Page 274 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Australia

272  THE NOR THERN TERRIT OR Y

Exploring Darwin and the Top End

The Top End is a seductive, tropical region on the
remote tip of the Northern Territory. On the turquoise
coast there are palm trees; inland are winding
rivers, grassy wetlands, gorge pools and sand­ COBOURG Croker
stone escarpments. The Territory’s capital, Pularumpi PENINSULA Island
Darwin, has many attractions and is a good MELVILLE Murgenella
base for day trips to areas such as Berry BATHURST ISLAND
Springs and Melville and Bathurst Islands. ISLAND Nguiu Van Diemen
The climate is hot, but the dry season Beagle Gulf Gulf
has low humidity, making it the best DARWIN K Oenpelli
time to visit. The wet season makes up Howard Springs KA Ubirr
Nature Park
for its humidity and downpours with Territory Noonamah KAKUDU Jabiru
thundering rivers and waterfalls, and Wildlife Park ARNHEM HWY
lush vegetation. Some seasonal Batchelor M Cooinda
businesses, like restaurants, close LITCHFIELD r Twin Falls NATIONAL
T
TI
Mary
Mary
during the wet season, and many NATIONAL STUART HWY Waterhole N
Gunlom
TU U
PARK
TUA
attractions limit opening times.
NA
Mary River P
Daly River Pine Creek Roadhouse PARK
PA
Katherine
Gorge
l National Park
ly
Daly
Palumpa KATHERINE
Cutta Cutta Caves
Fi Fi F tz tz t maurice HIGHWAY WA W Mataranka
z
zm
Yambarran Range IA I Dry ry r
TO
T
V
Vi
VI
t Ya Y VICTORIA
V
to
Victoria
Victoria Larrimah
JUDBARRA/GREGORY River
Timber Creek BUNTINE HWY
U
T
UNTI
PA
P
NA
KEEP RIVER NATIONAL PARK Daly Waters
NATIONAL N
PARK NATI N T Top Springs Dunmarra
Roadhouse
Wick
Pearl lugger-turned-cruise boat in Wickham
W c
Darwin Harbour
n
Sti ti t rl rl r ing Kalkarindji
ng
Halls Creek
Getting Around
The Top End’s reputation as an isolated
region is long gone. Darwin is linked by the
Stuart Highway to Alice Springs, Adelaide
and Melbourne in the south, and along
interstate highways to Mount Isa, Cairns
and Brisbane in the east. The centre of
Darwin can be explored on foot or using
the open trolley Tour Tub which stops at
all the main attractions in an hourly circuit.
The Top End’s major attractions, such as
Kakadu National Park and Katherine
Gorge, can be visited without driving on
a dirt road. Bus connections to the main
towns are regular, but a car is vital to make
the most of the scenery. Distances are
not great for Australia; Kakadu is 210 km
(130 miles) from Darwin and Katherine
300 km (186 miles) away on the Stuart Hwy. Spectacular Jim Jim Falls in Kakadu National Park