Page 266 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

264  THE NOR THERN TERRIT OR Y

The Northern Territory at a Glance

That most famous of Australian icons, the red monolith
of Uluru (Ayers Rock) lies within the Northern Territory,
but it is just one of the area’s stunning natural features,
which also include the tropical splendour of Kakadu
National Park. The main centres are Darwin in the lush
north and Alice Springs in the arid Red Centre. Much
of the Outback land is Aboriginal-owned. The Northern Darwin
Territory has yet to achieve full statehood owing to
its low population and relatively small economy, but
it has been self-governing since 1978.

Pine Creek
Tiwi Islands (see p278) lie
80 km (50 miles) off the Katherine
north coast. The islands are
inhabited by Tiwi Aboriginals,
who have preserved a
culture distinct from the
mainland which includes
unique characteristics such Timber Creek
as these burial poles.

0 kilometres 150
0 miles 150

Kalkarindji

The Red
Centre
(see pp282–93)

Darwin (see pp274–7) is the Northern Territory’s capital
city with an immigrant population of more than 50
nationalities (see pp268–9). The colonial Government
House is one of the few 19th-century survivors in what
is now a very modern city.

Yuendumu

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park (see pp290–93) is
dominated by the huge sandstone rock rising up out
of the flat, arid desert and the nearby Olgas, a series of
36 mysterious rock domes.
Yulara
A “beware of kangaroos” road sign next to Uluru (Ayers Rock)