Northern Territory

Australia’s most recognised natural wonder, Uluru, draws pilgrims from around the world. It is a place of wonder, and no matter how many postcard images you have seen, nothing prepares you for the Rock’s immense presence and spiritual gravitas. Not far away the mystical clutch of stone siblings known as Kata Tjuta (the Olgas) rises like a soulful mirage from the desert's heart. Deeply riven with narrow gorges, these 36 pink-red domes majestically flaunt their curves and blush intensely at sunset.

Kakadu is so much more than a nature reserve: it’s a stirring adventure into a natural and cultural landscape like no other. Weathered by successive seasons of Wet and Dry, the sandstone ramparts of Kakadu and neighbouring Arnhem Land have sheltered humans for aeons and an extraordinary legacy of rock art remains. Represented are mysterious figures of the Dreaming, hunting stories, zoological diagrams and all manner of wildlife, some of which roams nearby to this day. The rock art of Ubirr, with its sublime sunsets, and Nourlangie are simply extraordinary.

While paddling a canoe upstream through one gorge and then another, leaving the crowds behind, you will be drawn into the silence of these towering cliffs, which squeeze the waters of the Katherine River. Take a break on a sandy river beach, explore in the company of an Indigenous guide, walk up to a viewpoint or take a helicopter flight for an eagle-eye view. The surrounding Nitmiluk National Park has even more to offer, such as the Jatbula Trail, a five-day walk to the wonderful Leliyn (Edith Falls).

The Red Centre’s lesser-known geological wonder lies isolated and hidden within the low George Gill Ranges between Alice Springs and Uluru, a jaw-dropping spectacle for those who undertake the journey. Centuries of climatic change have sliced the canyon out of the reddish sandstone, leaving so many scenes of singular, spiritually charged beauty. The 100m-high walls are extraordinarily smooth. Above the canyon rim are fascinating ‘beehive’ formations, while beneath the imposing cliffs permanent waterholes nourish rare and beautiful plants and shy animals.

As the sun dips behind the coconut palms every Thursday and Sunday evening during the dry season, Darwin locals and tourists migrate to Mindil Beach. Old hands arrive with picnic tables, chairs and Eskies (portable coolers) to claim their favourite spots. People mingle against a backdrop of tribal beats and aromatically smoking food carts. There are fire twirlers, live music and craft stalls bulging with Indigenous art from Australia and southeast Asia. But it’s the food stalls that attract the biggest queues – just about every cuisine is represented.

The Cobourg Peninsula in remote northwestern Arnhem Land has a certain earth's-first-morning quality. The beaches are pristine (and very often deserted) and the wildlife, both on land and in the sea, is abundant in a way rarely seen elsewhere in the Territory. Look a little closer and you'll come across ruins that date back to the early days of white arrival in Australia, and there's that delicious sense that comes from setting up camp five hours beyond the end of the nearest paved road.

The Northern Territory's numerous art centres are vital focal points for Aboriginal culture and some of the easiest entry points into the Indigenous world for outsiders. The sale of paintings alone makes these centres art galleries of singular power and beauty, offering so many windows into local culture. But spend enough time in one and you may be able to sit, watch and talk with the region's finest artists as they create their masterpieces. Injalak Arts, in Gunbalanya in western Arnhem Land, is one outstanding example among many.