Australia's Northern Territory: From Oceans to Outback

www.wanderlust.co.uk/ExploreAu...
We’ll guide you from Darwin, a city that has been destroyed and rebuilt twice in its short lifetime to the mighty Uluru also known as Ayers Rock, the cultural centre of ancient Australia.
Despite its enormous size, the Northern Territory is the most sparsely populated of all Australian states and territories. Only a couple of hundred thousand people live in an area that covers one and a half million square miles. It’s twice the size of France, and six times the size of the UK.
Most of the territory’s population live in Darwin, where our journey begins. The most northern city of Australia is an important hub of trade, commerce, defence and culture. It also acts as the country’s launching pad to Asia, and is closer to Bali than to Sydney.
The World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park is the largest in Australia, covering twelve and a half thousand square miles nearly half the size of Switzerland. This magnificent land is co-managed between Parks Australia and Aboriginal people, descendants of those who have lived here for more than fifty thousand years. Aborigines here have a deep spiritual connection with the land that dates back to the world’s Creation in their culture.
Kakadu is home to a sublime collection of flora and fauna. Around two thousand types of plant, from coastal mangroves to open woodland and billabongs, hold a fascinating selection of birds and mammals.
Crocodiles are apex predators that have existed since dinosaurs walked the earth, and are greatly respected by the people who live and work here today. Crocodiles stalk their prey from just below the surface of the water, waiting for the perfect time to strike. But despite dominating the rivers and the coast, they attract tourists from all over the world who come to see these magnificent beasts in the wild.
Arnhem Land is the last great Aboriginal reserve, home to around seventeen thousand Aboriginal people living in outstations scattered throughout this overwhelmingly large, remote corner of the Territory. These people live in a blend of European-style Australian life and traditional Aboriginal culture.
Arnhem Land provides a wealth of opportunities to explore the oldest continuing civilisation on Earth. Rock art that dates back to sixty thousand years, traditionally made baskets and indigenous paintings are all part of this rich tapestry of indigenous life in the Northern Territory.
It’s a similar story in the city of Alice Springs. A vibrant oasis of culture, Alice Springs is the gateway to the outback, Australia’s Red Centre. Standing proudly in stark contrast with the bright, sunburned desert, Alice Springs is a green, tranquil home for over twenty thousand people. It seems a strange place to find a city. Pleasant cafes, busy museums and fashionable bars aren’t the usual images conjured by thinking of outback Central Australia, but the Alice is the bustling centre of a huge range of events, festivals, shows, museums and galleries.
But Alice Springs is known as the gateway to the outback for a reason. For tourists and locals alike, Alice Springs is the beginning of the road to some of the most incredible natural wonders in the whole of Australia.
Uluru (Ayers Rock) is a magnificent geological formation is, for many, the symbol of Australia itself. Situated in the heart of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Uluru, also known as Ayers Rock, is an area of enormous cultural significance for the local indigenous people.
Uluru is the largest single monolith in the world. This huge sandstone formation is held in high regard by Aboriginal people not just locally but all across Australia. The shapes in the rock have been the subject of Creation stories in Aboriginal culture known as the Dreamtime for thousands of years. Thrilling stories about animals, bad spirits and early Aboriginal people are still told by elders today.
Uluru is a sacred place, the Mecca of Australian Aboriginals. The nearby cultural information centre receives letters from previous visitors people who have taken a stone or a rock from Uluru and then suffered bad fortune in their work or personal lives. These people have then returned the rock to Uluru Kata-Tjuta National Park along with a letter of apology, believing that taking the rock in the first place has been the cause of their misfortune.
Kata Tjuta, or ‘The Olgas’, is a group of thirty six domed sandstone rocks thought to be around five hundred million years old. The mesmerising shapes and ochre colour have captivated locals and travellers for generations. In the local language, Kata Tjuta means “many heads”. The area is still managed by indigenous people today, with Aboriginal guides and rangers working alongside white Australians to preserve the geological and cultural importance of this remarkable place.

[@marianneritavanvliet4554]

In 1987 I was in The North and the east I see all the beautiful places like Kakadu . I met the aborigianal people and saw there art and saw all the mountains in Kakadu. I win the contest from the movie "Crocodile Dundee" the first movie with Paul Hogan. I am very lucky I live in Amsterdam Holland Europe. I have seen the Great Barrier Reef in Cairns. In the north Kakadu Park they tell me there is a special bird they tell me his name is "The walking bird over the water like Jesus" . It is such beautiful video. Thank you for that. It is I been there at this moment. I never forget the most loving memory and the great stunning Australia.

[@lexandluke]

The bird’s name is the jacana!

[@canadiansummer87001]

God bless you 🎉❤

[@grahamhill8018]

Brought back so many fond memories of my spectacular journey there in 2003. Would love to return again.

[@ottokeff68]

+Graham Hill do it.

[@ruziadaht81]

me too, back to 1999 when i was studying in NTU.

[@stevenkoh2811]

ㅕ7ㅑ8

[@hgehtdichnichtsan7718]

I realy LOVE Australia and it's flora and fauna. Its just amazing!

[@judefernandez827]

The best city in the world that’s my Darwin

[@Conn30Mtenor]

Born in British Columbia but I call this home.

[@tonikodo]

I saw it all recently, but in opposite direction. breathtaking!

[@jimcrawford5039]

Thank you, very nicely done indeed. NSW resident.

[@debrajbanerjee95]

Excellent video portraying Northern Australia 🤗👌

[@ausholidayguide4897]

Great video!!

[@narayanvikramshah6636]

wow beautiful Darwin

[@celsolino5021]

BEAUTIFUL

[@riyazsalam4512]

Good work..Enjoyed it

[@mahinislam3850]

Beautiful documentary & Presentation ❤️

[@katateo328]

I love it, so wonderful

[@Dhsbdidbss]

You should do the rest of the states plz, would love to see them

[@lalkoralage3117]

Wonderful land

[@belialuedke1880]

Thanks a bunch. :)

[@saurabhraut6210]

Great video

[@australianpunjabinetwork]

Beautiful video... Love my Australia

[@christinehaigh9807]

Going on a walk..

[@blackcorp0001]

Wow, amazing work...where did you guys learn your trade ?

[@blackcorp0001]

I'd love to learn how to do this

[@cobratigi3730]

These place everything in Northern territorie

[@danielramos6893]

Can't believe there's more people in California then there is in all of Australia.

[@leecoates4082]

yeh we got a good culling programme here lol

[@karli4694]

There are probably more people just in the LA area...

[@markscott9930]

I think there are more people just in London.

[@alexislopez4160]

There's more people in california than canada

[@judefernandez827]

And that’s how we Aussies like it .

[@longrider42]

I believe that Alice Springs is the "Birth Place" of the Road Train, I think.

[@luisarevalo6610]

The northern territory is beautyful and I didn't know

[@willgateme8523]

Why do I feel like watching a never ending travel agency ad about Northern Australia just waiting for "Book now the best Darwin Harbour Cruise Journey with free drinks and local corocile food just 1.999 $ if you book within 10 minutes"

[@lorellasprings1771]

Come visit family owned and run, waterfront, 1 million acre Lorella Springs Wilderness Park NT. www.lorellasprings.com

[@zuzannawisniewska4464]

Greetings Polish Australian.

[@katateo328]

exactly the Treasue Island :D:D:D

[@dunruden9720]

Bustling cities? A very laid back, totally non-bustling city! It is now illegal to climb Uluru. It is held to be sacred by the Aboriginal people who built it 200 million years ago.

[@ruziadaht81]

serious? illegal to climb Uluru now, since when? i did climbed uluru back on 1999. may be is good for protecting the Aboriginal culture.

[@nickhand8054]

Aboriginal people built Uluru? Err.. I don't think so. And take my word for it, since I'm a tour guide working in the area: no, the local Aboriginal people don't for one millisecond believe they built it either. And it was a more than 200 million years ago. It's been standing there around 350 million years. Nope, humans didn't do that.

[@topoint]

"But the port of Darwin grew to become a strategic location for Australia and the British Empire" How the hell did this port ever get signed over to China for 100 years. Those Polly's who approved that crap need to get their priorities right. Absolute madness that they would put our country's safety after the dollar.

[@suzannedonaldson7497]

your referring to colombo

[@conandoyle1740]

Where all in Australia are Crocs?

[@BigMikeMcBastard]

Northern part of the continent. That's where it's tropical.

[@dunruden9720]

Northern Territory, the North of Western Australia and the North of Queensland.

[@darcyblack8222]

dunruden yes they can travel inland and to the Sea of Japan. Fraser Island Queensland has crocs that sun themselves on the beach. They are also in the NT.

[@brandonlong4252]

Dark ally ways mate! Be careful! Haha

[@christine9276]

I want a big fencing around aye road Amen thanks

[@saraaspashspash3253]

ciao

[@kafeelhassan2690]

a1 contry

[@christine9276]

Germs of the world is here my peoples family members

[@davidsouthwood5106]

At least mother earth knows to have a earthquake 8n northern territory tennet creek noome lives there

[@hirdy161]

I swear us Brits just chose all the worlds coolest places for our colonies

[@motojunkie8348]

Now the North Africans are colonizing you 😂

[@Chief_Brody]

France isn't 3 times the size of the UK. Whatcha talking about, Willis?

[@prabathdevinda8081]

The Environment is like Sri Lanka

[@metakn1ght]

'bustling' cities lmao

[@christine9276]

Aboriginal Peoples of Australia's

[@christine9276]

Foreign affairs unions finish

[@christine9276]

Don't touch anybody's land owners of Australian

[@myroom1913]

Any kind of ANIMAL RACING, is CRUEL and should be outlawed!!!!! Those poor camels/ how would those morons like for someone to be on THEIR back and hitting them; to make them run faster!!!! Makes me soooo mad. 😡😡😡😡😡

[@lisarochwarg4707]

The camel should be riding the man.

[@christine9276]

100 year's over to white

[@aaron655]

Didnt the British decimate the aboriginals?