NT TRIP OCT 2011

Hi SJ, if you contact the Kakadu Parks people and ask for one of their detailed maps, they will send you one. Once received check it out and note all the areas that say permit required found this one by Googling Kakadu. If any take your fancy email them for an permit and apply. That's what we did. We only got one approved for Koolpin Gorge. fantastic place. Unfortunately the othetr areas we applied for were still closed due to whatever.

Other must do place is Daly Waters. Crazy crazy place, only hope Frank is still there entertaining the throng of visitors each day.

Enjoy.

Hi SJ,

You will have a great time. Places not to miss - there are so many of them.

Suggest turn off the Plenty down Cattlewater Pass and come into Alice from Arltunga through the East Macdonnells. In more northern parts of NT, Douglas Daly hot springs, Bitter Springs, Litchfield NP, Territory Wildlife Park (there are 2, one at Alice Sp and the Other just north of Litchfield), some of the old WWII airstrips. Into western Qld, camp beside the billabong at Camooweal, up to Lawn Hill NP and the Riversleigh fossil site, Burketown, Chillagoe and the Atherton Tablelands.
Have a look at our blogs where we describe some of those places.

Cheers,

Val

SJ,
When coming through the Isa have a look at the Riversliegh fossil center and the outback at Isa, they have an underground tour setup in the town which shows how they used to mine and how they mine today. A great experience was had by myself and family here, Not sure when your going through but it has been known to close at certain times through out the year please check on the web or ring them so you don't miss out when planning your trp.
Terry

Try and stay at some of the Cattle Stations which offer cheap camping, you actually learn something about the region from the inhabitants.
Otherwise you may as well stay in a Caravan park up the road from home and look at it on a slide show. I can not believe the number of people who regale on this forum about all the CP they stay at.


If you are going via the Plenty, consider going out via Diamantina Lakes NP, a real Oasis. Many people comment they found Kings Canyon more rewarding than Uluru. I found the West MacDonnell ranges so fascinating I went back there & spent a week there. I didn't see the East Macs, but I have heard plenty of people say the East Macs are more stunning.

Can't comment that much on the Top End, but as someone else said Lawn Hill is very special. I thought it was better than Katherine Gorge, but I'm comparing things I saw 25 years apart. I haven't seen the Dinosaur exhibitions around Winton, but I think they would be better than Riversleigh which we have been to.

Finally don't try to do it all. To actually enjoy the trip, I think you will take 5 weeks to do the East & West Mac ranges, Uluru, Kings Canyon, some of the Top End and Lawn Hill alone. Save the Cairns region for another trip.

Palm Valley, Chambers Pillar, Mt.Connor, Glen Helen....geez... the list goes on. There is plenty to see and do just out of Alice Springs too, like Stanley Chasm, Elery Creek big hole (great for a refreshing swim)...... too much to list.

Fab.

Hi SJ

It took us months to do similar. We spent five weeks in and around Alice Springs in 2008; including Desert Park, Motor Museum, Macdonell Ranges, Rainbow Valley, Chambers Pillar, Palm Valley, Kings Canyon, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, although a bit of that was spent on maintenance.

Last year we spent around ten weeks Alice to near Toowoomba one way (including Davenport Range NP, Mataranka - Bitter Springs, Katherine Gorge and Edith Falls, eight days doing the loop though Kakadu, Darwin, Litchfield, Douglas Hot Springs, a few War history sites and air fields, before heading into Qld Camooweal, Lawn Hill, Boulia and Winton fossil country, and Carnarvon Gorge. We moved most days and certainly missed a lot.

If you want a relaxing holiday, head out and take your time, stopping at places you want to. After two and a half weeks, plot a different route home and do similar. You may not get far, but you will see and enjoy more.

Motherhen

Daley Waters pub is a must

hi SJ, I will keep in touch via this website as time gets closer as we are doing a very similar trip a few weeks earlier and may be able to provide all road conditions. We leave brisbane last week august for birdsville races, then into diamontina np across the plenty to alice and ayers rock , up to daley waters, across to booroola then doomadgee down to isa over to canarvon gorge then bunya mountains. All up 8 weeks and wont be far in front of you.