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The Aussie road trip that changed my life
Story byAlice Williams
news.com.au is partnering with Tourism NT to show you how a road trip to the NT is nothing like your normal road trip
"It wasn’t until I did a road trip in the Territory that I finally felt like I’d seen the real Australia"
- it’s something you hear time and again.
Driving across the NT is part of our cultural ideal, but so often gets passed up for the well-flown paths to Bali or Thailand as a holiday. However, there are plenty of easy NT trips you can take for minimal investment in time and expense - ones that will change who you are.
We spoke to three microadventurers about the sense of freedom, awe and new-found connection to Country they experienced on their voyages through the Northern Territory.
“My best friend and I made our way up the Stuart Highway, with a little detour for Uluru. It was, by far, the best road trip of my life.
It’s hard not to feel emotional when you see Uluru for the first time, it’s such an iconic part of our country. Walk around her at sunrise to watch the light and colours change on the rock as the sun comes up.
We also did an overnight stay at the Banka Banka cattle station, which is 100km north of Tennant Creek, and slept under the stars in swags. I’ll never forget the emus running alongside the car.
The East and West Macdonnell ranges are an easy day trip from Alice Springs; pristine swimming holes and stunning ochre pits. I highly recommend a sunrise hot air balloon ride over this region – kangaroos bounding across the red dirt. Magic.
Do not forget sunscreen, insect repellent and a fly net for your head. I ate three flies before I succumbed to the indignity of the flynet hat thing. Make a good playlist as reception is patchy and download maps before you leave for the same reason.
There really is something quite spiritual and magical about the red centre and the top end. At times it can feel as if you’re on another planet. I have done a lot of travelling around the world and I have never encountered a place that feels so vast and peaceful.”
“I travelled with my husband, and three kids, ranging in age from four till nine. Took the Mereenie Loop Road through the West MacDonnell Ranges, stopping at Glen Helen Lodge, and then onto Kings Creek Station. Day trip to Kings Canyon, before arriving at Uluru - all in a Mitsubishi Outlander AWD with plenty of boot space!
Our favourite rest-stop was at Kings Canyon. Around the rim we did a four-hour walk that tested the legs of our four year olds, but was stunning.The landscape is so diverse and surprising. From dry scrublands to cliff-lined water holes surrounded by ghost gums, and all just ten minutes off the road.
Driving conditions were brilliant. Even on the dirt road section - a bit bumpy but very easy. It might be a different story after heavy rain.
Uluru is one of those icons you think you know without visiting but then you get there and realise you can’t imagine something like that exists. It is huge, with such diversity - constantly changing skylines, aspects and atmospheres.
Kata Tjuta was more mysterious – winding passageways through vermilion rock, with strange winds gusting from nowhere. Walking there felt like exploring a world you don’t completely understand, but feel privileged to be allowed to visit.
Karrke Cultural Tours taught us about local food, legends, weapons and living conditions - yes including witchetty grub tasting!
What stays with me from the trip is that there is so much about Australia you can’t understand sticking to the coast. The centre has a true connection to its original inhabitants, people who speak their local language on their own land. And the light is otherworldly - so crisp and clear.”
“Myself and a group of friends drove a Ford Focus south from Darwin, and turned off on the Arnhem Highway near Humpty Doo. Followed that road through to Jabiru, stopping at some of the spectacular sights on the way. As we had a 2WD we stuck to the sealed roads but we didn’t feel restricted at all. Kakadu is so vast, there is plenty you can access with a ‘normal’ car.
The sunset cruise on Yellow Water billabong is one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever experienced. The wildlife is incredible, not only crocodiles - which are every bit as impressive as you’d imagine - but the bird life is also spectacular. When the sun started to go down the colours changed - highlighting the trees in a bright yellow. It was easily the best sunset I’ve ever seen, with the sky pinks, purples, and oranges reflected on the billabong below.
At Ubirr you climb up a rocky hill that drops dramatically to a bright green flood plain below. The land really is spiritual - you feel it. The rock art here is thousands of years old and tells a story of the country around you. There’s a painting of a Thylacine (Tasmanian Tiger) up there - something that hasn’t been in Kakadu for at least 3000 years - pretty remarkable.
That region is so special, it’s a place all Australians need to experience. Not just the landscape, it’s the connection to culture that really stays with me. We had the chance to meet traditional owners of Kakadu and they were so knowledgeable. It really made me feel like the world is much bigger and more beautiful than I ever imagined.”
The Northern Territory is nothing like your normal road trip. Experience the NT and start planning your trip today!
