Highlights of the Journey from Alice Springs to Darwin

One of the best experiences in your lifetime you can have is to journey through the Northern Territory of Australia on a tour from Alice Springs to Darwin. The sights, sounds and cultural history are phenomenal on this excursion that takes you through stunning scenery of the Northern Territory’s Outback.

During your 3-day adventure tour, which you can take in reverse from Darwin to Alice Springs, you can relish in the moment of traveling through the Red Centre of the Northern Territory. Your days begin early for good reasons because the Northern Territory is a collection of several distinct desert areas that lay north of the Tropic of Capricorn. As you travel along the Stuart Highway you will see in the distance interesting national parks like West MacDonnell and the Davenport Ranges.

One of the first places you will visit is the Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve which is a geologic phenomenon. Known as the Karlu Karlu in local aboriginal language, the Devils Marbles are one of the oldest spiritual and religious locations in the world. The rounded red granite rocks perform an intricate balancing act created by weathering and erosion, which during the process has scattered hundreds of marble shaped rocks atop of one another.

History buffs will delight at the first night’s campsite which has you gazing at stars in an area with virtually no light pollution known as Banka Banka Cattle Station. The Banka Banka Cattle Station was formed in 1941 and used during WWII as a supply camp for troops. The homestead houses the original mudbrick home which is architecturally intriguing based on the use of mudbrick which was a common building material for homesteading in the Northern Territory. Today, the historic mudbrick homestead contains a bar where you can quench your thirst after an adventurous day of sightseeing.

As you continue your Northern Territory, your eyes will feast on unbelievable scenery like the Lake Woods Conservation Covenant Area before you reach the Daly Waters Historic Pub. The historic pub has a fascinating collection of bras left by traveling women, cherished articles of bygone tourists and the lore of the days when cattle ranching ruled the land. After downing an icy cold brew you find yourself journeying to the incredible blue-hued thermal waters at Mataranka Thermal Pools. Here you take to the soothing waters within a sanctuary of paperback trees to relax and relieve any tensions from body.

After another splendid sunset and a sky full of stars, you head to the wonders of Nitmiluk National Park also known as Katherine Gorge National Park. Owned by the Jawoyn Aboriginal Tribe, the park is packed with natural wonders, the Katherine River and the tumbling waters of Leliyn known as Edith Falls. Here you witness an ancient sandstone gorge known to the local aboriginal people as the “place of cicada dreaming”. The Jawoyn relish this sacred area where travelers will view stunning rock art sites that have been incorporated in dreaming stories told by the local aboriginal people. The astonishing scenery is composed of thirteen gorges that boast rapids, waterfalls, freshwater crocodiles and plenty of recreational opportunities from hiking to canoeing to boat cruises to swimming in one of the many tranquil pools of cool water.

Now just relax and revel in the scenery as your expert guide drives by Litchfield National Park on your way to the port city of Darwin. Once in Darwin, you can plan another adventure where you may choose to venture to Kakadu National Park and experience our Buffalo Dreaming tour.