The state of Northern Territory is a favourite place for the lovers of adventures and wildlife. This is the state with the least population of the continent and is among the most sparsely populated areas of our planet. Here at an area of 1,420,970 sq. km live about 230,000 inhabitants, of whom 130,000 live in the state capital Darwin. The population has extremely diverse origin, as it is in all other places in Australia. One of the reasons for the low population density is the extremely hot climate in this part of the world. The northern part of the state has subequatorial climate and the south has hot and dry tropical climat.
The too high temperatures are really unbearable and people prefer to settle in the southern parts of the country (mainly in the states of Victoria and New South Wales).
The small population is a good prerequisite for nature conservation and development of so-called “green tourism”. Many places in the Northern Territory are now completely untouched and there is not even a trace of human presence.
Much of the state of Northern Territory is occupied by the deserts Simpson and Tanami. These are rocky sandy areas with little or no vegetation and some modest animals, mainly lizards, snakes, insects and birds.
Landscapes are like on Mars – endless and red desert. But do not be misleading! Even here there is an unique outback charm and wild beauty maybe mainly because it has remained far away from the human activity in the 20th century.
Greater interest, however, constitute the northern and southwestern parts of the state. Around the north coast of the Arafura Sea there are mangroves, which are always connected with a large biodiversity and is usually used as a breeding place for various species.
In the northern part of the state, but not on the coast there are dry subequatorial forests, which closely resembles the African savannah.
These dry forests and bushes often suffer from strong forest fires, and thus destroy the scanty vegetation.
Northeastern parts of the Northern Territory are occupied by the low table-land Barkley, and the southwestern parts of the state are occupied by the range of MacDonnell.
These relief forms are one of the oldest on the planet. Millions of years of erosion carve the rocks into fantastic shapes, which are a genuine work of art. Here rises and the highest peak of the state – Mt Zeil, 1531 meters high.
The peak and its environs are almost devoid of vegetation. Here grow only some very resilient trees and shrubs. This what a man most needs, when visiting this part of the world – the shadow – ironically is that what is the most difficult to be found here.
Better known, however this is the Musgrave Range, which is located on the border with the state of South Australia. Here, among the arid and burnt by the scorching tropical sun aria, among dry scrub lands, rises the Uluru rock (Ayers Rock).
With its fiery colours, Uluru attracts huge crowds of visitors and is considered to be one of the biggest attractions on the continent. This natural wealth is under the UNESCO protection.
Moreover, this rock has sentimental value for the local residents – the aborigines. According to their legends, the rock tells stories about the creation of the world.
Few people know that 500 million years ago the central parts of Australia were a bottom of a sea. One of the biggest attractions is the Kakadu National Park.
The park is named after its most famous inhabitants – the parrots Kakadu. In Kakadu National Park thanks to the numerous wetlands and the long rainy season there is a great variety of plant species than the other places in the state.
These wetlands are deep lagoons during the rainy season and during the dry season remain only separate pools.
The area of Kakadu is a habitat that reminiscent to the Everglades National Park in the U.S. state of Florida because of the vast flooded areas.
One of the most dangerous species of the Northern Territory is the saltwater crocodile. It is the most fierce predator among their relatives.
It is much more dangerous in comparison with the African crocodile, American alligator and South American caiman could have looked like little reptile compared to this ten-meter long giant.
Most dangerous fact about the Lord of the Northern Territory is that it meets in the both – salt and freshwater, especially in rivers and wetlands.
The world knows about striking cases of tourists that have been attacked by a crocodile while they have stayed in their tents, or even more shocking cases – tourist, who has spent long hours perched on a tree, while on the ground has wait a crocodile.
You will do better if, after your arriving in the Northern Territory, contact the local travel consultant, who can give you valuable travel information about trips, prices, attractions, transport options and of course, details of the hazards from which the visitors should keep.
If you’re wondering what clothes to wear for the trip to the Northern Territory there is only one answer – the most thin and airy that you have.
Hats and sunglasses are not just outfit accessory, but an absolute necessity. You have to use a sun lotion necessarily!!!
Australia is the sunniest and hottest continent and the Northern Territory is the hottest state. It is advisable to travel in winter (if we can call it that) when temperatures are a little more bearable.
Summer‘s 40 °C in combination with the extremely high humidity and frequent rain can be quite difficult to bear even for the locals. Higher summer temperatures coincide with the hurricane season.
These natural disasters often hit the shores of the Northern Territory. In 1974, the state capital – Darwin – was almost completely destroyed by the Cyclone Tracy and that happened in the night of Christmas.
In the southern parts of the state you must be very well prepared for the huge differences between day and night temperatures.
If you travel in the region of Alice Springs we recommend you to choose the winter, because then you will enjoy pleasant daytime temperatures of around 20 °C.
But know that the desert nights are always cold – in the winter nights after the warm and sunny days the temperatures can drop even below freezing.
If you travel in the state of Northern Territory is better to know that the distances are enormous, and sometimes you can drive for hours to pass the distance between two settlements.
Although the infrastructure is good, one trip could take a long time. About 1200 km is the distance in a straight line between Darwin and Alice Springs. For this reason, it could be better to fly by plane.
Prices are low and the vast distance from Darwin to Alice Springs will be passed for little more than an hour.
