NT places you must visit when border restrictions end on July 17

With basically a non-existent winter and a long list of spectacular places, there’s good reason Aussies are adding this place to their travel plan.

The Top End is the perfect place to spend winter. Picture: SUPPLIED

Being one of the first states to ease COVID border restrictions from next month — and having both a comparatively non-existent winter and more natural wonders than you can poke your travelling stick at — the Northern Territory has been bumped to the top of many bucket lists.

While interstate travel to the top end is looking likely from July 17, keen travellers will still need to keep an eye on shifting border guidelines for a while. But while you start planning, here are 12 excellent reasons to plan your top end trip.

LUXURY FOR LESS

Mataranka Thermal Pools

Warm enough to enjoy in all seasons, the Mataranka Thermal Pools are the best way to wash off some of the red dust of a NT adventure. The pools sit surrounded by paperbark trees and palm forest and is home to turtles and fish.

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There are no park or entry fees and the pools are open 24 hours a day, however during the months of November to April flooding can make them inaccessible.

Where: Elsey National Park, NT

From Darwin: The park is a four-hour drive from Darwin, one hour and half hours from Katherine. Both also run bus trips to Elsey.

Tiwi Islands

The seriously underrated Tiwi Islands are a wild slice of heaven. You can swim in pristine fresh-waterhole and see animal species not recorded anywhere else in the world like the olive ridley turtle.

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Tiwi Island offers some of the very best the Top End of Australia has to offer.

Perfect if you’re after a bit of adventure too, with plenty of sailing, fishing and hiking.

Where: 80 km north of mainland NT

From Darwin: Catch the Sealink Ferry from Cullen Bay, Darwin – or there are short flights from Darwin airport.

Bamurru Plains

If the African safari you had booked won’t be happening, Bamurru Plains is the next-best-maybe-better option. This extraordinary bush experience is a safari lodge with exclusive access to 300 km of flood plains and savanna woodland on the edge of Kakadu National Park.

Bamurru Plains Wild Bush Luxury is an extraordinary experience is a safari lodge with exclusive access to 300 km of flood plains and savanna woodland

Sunset swim with a view?

The ten luxury bungalows with bird and wildlife at the doorstep will be up and running for the 2021 season, but you need to book now.

Where: The flood plains of the Mary River, close to Kakadu National Park.

How far from Darwin: Just three hours’ drive from Darwin, or 30 minute flight by light aircraft from Darwin airport.

LIKE NOWHERE ELSE ON EARTH

Uluru

You will never experience anything as majestic as sunset or sunrise at Uluru – and I am not a man who uses the word majestic. I’ll save you another essay on the overwhelming presence of thousands of years of indigenous ancestors and how it’s the beating heart of our country, but the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is probably the number one destination all Aussies owe it to themselves to visit at least once. Open to the public again from June 18th.

Nothing is more majestic than watching the sun rise over Uluru.

Where: 1,943 km south of Darwin by road and 440 southwest of Alice Springs along the Stuart and Lasseter Highways.

Getting there: Either fly straight into the township, take a five-hour drive or coach from Alice Springs. Or make a proper road trip of it and spread the 20 hour drive from Darwin over a few days.

Nature’s Way

I’ve been lucky enough to do the Nature’s Way road trip from the Arnhem Highway out of Darwin, through Kakadu National Park, Nitmiluk National Park and back via Litchfield National Park, and I can tell you it’s a beauty.

No trip to the Top End is complete without a trip to Wangi Falls at Litchfield National Park, which sits about an hour outside Darwin.

There are wetlands filled with lily pads and bird life, sun baking crocodiles, bushwalks for all, plunge pools and waterfalls, and ancient Aboriginal rock art galleries at Ubirr and Burrungkuy.

What you need: A week and a 4WD. Be smart when it comes to what you pack.

If you’re after the full Red Centre experience then you can take the Alice Springs to Uluru loop, known as Red Centre Way.

Nothing quite beats a week in your 4WD cruising through the Red Centre. Picture: Tourism NT/Brianna Freese

A greatest hits tour of iconic destinations including Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Alice Springs, Kings Canyon and the West MacDonnell Ranges. Mountains to sand dunes to gorges and waterholes, kangaroos, dingoes, wild camels and brumbies.

How far from Alice Springs: it’s a 1750 kilometre loop of sealed road.

DARWIN’S FOODIE SCENE

Darwin has hit her stride when it comes to creative modern Australian and fusion culinary fare. From freshly shucked treats at The Oyster Bar to Hot Tamale, a good Mexican restaurant slinging street style tacos that’s home to Australia’s largest collection of tequila. You can barely turn around without being treated to Akudjura on this, Kakadu plums on that and Wattleseed on everything else.

Freshly shucked oysters are best served at Darwin's The Oyster Bar.

Head to Hot Tamale in Darwin for Australia’s largest collection of tequila and street style tacos.

The city also punches well above weight when it comes to Asian food. Oka Malaysian does ‘chee cha’ — a blend of yum cha and tapas, that is both delicious and all you can eat. On Sundays, Rapid Creek Markets has become quite famous for the amount of multicultural food on offer and particularly high-quality laksa.