Australia
Australia's Northern Territory awaits RVers
By Gail Bennett

Happy New Year from Australia to all motorhomers. It is summer here at the moment so peak season to be out on the road, mainly the southern parts of the country.

In this article I will continue on my series of motorhoming in the individual states and concentrate on the Northern Territory, my favorite part of Australia. Although this time of year is not the best time to visit here due to hot and wet weather it is certainly the time to plan a trip to this great territory.

Although it's officially a territory, it is no different from any state from the traveler's point of view. The capital is Darwin, a vibrant city, even if small and very isolated by international standards.

Some visitors fly in, pick up their motorhome from Darwin and travel south for a week to Alice Springs to then fly home again. We stayed in the territory for 12 weeks on our travels and there was still so much more to see.

You can not mention Darwin without word of the Mindel Beach markets. Every Thursday and Sunday markets operate on the waterfront as the sun goes down. Besides being one of the best places in Australia to watch the sun set, it is a great atmosphere with great food from many nations around the globe. As Darwin is our closest city to Asia there is a definite Asian influence. You could easily go five different courses from five different countries. Bring your camp chairs or picnic rug or just wander around.

The major attractions for the motorhomer are Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks, Ayres Rock, the Olgas, and Kings Canyon, Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs. In between are many great spots for the motorhomer to pull over and enjoy the many free camps the territory has to offer. Kakadu is the backdrop for many of the famous scenes from "Crocodile Dundee" and Kings Canyon was the final destination of the three "queens" from "Priscilla, Queen of the Desert" (two famous Australian movies).

Northern Territory is the home of many camp spots with natural hot springs. Katherine Hot Springs is in the middle of the town of Katherine, and is a lovely, crystal clear, natural swimming area that is crocodile free. Because it's in the middle of town it is very popular. To avoid crowds, try Douglas Hot Springs, a short trek off the main highway near Adelaide River. There is a small amount of dirt road to get there and a very small creek crossing but easily traversed by the average motorhome. Here you can sit in the creek enjoying your cool beer and when the water gets too hot, you just move a few inches into a cool stream of water.

Mataranka is also a very popular hot spring with hundreds of people each day enjoying the crystal clear warm water. Only a few miles away is Bitter Springs which is far less popular but just as beautiful.

The territory is also home to many of our indigenous population, the Aboriginal people. The culture of the Aboriginal is very interesting and you will find many opportunities to learn about this culture, and appreciate the history of the dream time and Aboriginal art work that is abundant in the territory. Many areas of the territory are off limits to visitors and permission is required to enter.

The best part of the motorhoming lifestyle is the people you meet along the way. Plan a visit to "The Territory" as we call it in the dry season from May to September and you will not miss the camaraderie of the motorhoming family in both Australians and the many thousands of visitors we entertain each year.  

For more info on hiring a motorhome in Australia or articles on the motorhoming lifestyle and motorhoming in Australia, subscribe to the free Motorhoming Lifestyle Ezine at motorhominglifestyle.com. If you would like to reproduce this article on your website please contact gail@motorhominglifestyle.com. ©2006 Gail Bennett



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