{"id":8453,"date":"2019-08-16T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-08-15T14:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/?p=8453"},"modified":"2022-02-16T16:13:07","modified_gmt":"2022-02-16T06:13:07","slug":"5-reasons-visit-nt-asap","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/nt\/5-reasons-visit-nt-asap\/","title":{"rendered":"5 awesome reasons to visit the Northern Territory ASAP"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Northern Territory<\/a> is home to natural wonders and stunning landscapes. It\u2019s where you\u2019ll find some of the world\u2019s most unique wildlife, including both fresh and saltwater crocodiles \ud83d\udc0a<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a tropical paradise and desert wonderland all in one, and no one blog post could cover all the reasons why you\u2019ve got to experience it for yourself. But we\u2019re an ambitious lot, so we think we can take you through at least a few of them. So, here it goes. Here are five awesome reasons to visit the Northern Territory ASAP.<\/p>\n

1. The fun of Darwin<\/h2>\n

Many visitors to the NT start their adventures in Darwin \u2013 which is great, because there\u2019s heaps to see and do. Experience the beauty of the Mary River wetland systems on a guided airboat or river cruise. The wetlands are home to wild buffalo, fresh and saltwater crocs and all sorts of native birds (including brolga, egret, jabiru, sea eagles and more). Or take a hike through the Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs Park (a beautiful natural reserve and a significant site for Wagiman women<\/a>). In the evening, pull up a chair at the Deckchair Cinema<\/a> or grab a bite at the Mindil Beach Sunset Market<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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Mindil Beach at Sunset. Image: Tourism NT\/Nick Pincott<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Of course, no trip to Darwin is complete without a visit to the prehistoric giants at Crocosaurus Cove<\/a>. Go for a dip in the Cage of Death… if you dare \ud83d\ude31<\/p>\n

2. The magic of Litchfield National Park<\/h2>\n
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The Lost City. Image: Tourism NT\/Peter Eve<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Join a tour from the big smoke or hire your own car, then get ready to explore the raw, awe-inspiring beauty of Litchfield National Park<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Discover towering waterfalls, wander through a field of massive magnetic termite mounds, or go swimming in a spectacular waterhole. These are just SOME of the things to do in Litchfield, and it\u2019s only a hop, skip and a jump from Darwin \ud83c\udf34<\/p>\n

But the real must-see is the Lost City. It\u2019s a series of huge, weathered sandstone towers that, together, look like a long-lost city. Accessible via 4WD<\/a>, it\u2019s an unreal sight \u2013 a place you\u2019ve got to see to believe.<\/p>\n

3. The \u201cWow!\u201d of Kakadu<\/h2>\n
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The amazing Gunlom natural plunge pool. Image: Tourism NT\/Jewels Lynch<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kakadu National Park<\/a> is a serious bucket-list destination for many travellers \u2013 and it\u2019s easy to see why. It\u2019s an emerald oasis in Australia\u2019s Top End and home to one of the greatest concentrations of gunbim (the Bininj\/Mungguy word for rock art) in the world!<\/p>\n

Be sure to take a scenic hike around Ubirr, where you\u2019ll find ancient rock art and spectacular views of the surrounding floodplains. Another great way to see the park is from the air. You\u2019ll get incredible views of the entire area and fly over wetlands, rivers, gorges and falls. Jim Jim Falls and the Twin Falls are especially amazing from this vantage point. If you\u2019re travelling on your own schedule, take a 4WD and discover the park on the ground. Make sure you go for a dip in the Gunlom and Maguk pluge pools \u2013 they\u2019re crystal-clear and oh-so-refreshing. Just remember to Be Crocwise<\/a> at all times and only swim in areas that are clearly marked safe to do so.<\/p>\n

At the end of the day, treat yourself to a little luxury at Bamurru Plains<\/a>. Its stylish modern \u2018tentalows\u2019 are just gorgeous! Otherwise, there are plenty of other great motels, campground and lodge accommodation options to choose from<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. The glory of Kings Canyon<\/h2>\n

Sure, the Grand Canyon\u2019s amazing, but you know what\u2019s even better? A King\u2019s Canyon \ud83d\udc51 \ud83d\ude09 Head to the south-west corner of the NT to explore Watarrka National Park<\/a>. It\u2019s home to otherworldly landscapes and, of course, Kings Canyon. With 100-metre-high red sandstone cliffs, palm-filled crevices and unreal desert views as far as the eye can see, it\u2019s a destination on its own. The 6km Rim Walk and 2.6km Kings Creek Walk are both must-dos, so give yourself a few days to do the park (and yourself!) justice.<\/p>\n

Insider tip: You can drive to Kings Canyon from Alice Springs or Uluru, and once you\u2019re there you\u2019ll need wheels to get around. Hire a car if you\u2019re keen on going solo (but make sure you do your research first!) or join one of the many awesome Kings Canyon and Watarrka National Park tours.<\/p>\n

5. The awesomeness of Alice Springs<\/h2>\n
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Tjoritja West MacDonnell National Park. Image: Tourism NT\/Shaun Jeffers<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Have you even been to the NT if you haven\u2019t been to Alice Springs? Hop aboard a 4WD tour of the region and make sure you visit Tjoritja West MacDonnell National Park. Take a bushwalk through Palm Valley and go for a dip in the famous Ellery Creek Big Hole (a definite photo opp!). And check out some of Alice Springs\u2019 many fantastic Aboriginal art galleries. There\u2019s the Araluen Arts Centre<\/a> (where you\u2019ll find multiple galleries and one of the largest collections of Albert Namatjira\u2019s work in Australia), the Tjanpi Desert Weavers<\/a> centre, the Talapi art gallery<\/a> and more!<\/p>\n

After a big day of adventuring, rest your head on a plush pillow at Squeaky Windmill<\/a>, a glamping resort with luxury safari tents and phenomenal views (including more stars than you can count \ud83c\udf20).<\/p>\n

Insider tip: To make the most of the sights, think about hiring a car or joining one of the many great local tours.<\/p>\n

Need more reasons to book your NT getaway ASAP? Check out our awesome Northern Territory deals<\/a>, available now!<\/p>\n<\/i> PLAN YOUR NT GETAWAY <\/a>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Northern Territory is home to natural wonders and stunning landscapes. It\u2019s where you\u2019ll find some of the world\u2019s most unique wildlife, including both fresh and saltwater crocodiles \ud83d\udc0a It\u2019s a tropical paradise and desert wonderland all in one, and no one blog post could cover all the reasons why you\u2019ve got to experience it …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":38,"featured_media":8492,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[777],"tags":[564,563,565,567,566,562],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8453"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/38"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8453"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8453\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14932,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8453\/revisions\/14932"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/8492"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8453"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8453"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.wotif.com\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8453"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}