Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is the most barren of all areas
in the whole of Australia. It encapsulates a total area
of 1.35 million square kilometres and accounts for 20%
of the whole country. However, just 182,000 or 1% of Australia's
population lives here.
Red is the predominant colour found in
the soil, the rocks and Uluru (Ayers
Rock) which are all situated in Central Australia
(also known as the Red Centre).
Surrounding the centre are a number of meteorite crators,
canyons and valleys.
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The Stuart Highway is the main road that leads from Darwin
to Alice Springs and is
packed with many interesting places. Darwin is a large cosmopolitan
city in the far north. Watch out for the thunder, they have on
average over 90 days of it a year!!
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The centre is extremely arid, with greatly
varying temperaturers. Further north the region is dry between
April and September, and wet between October and March.
It is often best to visit the region during the wet season
because everything is green and there is no dust. Although
the humidity and temperatures are high.
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Further south the Stuart Highway leads
through Katherine all
the way to Adelaide
in South Australia.
Along the journey south between the Top End and Central
Australia through the Middle
of Northern Territory, the harsh reality of the Australian
Outback really hits you. The towns are far apart, the roads
are dusty and it is a great way to experience Australia. |
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A LITTLE HISTORY
The Northern Territory was previously controlled
by both New South Wales and South Australia. In 1911 the Federal
Government took control leading to self government in 1978, although
Canberra still holds much authority over its internal affairs.
POINTS OF INTEREST
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Camel Racing is a popular sport in the Northern Territory, started in the 1970s after a bet between two friends. Since then, Camel Racing, has become a regular attraction at annual celebrations in the area.
Camels are known for their unpredictable temperament which proves to be very entertaining in a racing environment. |
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While they can run speeds of over 60km/hour, upon the start of the race some camels choose to stay firmly at the line, others take off slowly while some even prefer to go backwards - to the rider's dismay and the spectactor's enjoyment.
The Camel Cup is a popular event in the Northern Territory which draws huge crowds. Held annually, the festival incoprporates fun rides, great food and drink stalls, live music, belly dancers and more. Throughout the day there are a variety of races including kids races, rickshaw races and even a novelty relay-style race with appropriately dressed "brides" and "grooms." The offical feature race is called the "Imparja Camel Cup" where the winning camel rider and it's owner are presented with the trophy.
The Camel Cup is held at the Blatherskite Park which can be reached by car or free buses from the Post Office and Council Chambers bus stops.
Full directory of things to do in Northern Territory
NORTHERN TERRITORY FACTS
* Northern Territory Area: 1,346,200 square kilometres
* Northern Territory Population (2005): 202,793
* Northern Territory Capital: Darwin
* Northern Territory Major Industries: Agriculture and Fishing
* Northern Territory Unemployment Rate (2005): 5.5%
* Average Weekly Earnings for employees (2003): $735
* Northern Territory Births (2004): 3,548
* Darwin's Mean Maximum Temperature (Summer 2006): 32.7°c
* Darwin's Mean Minimum Temperature (Summer 2006): 24.6°c
* Darwin's Mean Maximum Temperature (Winter 2006): 29.9°c
* Darwin's Mean Minimum Temperature (Winter 2006): 18.5°c
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