NORTHERN TERRITORYTHE TOP END |41The Devil's MarblesTHE EXPLORER HIGHWAYThe 1,500 kilometres that separate Darwin inthe Top End from Alice Springs in the RedCentre cross different climates and ways of life.Following the path created by the first pioneersand the telegraph line of 1870, this previouslydusty, ragged track is now a two-lane highwaythrough the heart of the continent. FromDarwin, Katherine is a natural first stop followedby a visit to the hot springs of Mataranka in theElsey National Park. The pub at Daly Waters hasheld its 'galleon licence' since 1893, and dripswith memorabilia dating back to its days as animportant staging post for early aviators.Tennant Creek straddles the highway, while 100kilometres further are the Devil's Marbles - awonderful series of granite boulders littering thehighway that the Warumungu people believe tobe the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent. Hotelstandards are rather simple, yet visiting one ofthe Outback communities and staying in atypical Australian roadhouse is likely to find youengrossed in yarns spun by the locals, adding adifferent dimension to your experience.tailor-made travelAll our travel arrangements are on a private,individual basis to offer you complete freedom ofchoice. The itineraries and accommodation optionsthroughout the brochure are designed to give you aflavour of what is possible and can be tailor-made tosuit your preferences. Prices vary according toselected accommodation and season. Please callour Australia specialists on 01869 276 345 todiscuss your individual requirements.NITMILUK NATIONAL PARK At the centre of this magnificent national park isKatherine Gorge. Often seen as 13 separategorges, it is in fact one continuous fissurecarved by the Katherine River, twisting andturning. The river is hemmed by craggy, vibrantorange walls adorned by rock art and the wholearea is home to an abundance of birdlife as wellas the occasional skulking freshwater crocodile.For solitude you can hire a canoe and paddleyour way through as many of the turns as yourenergy allows, or there are a number of boattrips of varying length. Bushwalkers arewelcomed and there are a network of walkingtracks. At Leliyn, a five kilometre walk leadsaround a forested pool to the pretty Edith Fallswhich cascades into three refreshing swimmingholes. For avid walkers, the 66 kilometre JatbulaTrail across the park to Edith Falls is known asone of Australia's most awesome hikes. Thetown of Katherine is around 30 kilometres fromthe park and is the ideal base from which toexplore the area. The accommodation standards,however, can be somewhat limited.Edith FallsOutbackLifeFrom Darwin, explore lovely Litchfield National Parkand then venture into the Outback by light aircraftto Bullo River Station at the edge of the NorthernTerritory. Discover rare Aboriginal rock art, try yourhand at cattle mustering or just relax and enjoy theexperience of visiting this vast Outback land.Day 1:Arrive in Darwin with the rest of the dayfree to explore.Day 2:Join a day trip into the beautiful LitchfieldNational Park with its waterfalls, gorgesand freshwater pools. Day 3:Leave Darwin on a spectacular scenicflight over remote coastline to Bullo RiverStation, one of Australia's largest workingcattle farms. Day 4:Most activities at the homestead areincluded, with station hands and guideshappy to accompany you fishing forbarramundi, spotting crocodiles in theriver or searching for rock art.Day 5:A further day to explore the sights.Day 6:After breakfast return to Darwin.EXTENSIONSExplore more of the Outback by taking a helicopterfrom Bullo River Station to the mysterious Purnululu(Bungle Bungle) National Park in Western Australia,join a journey along the Gibb River Road to Broomeor board The Ghan train that travels from Darwin toAlice Springs through the magnificent Red Centre.For those looking for the freedom of the open road,self-drive the Explorer Highway through the heart ofthe continent, offering insights into remote Outbacklife with the chance to see Katherine Gorge and theDevil's Marbles along the way.Katherine Gorge

UluruALICE SPRINGS 'The Alice', as this town is affectionately known,has come far from its origins as a telegraphstation. Founded in the 1800s and marooned inthe desert it is a great place from which toexplore the Red Centre. West of the town is themarvellous Desert Park where plants, animalsand Aboriginal artifacts offer an opening in tothe curious Australian desert. The Royal FlyingDoctors and the School of the Air arefascinating examples of how people haveadapted to this immense environment and asnight falls the stunning landscapes are lit up bycountless stars, bright in the clear Outback air.Ooraminna Homestead,Deep Well StationWeathered rocky outcrops, red sand hills and aprofusion of plant and wildlife provide the backdropfor this historic homestead, forty kilometres south ofAlice Springs. Owned by generations of one of theearliest pioneer families it offers four distinctivecomfortable bush huts set amongst rocks and desertoaks, each with a veranda providing a prime spot totoast the desert sunset. Blending privacy with aninsight into life on a working station there are ampleopportunities to join with station activities or take4WD vehicle tours and bushwalks. This homesteadprovides an accessible Outback station experience.42Contrasting sharply with the Top End,the Red Centre has an awesome, arid,craggy beauty, peppered with tufts ofspinifex grass and seasonal wildflowers.The colours of its vast landscape changewith the angling light, adding drama tothe stories from the AboriginalDreamtime. In the heart of this regionis the great monolith of Uluru/AyersRock, partnered by the ruddy coloureddomes of Kata Tjuta/The Olgas and thehidden waters of Kings Canyon. AliceSprings, crouching beside the majesticMacDonnell Ranges, is no longerconsidered just an overnight stop enroute to Uluru; its robust founders areever-present in the form of the RoyalFlying Doctors service and theTelegraph Station. The area is nowmore accessible than ever with theextension of The Ghan railway toDarwin, and small group tours nowhead out into the bush escorted by localAboriginal people, making this a goodplace to learn more of this culture thathas shaped Australia.Northern Territory,The Red CentreOoraminna Homestead