Ancient Country · Red Centre & Top End
The Northern
Territory
"The oldest land on earth, still being looked after by its oldest people."
The Northern Territory occupies the continent's centre and north — a vast, ancient land of ochre monoliths, tropical wetlands, deep gorges, and night skies of unimaginable density. Uluru rises from the desert plain. Saltwater crocodiles patrol Kakadu's golden billabongs. Katherine Gorge turns amber at sunset. This is not a landscape that asks you to try to understand it quickly.
The Most Ancient Country on Earth
The Northern Territory is not like anywhere else in Australia. It is not, for that matter, like anywhere else on earth. The landscape pre-dates almost all other geology on the planet's surface — Uluru's sandstone was deposited 550 million years ago; the red dunes around it are themselves thousands of years old. The Anangu people who are the custodians of Uluru-Kata Tjuta have lived continuously in this country for at least 40,000 years, making their connection to it the longest maintained relationship between a people and a landscape anywhere in the world.
Visiting the NT is not a passive act. It asks something of you — a willingness to slow down, to sit in the heat, to wait for the light to change on a rock face, to stand in a gorge pool at dawn listening to nothing except the sound of water dripping off an ancient sandstone wall. The reward for this patience is something that feels genuinely transformative: an encounter with a landscape so old, so silent, and so beautiful that the usual calculus of tourism stops making sense.
The NT divides into two distinct regions: the Red Centre (Uluru, Alice Springs, the MacDonnell Ranges, Kings Canyon) and the Top End (Darwin, Kakadu, Litchfield, Katherine Gorge). They are 1,500 km apart on the Stuart Highway and have entirely different landscapes, climates, and characters. Plan at least a week in each region — or fly between them rather than drive.
Anangu Country · UNESCO World Heritage · Red Centre
Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
The most sacred site in Australia — a 550-million-year-old sandstone monolith rising 348 metres from the desert plain, the spiritual heart of the Anangu people, and one of the world's most profoundly moving natural phenomena.
Anangu Country · Uluru-Kata Tjuta NP · Base Walk
Uluru — Walking the Base
The climb at Uluru closed permanently on 26 October 2019 — a decision the Anangu Traditional Owners had sought for decades, as they consider the rock to be deeply sacred. What replaced it is better: the 10.6-kilometre base walk, which circumnavigates the rock entirely, revealing its changing face, its waterholes, its ancient caves and rock art, and the way its surface transforms from deep orange to almost purple as the light moves. The Mala Walk along the northern face (guided by an Anangu ranger — free, departs 8am daily in the Dry season) is the most culturally important section: it passes through the Tjukurpa (law/creation narrative) sites that give the rock its meaning. The Kuniya Walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole on the southern face connects to the Wanampi creation story; the waterhole itself, fringed with ghost gums, is one of the most beautiful places in Australia.
348 m · 10.6 km base walk · Anangu Country
Uluru's Colour Through the Day
The rock transitions from black to deep violet to orange-red as the first light strikes. The sky behind it shifts from navy to peach. The 20-minute colour sequence is unlike anything else in nature. You will not be alone at the viewing area, but you will not care. Come an hour before sunrise; stay an hour after.
The rock is a deep burnt orange in morning light. This is the best time to walk — temperatures are tolerable, the light casts long shadows across the surface texture, and the Mala Walk guided tour departs at 8am from the car park. Bring a hat and start with 2 litres of water.
In the Dry season, midday is tolerable (28–34°C) but the flattest light for photography. In the Wet season, midday temperatures reach 42–48°C and outdoor activities become dangerous. The Uluru-Kata Tjuta Cultural Centre (free) provides deep context for the Anangu law and the meaning of the landscape — essential viewing regardless of conditions.
The sunset viewing area is on the western side — the rock glows from deep orange to molten red to purple as the sun drops. The Field of Light installation by Bruce Munro operates after dark near the sunset viewing area (ticketed, seasonal). Dinner on a dune with a sunset view is offered by Ayers Rock Resort operators.
36 domes · Valley of the Winds · Walpa Gorge
40 km west of Uluru · Kata Tjuta · Olgas
Kata Tjuta — the 36 Domes
Kata Tjuta — "many heads" in Anangu — is 40 kilometres west of Uluru and arguably even more extraordinary in person. The 36 domed conglomerate heads are taller than Uluru and form a labyrinthine landscape of gorges, passes, and lookouts that reveals itself slowly as you walk deeper. The Valley of the Winds walk (7.4 km, 3–4 hrs) is one of the finest walks in Australia: it passes through the gorge between the largest domes, descends into the valley floor, and reaches two magnificent lookouts before looping back. The first lookout is accessible as a 2.2 km return walk for those without the full circuit time. Walpa Gorge (2.6 km return) is the alternative — a short and beautiful walk into a narrow gorge between two of the largest domes. Kata Tjuta is sacred to Anangu men; respect all signs and stay on marked paths.
UNESCO · Dual World Heritage · Top End
Kakadu National Park — Extraordinary Beyond Words
Kakadu is one of the few places on earth listed as a World Heritage Area for both natural and cultural values simultaneously. 1.3 million hectares of tropical savanna, monsoon forests, tidal flats, and sandstone escarpment — with over 5,000 Aboriginal rock art sites across the landscape.
Yellow Water Billabong · dawn cruise · saltwater crocs
Yellow Water Billabong · Cooinda · Dawn Cruise
Yellow Water — Crocodile Hour
The Yellow Water dawn cruise from Cooinda is the single most concentrated wildlife experience in Australia — a 90-minute flat-bottomed boat cruise through a flooded paperbark and pandanus billabong at 6am, when the mist is still on the water and every creature in the wetland is active simultaneously. Saltwater crocodiles (some over 5 metres) sleep on the banks and patrol the surface. Jabiru storks, brolgas, magpie geese (50,000-strong flocks in the Dry season), royal spoonbills, sea eagles, and kingfishers are visible from the boat in overwhelming numbers. The light in the first hour after dawn over the golden water is extraordinary for photography. Book the first cruise of the day; subsequent departures offer fewer animals as the heat builds.
Jim Jim Falls & Twin Falls
Kakadu's two most spectacular waterfalls — Jim Jim Falls plunges 215 metres into a deep plunge pool surrounded by sheer sandstone walls; Twin Falls cascades through a narrow gorge. Both require a 60-km unsealed 4WD track (accessible Dry season only). The 1-km walk to Jim Jim through monsoon forest and creek boulders is challenging; the plunge pool is one of the most beautiful swimming spots in Australia. Twin Falls requires a short boat crossing (operator on site).
Ubirr & Nourlangie Rock Art
Two of Kakadu's most accessible Aboriginal rock art sites — Ubirr's Nadab lookout at sunset, where the entire floodplain turns gold below the sandstone escarpment, is one of the NT's great views. The rock art shelter beneath contains X-ray style paintings of barramundi, turtles, and kangaroos from 2,000 years ago. Nourlangie (Burrungkuy) has the finest collection of Mimi spirit figures and the Rainbow Serpent — both within a 1.5-km walk.
Coroboree Billabong
Outside the main Kakadu circuit — Coroboree Billabong on the Mary River, 2 hours from Darwin, is one of the finest birdwatching billabongs in the NT. Morning boat tours navigate through water lilies among massive crocodile aggregations and extraordinary concentrations of waterbirds: comb-crested jacanas, purple swamphens, brolgas, and the extraordinary Australasian darter (snake bird). Fewer tourists than Yellow Water; equally spectacular wildlife.
1.5 hrs from Darwin · Swimming · Waterfalls
Litchfield National Park — Swim Here
The most accessible national park from Darwin — Litchfield has several of the finest natural swimming holes in Australia: plunge pools under 35-metre waterfalls in the Dry season, safely crocodile-free, surrounded by monsoon rainforest and red sandstone escarpment.
Litchfield NP · 1.5 hrs south of Darwin · Crocodile-Safe
Florence Falls & Wangi Falls
Litchfield's two signature swimming holes — Florence Falls drops 35 metres in two separate cascades into a wide, deep plunge pool surrounded by monsoon forest. The 135-step descent to the pool is steep; the swimming is cold, clear, and extraordinary. Wangi Falls (the park's most visited) is a broader twin-cascade into a large pool that is frequently closed in the Wet season when the current becomes dangerous. Florence Falls and Tolmer Falls (viewing only — breeding bats) form the park's two finest natural spectacles. The magnetic termite mounds on the road into the park are a remarkable geological curiosity — the millions of mounds all aligned precisely north-south to minimise solar exposure.
Florence Falls · Wangi Falls · crocodile-free
Nitmiluk NP · Gorge Country · Jawoyn Land
Katherine Gorge — Nitmiluk
Thirteen gorges carved through ancient sandstone by the Katherine River — the first two accessible by canoe from the park entrance; the full thirteen accessible by guided tour and multi-day canoe expedition. One of the NT's finest landscapes in the Dry season light.
13 gorges · canoe · sandstone walls 70 m high
Nitmiluk National Park · 3.5 hrs south-east of Darwin
Katherine Gorge — by Canoe at Dawn
Nitmiluk Gorge (Katherine Gorge) is one of Australia's most beautiful canyon landscapes — thirteen gorges separated by short portages, their sandstone walls reaching 70 metres above the water, the reflections of the rock face and sky turning the surface of the river into an almost unreal mirror. Hire a self-guided canoe from the Nitmiluk Centre (from $30 for 2 hours) and paddle into the second gorge before the day-tripper boats arrive — the stillness, the colour of the walls, and the freshwater crocodiles watching from the rock shelves above the waterline make it one of the most memorable outdoor experiences in the NT. The Baruwei Loop walk (4.4 km return to the first gorge lookout) is the finest land-based alternative. Multi-day canoe expeditions into gorges 3–13 are for experienced paddlers only; bush camping permits required.
Edith Falls (Leliyn)
60 km north of Katherine on the Stuart Highway — Edith Falls cascades into a large swimming hole at the base of the Nitmiluk escarpment, with an upper pool accessible via a 2.6-km walk through monsoon forest and sandstone. The lower pool is family-friendly; the upper pool is sublime and often uncrowded. Freshwater crocodiles inhabit both; they are not dangerous. Camping available at the falls.
Jawoyn Cultural Tours
The Jawoyn people are the Traditional Owners of Nitmiluk — Jawoyn-led cultural tours from the Nitmiluk Centre offer night-time cultural experience walks, Indigenous art and culture sessions, and the opportunity to learn about the Dreaming stories that give the gorges their meaning and name. Book at the Nitmiluk Visitor Centre; tours run Dry season only.
Tropical Capital · Frontier City · Timor Sea
Darwin — Where Australia Begins
Australia's smallest capital city and its most geographically improbable — a tropical frontier city on the edge of the Timor Sea, rebuilt twice (bombed 64 times by Japan in 1942–43; destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974), and home to a cultural diversity unlike any other Australian city.
Darwin · Timor Sea · Thursday–Sunday
Mindil Beach Sunset Market — Darwin's Soul
The Mindil Beach Sunset Market is Darwin's defining public experience — a twice-weekly gathering (Thursday and Sunday, April–October) where half the city descends on the Timor Sea foreshore as the sun sets. Two hundred food stalls representing virtually every culinary tradition of Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and the NT — Indonesian satay, Vietnamese pho, Malaysian roti, Thai curries, Yolngu bush food, barramundi, and mango in every possible form. The shopping stalls (arts, crafts, handmade clothing) spread back from the food precinct; live music occupies the main stage. But the real event is the sunset itself — Darwin's Timor Sea sunsets are among the most spectacular in the world, the sky moving through ochre, crimson, and violet as the sun drops straight into the flat sea horizon. Bring a blanket, arrive an hour before sunset, position yourself on the beach.
Thursday & Sunday · April–October
Darwin Military Museum & WWII Sites
Darwin was bombed 64 times between February 1942 and November 1943 — the largest foreign attack ever made on Australian soil. The Darwin Military Museum at East Point Military Reserve tells this history comprehensively, with surviving gun emplacements overlooking the harbour where the Japanese attack was launched. The HMAS Sydney II Memorial and the Bombing of Darwin Experience in the CBD are additional sites of significant historical weight.
Adelaide River Jumping Crocodile Cruises
An hour from Darwin — crocodile feeding cruise operators on the Adelaide River bring saltwater crocodiles to the surface by dangling meat from poles above the water. Massive animals (4–5 m) launch entirely vertical out of the water to take the bait — extraordinary close-range encounters that reveal how powerful these prehistoric animals are. Cruise operators including Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise depart from the Adelaide River bridge.
Darwin Aboriginal Art Galleries
Darwin has the highest concentration of Aboriginal art galleries in Australia — the city is the gateway to Arnhem Land, the Tiwi Islands, and the Kimberley, and their art flows through its commercial galleries. The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) holds the NT's finest art collection (including the Cyclone Tracy gallery) for free. The Tiwi Islands (1-hour flight or ferry) are accessible for day cultural tours producing extraordinary art.
Alice Springs · Red Centre · Arrernte Country
West MacDonnell Ranges — Ancient Gorges
The MacDonnell Ranges stretch 650 kilometres east and west of Alice Springs — a series of ancient quartzite ridges sliced by spectacular gorges, waterhole oases, and the finest section of long-distance walking track in inland Australia: the Larapinta Trail.
Larapinta Trail · Ormiston Gorge · Glen Helen · Serpentine
Alice Springs to Glen Helen · Arrernte Country
West MacDonnell Ranges — the Gorge Circuit
The West MacDonnell Ranges road from Alice Springs is one of the finest scenic drives in Australia — 230 kilometres west to Glen Helen Homestead, passing through Simpson Gap, Standley Chasm (the narrow defile turns orange at midday when the sun enters the slot), Ellery Creek Big Hole (the finest swimming in the Ranges), Serpentine Gorge, Ormiston Gorge (a 3.9 km pound walk through waterhole-studded gorge country — the best walk in the Ranges), and Glen Helen Gorge where the Finke River emerges. The Finke River is one of the oldest rivers in the world, flowing in the same course for 350 million years. The Larapinta Trail follows the entire length of the West MacDonnell Range (223 km, 12 sections, 14–17 days) and is considered one of Australia's great long-distance walks.
Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu)
One of the most extraordinary geological sites in Australia — hundreds of enormous rounded granite boulders scattered across a shallow valley 100 km north of Tennant Creek on the Stuart Highway, the result of 400 million years of uplift, weathering, and exfoliation. They balance impossibly on each other and on the flat valley floor. Karlu Karlu is sacred to the Warramungu and other traditional owners; the site is particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset when the boulders glow deep red. A short walking loop explores the main boulder field.
Alice Springs
Australia's most remote significant city — Alice Springs (population 25,000) sits at the foot of the MacDonnell Ranges and functions as the Red Centre's service hub and cultural heart. The Araluen Arts Centre (First Nations art collection), the Royal Flying Doctor Service Museum, the Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve (1872), and the Aboriginal Desert Art auction market (August) are the main attractions. The Todd River runs dry most of the year; the Henley-on-Todd regatta (August) is the world's most absurd sporting event — a "boat race" in a dry riverbed.
Watarrka NP · 330 km from Uluru · Red Centre
Kings Canyon — the Lost City
330 kilometres north of Uluru on the unsealed Mereenie Loop — Watarrka National Park protects Kings Canyon, a 270-metre-deep sandstone gorge whose rim walk descends into the "Lost City" of beehive dome formations and the lush Garden of Eden valley inside the canyon.
Watarrka NP · 6 km Rim Walk · Close Before 9am in Heat
Kings Canyon Rim Walk
The Kings Canyon Rim Walk (6 km circuit, 3–4 hours) is one of the finest walks in central Australia — beginning with a steep 500-step ascent to the canyon rim, the walk follows the cliff edge above the 270-metre vertical walls before descending into the canyon interior where the "Lost City" — a maze of weathered sandstone domes — provides a landscape that looks like nothing else in Australia. The Garden of Eden inside the canyon is a permanently shaded palm-studded waterhole — an oasis in the desert context that is genuinely startling. The walk must start before 9am from October to April (when temperatures exceed 36°C) — the Ranger Station enforces this strictly. In peak summer, the walk closes entirely. Watarrka lies between Uluru and Alice Springs — combine all three in a classic Red Centre circuit.
270 m deep · Lost City · Garden of Eden
The Earth's Finest Night Sky
The NT Night Sky
The Northern Territory has the least light pollution of any inhabited region on earth, combined with some of the driest, clearest air on the planet. On any night without cloud in the Red Centre, you are standing under a sky that 99.9% of the world's population will never see.
The Milky Way is not a band of faint haze — it is a luminous river of detail, cloud-like in its density, arching overhead with sufficient brightness to cast faint shadows. The Southern Cross and its pointers are unmistakably bright. The Magellanic Clouds — two satellite galaxies of the Milky Way — hang low in the southern sky like detached pieces of the Milky Way. Jupiter, Saturn, Venus, and Mars are visible unaided, their light unwavering in the dry desert air.
The Anangu have named and mapped this sky for 40,000 years — not just the stars, but the dark patches between them, which they identify as "dark constellations" (animals seen in the absence of light rather than its presence). Guided stargazing tours at Ayers Rock Resort and at Uluru include this perspective, which permanently changes how you read the night sky.
Crocodiles · Birds · Desert Creatures
NT Wildlife — Unlike Anywhere Else
The Northern Territory's biodiversity is extraordinary — from the saltwater crocodiles of the Top End billabongs to the thorny devils and perentie monitor lizards of the Red Centre desert. No other part of Australia concentrates such a diversity of endemic and distinctive wildlife.
NT's Two Distinct Worlds
Red Centre vs Top End
Dry Season vs Wet Season
When to Visit the Northern Territory
The NT has two seasons — not four. Understanding the Dry and the Wet is essential to planning a successful visit. Most first-time visitors come in the Dry; the Wet has its own extraordinary character for those who seek it.
Clear skies, low humidity, and tolerable temperatures across both regions. The Top End (Darwin, Kakadu) transforms from flooded wetland to golden billabong — the Yellow Water experience is at its most spectacular in June–August when bird aggregations peak and the landscape burns with afternoon light. The Red Centre (Uluru, Alice) is best in June–August (days 22–28°C; nights can drop to 0°C — bring warm layers). September–October warms rapidly: temperatures reach 36–40°C in the Red Centre by October.
Spectacular and challenging. The Top End transforms — roads flood, some national parks close, and the landscape becomes a vast inland sea. But the storms (called "the Build-up" in October–November before the rains arrive) produce the most dramatic light in Australia: 70-km lightning displays over Darwin Harbour, the wetlands filling overnight, and the waterfalls running at full thunder. Jim Jim Falls in flood from a helicopter is extraordinary. The Red Centre in the Wet brings rare wildflower blooms after rain, but temperatures reach 42–48°C and are genuinely dangerous.
Classic NT Itineraries
NT Road Trips
The NT's scale means flying between Darwin and Uluru (2 hrs) rather than driving (1,500 km, 2–3 days) is strongly recommended for most visitors. These itineraries assume fly-drive circuits from each region.
Day 1: Arrive, sunset at Uluru. Day 2: Uluru base walk and Mala Walk (dawn); afternoon Kata Tjuta Valley of the Winds. Day 3: Morning Cultural Centre; fly home. Minimum viable Red Centre visit.
Add Kings Canyon (1 day, via Mereenie Loop 4WD or sealed road from Uluru) and Alice Springs (1 day: RFDS Museum, Araluen Gallery, West MacDonnell Gorges). Self-drive from Ayers Rock Airport; return from Alice Springs.
Day 1: Darwin (Mindil Beach Market if Thu/Sun). Day 2: Litchfield (Florence Falls, Wangi). Day 3–4: Kakadu (Yellow Water dawn, Ubirr, Jim Jim if 4WD). Day 5–6: Katherine Gorge (canoe, Edith Falls). Day 7: Return to Darwin. Fly out.
Essential Information
Getting to & Around the Northern Territory
Getting to the NT
- Darwin Airport: direct flights from all major Australian capitals (Qantas, Jetstar, Virgin); 4 hours from Sydney, 3.5 hrs from Melbourne, 3 hrs from Brisbane
- Ayers Rock (Connellan) Airport: direct flights from Sydney (3 hrs), Melbourne (3 hrs), and Brisbane (2.5 hrs); Qantas and Jetstar. Alice Springs also has direct services as an alternative Red Centre gateway
- The Ghan train: Adelaide to Darwin via Alice Springs — one of the world's great rail journeys (54 hours each way); departs Adelaide weekly in each direction. An extraordinary way to arrive but not the most time-efficient
- Driving from Adelaide to Darwin via the Stuart Highway: 3,022 km, 3–4 days minimum — only recommended if driving the whole route is itself the experience
Getting Around the NT
- A hire car is essential — there is no meaningful public transport between NT attractions
- 2WD vs 4WD: all major sealed attractions (Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Litchfield, Katherine Gorge, Kings Canyon via Luritja Road) are 2WD accessible in Dry season. Jim Jim Falls, the Mereenie Loop, and all outback tracks require 4WD
- Never drive the Stuart Highway or outback roads after dark — kangaroos and cattle are endemic road hazards; fatalities are common
- Carry extra water in the Red Centre: a minimum of 5 litres per person per day; more for walks. Dehydration is life-threatening in Red Centre summer
- NT Road Report: 1800 246 199 or ntlis.nt.gov.au — check before any travel on unsealed roads, particularly in or after the Wet season
- Fuel: distances between serviced towns are vast. Erldunda (junction of Lasseter Hwy and Stuart Hwy), Kulgera, and Yulara service the Red Centre; always fill up when fuel is available
Safety in the NT
- Crocodiles: Never swim in or near any freshwater north of Katherine without checking for crocodile warning signs. "Croc-free" swimming is only confirmed at designated safe sites (Litchfield pools, Katherine Gorge with ranger advice)
- Heat: in the Red Centre from November to March, temperatures regularly exceed 40°C. The Kata Tjuta Valley of the Winds walk and Kings Canyon Rim Walk close when temperatures exceed 36°C — these closures are strictly enforced by rangers and are life-saving
- Water: carry minimum 3L per person per day for any walk; 5L in summer. Most NT deaths in the bush are from dehydration-related causes
- Uluru park pass: $38/adult, valid 3 days — covers all walks and facilities in the park. Available at the park gate and online
- Kakadu park pass: $40/adult, valid 14 days — covers all sites within Kakadu. Buy online at parks.australia.gov.au
- Cultural respect: follow all signage about photography restrictions at Aboriginal cultural sites — many areas are sacred and must not be photographed
Common Questions
Northern Territory FAQs
The NT has two seasons: the Dry (May–October) and the Wet (November–April). The Dry season is recommended for most visitors — mild temperatures, low humidity, and all national park roads and attractions open. The best months are June–August for the Red Centre (Uluru, Alice Springs) and Top End (Darwin, Kakadu) simultaneously, with comfortable days and cold nights in the Red Centre. September–October heats up rapidly. The Wet season is spectacular for those who seek it (lightning over Darwin Harbour, flooded Kakadu wetlands, rare wildflowers in the Red Centre) but many unsealed roads close and temperatures in the Red Centre reach 48°C.
No. The Uluru climb closed permanently on 26 October 2019, following decades of requests by the Anangu Traditional Owners who consider Uluru a deeply sacred site. The closure was announced in 2017 and the transition gave operators and visitors time to prepare. Visiting Uluru today means the 10.6-km base walk — a circumnavigation of the rock that is far more intimate and culturally meaningful than the climb ever offered. The Mala Walk (free guided ranger tour, 8am daily in Dry season) along the rock's northern base, the Kuniya Walk to Mutitjulu Waterhole, and the Cultural Centre adjacent to the rock are all extraordinary experiences.
Most major NT attractions are accessible in a 2WD vehicle in dry conditions: Uluru and Kata Tjuta (sealed road), Kings Canyon via the Luritja Road (sealed), Litchfield National Park (mostly sealed), Katherine Gorge, and Darwin. A 4WD is strongly recommended or required for: Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls in Kakadu (60 km unsealed track, frequently corrugated), the Mereenie Loop (Alice Springs to Kings Canyon), and any remote outback travel. In the Wet season, 4WD is essential for most travel on unsealed roads north of Alice Springs. Always check the NT Road Report (1800 246 199) before leaving sealed roads.
The NT is vast — Darwin and Uluru are 1,500 km apart. For the Red Centre (Uluru, Kata Tjuta, Kings Canyon, Alice Springs): allow 4–5 days minimum. For the Top End (Darwin, Kakadu, Litchfield, Katherine Gorge): allow 5–7 days. For both regions: allow 10–14 days total and fly between Darwin and Uluru rather than driving (2-hour flight vs 2–3-day drive on the Stuart Highway). Most visitors combine a Red Centre fly-drive circuit with a separate Top End fly-drive. The Ghan rail journey (Adelaide–Darwin, 54 hrs) is a way to experience the full Stuart Highway corridor without the driving.