The 10 most remote pubs in the Northern Territory
The Northern Territory boasts an impressive collection of remote pubs and hotels with attitude that are hundreds of kilometres away from civilisation. Here are the most isolated places in the Territory to grab a pint.
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It’s well-known Territorians love a bevy.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics there were 51 pubs, taverns or bars in the Northern Territory in June 2022.
Most of those are dotted around Darwin and its surrounds, with multiple venue closures in Alice Springs leaving about nine businesses in the town considered in the pub or tavern category.
However, the Northern Territory boasts an impressive collection of remote pubs and hotels with attitude that are hundreds of kilometres away from any other watering hole.
Here are the most isolated places in the NT to grab a pint.
1. Kulgera Roadhouse Pub
With a population at the last census of just 50 people, Kulgera Roadhouse Pub is arguably one of the most isolated venues on the list.
Described as the ‘first pub in and out of the Northern Territory’, it sits on Pitjantjatjara country just 21km from the South Australian border.
The store was originally built in 1954, with a homestead later developed, selling several times to a variety of publicans over the years.
Quirky decorations include ‘The Big Can’ – an enlarged XXXX Gold Can sitting about 3m tall – and a collection of bras, hats, underwear and flags hanging from the ceiling.
According to reviews left by punters, the pub produces delicious meals with beverages from Alice Springs Brewery among the classic regulars on tap.
2. Heartbreak Hotel
About 860km southeast of Darwin on the intersection of Tablelands Hwy and Carpentaria Hwy sits the Heartbreak Hotel.
Described as an “oasis in the Outback”, the pub is a popular getaway for travellers and those living on nearby mining sites.
According to Katherine author Toni Tapp Coutts, the roadhouse was christened “Heartbreak” by locals in the 1960s after a number of fights happened in the area.
“Some of the regulars had a reputation of settling all arguments with their fists,” she wrote in her book My Outback Life.
“Despite a number of serious fights resulting in someone being thrown down the six steps, leaving them with black eyes and broken noses, no one ever went off to hospital for treatment, nor did they hold a grudge.”
According to the Publocation website, it boasts a ‘Dinki Di’ outback bar alongside a beer garden, pool and a caravan and camping area.
Visitors report excellent home made pies and cold drinks, and according to one punter, the “best T-bone steak I’ve ever had”.
3. Larrimah Pink Panther Hotel
The Pink Panther hotel has become a fan favourite among Territorians, and for good reason.
When it changed hands in 2018 the new owner took on all assets of the property, including three crocodiles, some emus, a giant pink panther sculpture and a statue of a pink panther flying a gyrocopter.
According to auctioneer David Loveridge, the pub is one of 10 designated unique outback pubs of Australia.
But the Pink Panther Hotel is far more than its eccentric display, the history behind the hotel is equally as fascinating.
It was originally built in Birdum, 8km south of Larrimah, in 1930.
During the air raids on Darwin during WWII, American involvement in the air war was being directed from “the Birdum”.
However, when Birdum hotel proved to be too wet during the rainy season the town of Larrimah was established to keep moving troops and supplies to Darwin.
The Birdum hotel building was relocated to Larrimah in 1957 and has had a colourful array of publicans ever since.
It gained notoriety after the disappearance of Larrimah resident Paddy Moriarty in 2018, with Mr Moriarty last seen sipping beers at the Pink Panther Hotel.
Reviewers say the homemade pies and sausage rolls are a draw card, alongside gourmet pizzas and cold beer.
4. Barrow Creek Hotel
A classic wayside inn, the Barrow Creek hotel was built in 1926 by Joe Kilgariff from concrete and local creek sand, eventually opening in 1932.
Open for almost a century, the pub’s walls are filled with scrawlings and signatures of hundreds of visitors alongside quirky memorabilia ranging from football flags to old hats and framed photographs.
Publicans Les and Helen Pilton have been at the helm for about 35 years, during which time the pub gained notoriety for it’s link to the Peter Falconio murder.
British backpacker Peter Falconio was killed while his girlfriend Joanne Lees was abducted just outside Barrow Creek more than 20 years ago.
Bradley Murdoch was later convicted of Mr Falconio’s murder but a body has never been found.
Ms Lees fled from Mr Murdoch’s vehicle and hid in shrub, before flagging down a passing driver who took her to Barrow Creek Hotel.
Punters say the pub has a “great atmosphere” with some saying it feels “like an old western movie”.
5. Lazy Lizard Tavern
The Lazy Lizard Tavern is situated in Pine Creek, about 90km north of Katherine and 225km south of Darwin.
Self-described as a “unique outback tavern”, the pub is constructed from termite mound mud-brick and local ironwood and sits alongside a pool, lizard and snake enclosure and caravan park.
The construction and decoration of the pub pays homage to Pine Creek’s goldmining past, with wheels embedded in the walls originally forged in the 1800s.
According to Great Aussie Pubs, “it’s a beaut place to sit back and enjoy a cold one”.
6. Daly Waters Pub
Located “right in the middle of Whoop Whoop!”, about 600km south of Darwin and 900km north of Alice Springs, Daly Waters Pub claims to be the ‘oldest and best pub’ in the Territory.
The venue was originally built as a store to service travellers, drovers and settlers by Bill and Henrietta Pierce in 1930, with a jug licence granted in 1938.
During the 1920s and 1930s Daly Waters was used as an international airport, with planes and passengers stopping to refuel en route to London, making the pub a busy thoroughfare for passengers.
This changed during World War II when the area became a base for Australian and American air forces including the Mitchell Bombers, Kitty Hawks and a fire squadron.
Nowadays the pub is known for its cold beer and quirky memorabilia – including a large collection of bras hanging from the ceiling.
The tale goes that a coach driver bet his female passengers they couldn’t drink a certain number of beers, otherwise they had to take their bras off and the tradition has continued ever since.
Tim Carter took over the venue from long-time owners Lindsay Carmichael and Robyne Webster in 2017, moving from Coober Pedy to run the iconic joint.
7. Adelaide River Inn
Adelaide River Inn is another gem owned by Daly Waters publican Tim Carter.
Home of the stuffed buffalo Charlie, made famous in the film Crocodile Dundee, the pub placed third in the Great Aussie Bucket List’s Top Ten Aussie Pubs in 2017.
The pub was originally established in 1874 by Edward Hopewell under the name Q. C. E Hotel, originally on the southern side of the Adelaide River.
During the Japanese air raids on Darwin in 1942, Australian and American military headquarters were moved from Darwin to Adelaide River, with the Inn’s 303 Bar paying homage to the 303 rifle used by the Australian Army.
At the peak of the war more than 30,000 soldiers were based at Adelaide River, now the pub serves the about 230 locals and a vast array of travellers each day.
According to reviewers, the pub grub at Adelaide Inn is top notch, with the venue especially famous for its “barra and chips”.
8. Barkly Homestead
Located about halfway between Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory and Camooweal in Queensland, Barkly Homestead includes a roadhouse, bar and grill, accommodation services and even has an airstrip on site.
The homestead has had its fair share of challenges in recent years, with its kitchen being destroyed in a fire in November 2022 and flooding impacting access to the venue in December 2022.
The homestead was originally built in 1984 and is known for being a “vital” base for cattle stations, the trucking industry, local mine operators and tourists.
The bar and grill is open seven-nights a week with a very generous happy hour, with punters describing the beer as “always icy cold”.
9. Erldunda Roadhouse
Erldunda Roadhouse has a little bit of everything: an emu enclosure, fuel station, restaurant, camping grounds and accommodation, and most importantly the Emu Bar offering icy cold refreshments and a game of pool on the intersection of Lasseter and Stuart highways.
Described as a gateway to the Red Centre, the roadhouse is the perfect halfway stop between Alice Springs and iconic locations such as Kings Canyon, Uluru and Kata Tjuta.
It’s unique position means it is the ‘Centre of the Centre’ – located smack bang in the middle of Australia.
The animal enclosure next door to the roadhouse is a draw card for travellers, alongside a viewing platform that provides uninterrupted vision of the sunset and incredible night skies.
10. Victoria River Roadhouse
The Victoria River Roadhouse is an isolated but vital service on the route between Kununnurra and Katherine near the Western Australian-Northern Territory border.
First explored by Europeans in 1839, Victoria River itself has a fascinating history.
In the 1880s huge cattle stations began to be established at Victoria Downs and Wave Hill, with Wave Hill Station established by Nat Buchanan in 1883.
In 1966 the Gurindji Aborigines walked off Wave Hill station in protest over working conditions, with Gough Whitlam handing back more than 3200sq km of land in 1975.
The roadhouse has camping, fuel, restaurant and accommodation services – but its outback bar is what keeps locals coming back.
Known for its great scenery, friendly staff and cold beers, punters say it’s far more than just a stopover, with many extending their stay for multiple days.
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