Northern Territory
 Australia's tropical Top End is undoubtedly one of the last great secrets of adventure travel,
although the popularity of the region is now growing rapidly as word spreads about its magnificent, unspoilt natural beauty. The term Top End refers to northern region of Australia's Northern Territory, which includes the state capital city of Darwin
and the town of Katherine. Darwin is serviced by many international airlines and also by the newly completed Ghan railway which connects southern Australian cities such as Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide to Darwin via Alice
Springs in Central Australia.
The Top End is a tropical region closer to Asian cities such as Jakarta and Singapore than it is to major southern Australian cities. Temperatures in the Top End hover around a comfortable 30 degrees C (85 degrees F) all year. Like most tropical
areas, the Top End year is not defined by 'summer' and 'winter' weather events but by what Top-Enders call 'the wet' and 'the dry'. These terms refer to the wet and dry seasons respectively, which should be taken into consideration when planning an itinerary
for exploring the Top End as road conditions and access vary greatly according to season. Wet season flooding can occur from November to April, and may cause temporary closure of routes to some of the more spectacular but remote Top End destinations.
Among the many magnificent natural assets that the Top End is endowed with are Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park, and Katherine Gorge.
Katherine Gorge, also known by the aboriginal name Nitmiluk, is located in Nitmiluk National Park about 300 kilometres south of Darwin. It is one of the most spectacular areas in the Top End, winding 12 km through 13 separate gorges with walls more than
70m high. The park is rich in Aboriginal rock art representing the spiritual 'dreaming' of the Jawoyn people, the traditional owners of the land. Unlike Kakadu, Nitmiluk National Park welcomes bushwalkers along its more than 100 kilometres of walking tracks that
meander through the park, including a five-day trek to Edith Falls.
Within The Territory's boundaries there's evidence of the most recent colonial presence set among the oldest-occupied Aboriginal sites in Australia. Darwin , The Territory's capital, is a prospering tropical town - a year-round temperature in the low
thirties compelling a laid-back lifestyle. Travellers the world over flock here to explore the Top End (as tropical NT is known), primarily Kakadu National Park 's prolific wildlife and the Aboriginal art sites. Adjacent Arnhemland , to the
east, is Aboriginal Land, too - and out of bounds to casual visitors, although a few tours are now beginning to visit this never-colonized wilderness of scattered communities. Heading south, you arrive at Katherine , where nearby gorges within the Nitmiluk
National Park are the town's principal attraction. At Katherine, the Victoria Highway heads west, past the Gregory National Park to Western Australia, while to the south, just beyond the thermal resort of Mataranka , a road winds east along the
palm-fringed Roper River to the Gulf Country. Here, Borroloola , a briefly thriving and lawless outpost, once on the Gulf stock route from northern Queensland, has since been bypassed into oblivion. |
