Highlights and Lessons from Our First Darwin to Alice Springs Road Trip

On this trip, we visited sacred indigenous sites and Aboriginal Country. I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of all these areas and their connection to land, sea and community. I pay my respects to their Elders past and present.

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[Note 2026: This post reflects our very first Northern Territory road trip. We’ve since been back many times and explored almost every single national park across the Territory—but looking back, my initial excitement here still holds true. The NT remains one of our absolute favourite spots in Australia.]

Aside from the east coast, the Northern Territory is one of Australia’s international tourist meccas. You seem to meet more overseas travellers here than anywhere else beyond the main tourist trail of Cairns, Sydney and Melbourne.

I’m not fond of travelling to places swarming with Instagram-hungry tourists but apart from Uluru, I wasn’t sure how packed it would be.

While I was excited, I’m not sure whether I had high or low expectations of our 3-week road trip. I was mostly just hoping it would go smoothly, given that we were doing an unusual campervan-ing and staying in pre-booked cabins with family in tow.

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A 3,500KM ROAD TRIP WITH FAMILY IN TOW

I don’t often go holidays with my family in Australia. I live some 16,000km away from them, so time together is usually limited to a few trips home.

But here we were, spending three weeks roadtripping in the Northern Territory.

Our route took us through Kakadu, Nitmiluk, Karlu Karlu (Devils Marbles) and onto the West MacDonnell Ranges. From there, we headed to Watarrka (Kings Canyon) and Uluru, before finishing back in Alice and clocking up some 3,500km. That’s a lot of kilometres in three weeks.

Planning a family trip has its challenges but in the end, it went rather smoothly. No real flops—just a few hiccups.

Like the incredibly nauseating stench in our campervan every time we accelerated. Think “dead snake” that gets cooked again and again, giving you perpetual acid reflux and disturbing thoughts of dead snake meat under your seat. Of course, the stench vanished the day we returned the van. Thank you, snake, for making us sound like lunatics.

But hiccups aside, the Northern Territory completely surprised me.

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HIGHLIGHTS FROM OUR FIRST NORTHERN TERRITORY ROAD TRIP

The Territory isn’t mesmerising the way imposing mountain ranges or crystal-clear lakes are. But it’s special in its own right—from its rich Aboriginal heritage to the stunning desert surrounding Alice Springs, the vast spaces and the unexpected magnificence of the rocky crags and jagged mountains in the Red Centre.

Here are my Northern Territory highlights from north to south, in the order we travelled.

1. NORTHERN TERRITORY SUNSETS

Sunsets are something else here. Dusk seems to go forever, and even an hour after sundown, there’s still light lingering around—giving you almost as much time as you want to play with blue hour.

The most stunning sunset during the three weeks was on our first night in the Territory at Mindil Beach in Darwin. “Spectacular” would be a very inadequate way of describing it.

Another special spot was Ubirr in Kakadu National Park where watching the sun set felt sacred and peaceful, despite 20 or so other people milling about.

2. ANCIENT ROCK ART AT KAKADU NATIONAL PARK

I think rock art is something you’re either deeply interested in or not very much at all. You’re either fascinated by the stories told, or you suspect kids painted them in the last fifty years. Maybe some people sit somewhere in the middle, I just haven’t met them yet.

After seeing some stunning rock art at Carnarvon Gorge in Queensland years before, I was wild to see more in the Northern Territory.

The rock art found across the NT is very different—not just compared to Carnarvon Gorge but even between Kakadu and Uluru. That’s hardly surprising given they tell stories from distinct Aboriginal groups, each with their own knowledge, traditions, language(s), identity, food sources and creation stories.

If you’re heading to Kakadu, see my detailed guide on short walks at Kakadu National Park for track details and rock art sites like Ubirr and Burrungkuy (Nourlangie).

3. THE EVENING BAT FLIGHT AT NITMILUK GORGE

Nitmiluk Gorge (Katherine Gorge) is gorgeous and definitely worth a visit but our highlight wasn’t the gorge itself—it was watching 80,000 (!) bats leave the gorge for their nightly feast! They roost in trees just beyond the visitor centre, taking flight at sundown and soar through the gorge.

The spectacle is best seen from Baruwei Lookout, about 900m from the visitor centre. On the walk up, you won’t be able to miss the overwhelming bat smell as you pass tree after tree heavy with “bat fruit” hanging overhead. The numbers of the bat colony ebb and flow; some years there are thousands, other years there are only a few hundreds and the smell isn’t quite so nauseating.

Since it takes some time for thousands of flying foxes to streaming past, you’ve got ample opportunity to be mesmerised!

If you’re planning on exploring more of the park on foot, read my guide to hiking in Nitmiluk National Park for trail details, day walks and track tips.

4. THE WEST MACDONNELL RANGES

Alice Springs is hemmed in by the East and West MacDonnell Ranges. It’s far more beautifully situated than I had imagined but the majesty of these caterpillar ranges only increases the further west you go.

Stretching some 160km west of Alice, the West Macs (Tjoritja) took us completely by surprise.

We didn’t expect such dramatic mountainous ranges in the desert, naively perhaps. I had always pictured the famous Larapinta Trail traversing through rather flat countryside—not tracking along ridges, rocky crags, deep gorges, undulating hills, permanent waterholes and with vast views over the not-very-flat desert!

This place dug itself straight into my heart. During our three days we barely scratched the surface though tackling the Ormiston Pound Walk gave us a fantastic taste of the landscape. It’s the one region in the Territory I’m dead keen to return to. I want to spend two weeks exploring the many 4WD tracks and hiking trails.

5. SCENIC FLIGHT OVER THE MIDDLE RANGES (KINGS CANYON)

I’d like to say that the Kings Canyon Rim Walk was our highlight at Watarrka National Park but alas, no such thing. It was hot, around 38°C during our two days there, and I was in no state for a 6km, 4-hour hike—even very early in the morning. Such is life.

Instead, we took a sunrise helicopter flight over the Middle Ranges and Kings Canyon so I could at least see the area! The flight was brilliant, I loved the early morning light, the dry riverbeds flanked by ghost gum trees, the wide, open plains, the rocky Middle Ranges, the canyon landscape.

That said, seeing Kings Canyon from the air wasn’t nearly half as impressive as I’d imagined, and I wouldn’t recommend doing a flight just over the canyon itself. If you’re up for it, do the Rim Walk. Otherwise, take a flight over the Middle Ranges, they’re the impressive standout.

6. THE ULURU BASE WALK

And at the end of our road trip, we got to Uluru.

It wasn’t nearly as packed as I’d expected. I thought we’d be doing the 10km Uluru Base Walk among throngs of people—all intent on walking, riding a segway (seriously, is there a more ridiculous way of doing the base walk?!) or cycling around this bucket-list icon.

A couple of tour groups aside, we met no more than 20 or 30 people on the entire loop, largely thanks to my insistence on starting before 7am. For once, we had gloriously cool weather, and for the first hour I even needed a jacket.

The Uluru Base Walk is far more interesting than “walking around a giant rock” might seem like on the surface. Uluru isn’t just a smooth monolith; it has markings, nooks, caves, holes and shapes that are endlessly fascinating. It’s an eco-system with permanent waterholes. Add to this the stories and sacredness it holds for the Anangu Traditional Owners, and you feel the presence of ancient history.

Unlike others I’ve chatted with, walking around Uluru wasn’t a spiritual experience for me. But I felt a deep respect for this site and got a glimpse of its significance. It’s a privilege to walk around this sacred place, recognise its cultural significance and admire the creation before us.

Side note: To this day, the Uluru Base Walk remains one of the best day walks in Australia we’ve ever done!

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LESSON LEARNED: HEAT EXHAUSTION IN THE TERRITORY

Well, this wasn’t on the itinerary—and it’s certainly not a highlight I’m keen to repeat, even if I can see the funny side now.

After a 12km hike at Nitmiluk Gorge in 40°C heat, I came back severely dehydrated. I didn’t realise it at first, but right before our afternoon gorge cruise, I started feeling a bit funny and my body completely gave out from heat exhaustion. Severe nausea, headaches, brain fog, tremors, vomiting and zero ability to keep fluids down ensued. In the end, I was lying on the floor at the ranger’s station stuck on an oxygen mask, waiting for paramedics.

That afternoon, what roughly ran through my head was how insanely stupid I had been to not drink enough on the hike. I knew it was hot and I knew I was getting tired—I just didn’t quite put it all together. I’m the kind of person who reads all those “beware of the heat” signs, memorises them and thinks ‘gee, some people are stupid and don’t know their limits’! Yep—here’s to my own humble pie.

Once the paramedic arrived, things went uphill quickly: One intravenous drip and a round of magic anti-nausea medication later, I was stabilised enough to make the trip to the hospital. I was eventually discharged to a very relieved family that evening.

I’d like to say I learned my lesson immediately, but I managed to touch the edges of heat exhaustion again in the West MacDonnell Ranges a week later! Thankfully, I recognised the warning signs a bit earlier the second time and managed to sip electrolyte-infused water. But after that, when we reached Watarrka, I had to give the Kings Canyon Rim Walk a miss.

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PLANNING YOUR FIRST NT ROAD TRIP

There’s an incredible amount to discover across the Northern Territory, and three weeks only scratches the surface. If you can, plan more time, especially if you want to dive deeper into Aboriginal culture, tackle longer walks or head off-road.

I really loved the wetlands cruise we took at Yellow Water Billabong in Kakadu or the Valley of the Winds hike at Kata Tjuta. But these experiences here really stand out as Northern Territory highlights from our first trip.

You can easily do a classic NT road trip in a conventional car or campervan. There are far more accommodation options, sealed roads, powered campsites—and even great barista coffees in the middle of nowhere—than you might expect!

That said, if you want to explore places like East Arnhem Land, Palm Valley, or the 4WD tracks through Kakadu and the MacDonnell Ranges, you’ll definitely want a high-clearance 4WD.

LESSONS FOR NEXT TIME

If you’re planning your first visit, timing is everything. Our biggest takeaway was to travel earlier in the Dry Season (around June to early August). Daytime temperatures are far more comfortable for hiking, sitting in the low-to-mid twenties, rather than the relentless heat of early and mid-September we experienced.

We’ve since been back many times to tick off almost every corner of the Territory—from 4WD tracks to remote national parks—so head to my Northern Territory resources for more inspiration.

Happy road tripping,

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