Outback Road Trips: Unlocking the Landscape
Vast reaches of country, long distances, stunning views: The secrets of Australia's Northern Territory can be unlocked through an outback road trip. Heading out of Alice Springs reveals the desert, whereas the roads in the tropical Top End will transport you to other worlds like Kakadu and Litchfield National Park. Roadtrips are part of the Territory lifestyle.
A road trip to Litchfield National Park, 115
km south of Darwin, uncovers opportunities for you to explore waterholes and hike. It
provides a place to camp overnight with friends, and a break from the
everyday mundane of life. Water packed in the boot, sunscreen, and
a car full of people on their way out to a waterhole that seeps with beauty is
one of the best ways you can spend the day.
Sometimes outback roads are dirt roads, bumpy and rough, passable only with four-wheel drives. Other times, they are sealed. They crisscross the continent, facilitating the movement of freight and people as
adventurers and truck drivers alike fly along them, into the heart of
Australia. They stretch from the Top End to the desert, where the land becomes red and the people sparse.
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| Remote Roads: Travelling into Kakadu National Park |
When it rains, flooding can cut off roads and remote communities. It's recommended you check the roads before leaving the urban centres of the Territory. The Tanami Road, which connects Alice Springs in the Northern Territory to Halls Creek in Western Australia, is only partially sealed. It lies under a hot desert sky, cutting through red soil and low-lying scrub, to take you through some of the most remote locations in Australia. When the desert sky splits and the rain washes down, the Tanami Road closes, isolating the people who live along its distant reaches.
If you want to stay on the bitumen,
the Stuart Highway links Alice Springs and Darwin. It slices through the middle
of Alice Springs and then races out the north of the town, stretching through red
dirt country towards Darwin. On the way, you can branch off and see rock formations such as Devil’s
Marbles, and the hot pools at Mataranka. These are unique and interwoven with an
ancient dreaming still alive today, and well worth stopping for. After a long
day of driving, looking up at the night sky and seeing untold numbers of
silver-crusted stars brings a sense of wonder at how expansive Australia truly is.
Ensuring you have a suitable vehicle
is a must. One of the sayings in the Territory is ‘you must never skimp on
tyres.’ Take someone with you so you can share the misery of breaking down on a
remote road. Ideally, take a group of friends. Depending on how remote you go,
you may need a satellite phone as reception dies the further into the outback
you travel.
In the Northern Territory, it is
possible to drive for hours and see only the desert. At 1.42 million square kilometres,
the Territory is the third largest jurisdiction in Australia by land size. It is
connected by a network of urban and outback roads. Good company and a long,
empty road in front of you make for pleasant conversation and a relaxing day.
It gives you a taste of the Territory and creates memories that last a lifetime.