolutely one of the things that will make you fall in love with the place. The Northern Territory is home to 24 national parks, as well as 73 nature and historical reserves, conservation areas and marine parks. Two of these national parks, Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta, are World Heritage sites, making the Northern Territory the only Australian Territory with two national parks in this category.
7. Its Capital
You can’t talk about things to love in the Northern Territory without mentioning its tropical and laid back capital city, Darwin. And more importantly, the food in Darwin: it’s a haven for foodies, with famous food markets, food vans and waterfront restaurants and bars, allowing you to sample some of the best local and international cuisines around.
If you’ve already fallen in love with the Northern Territory and want to book your very own adventure, you can book flights to Darwin with us. Take a look at our fantastic student and youth fares to Darwin here. You can now save yourself £20 off flights with code DARWIN. Promo code will expire on 30/09/2019.