Northern Territory Theme Parks and Attractions

  1. Your guide to the very best Theme Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries and Natural Attractions in Northern Territory

Theme Parks and Attractions

Where to go and things to do in outback Australia...

The Top End of the Northern Territory is known for its tropical weather, rich indigenous culture, national parks and laid-back lifestyle. Uncover the Northern Territory's mix of urban delights and natural wonders. Get city culture with relaxed vibes in Darwin or choose wetlands and wildlife in Kakadu. Chat with local characters in Tennant Creek, cool off in Katherine Gorge, or find Australia's spiritual heart in the outback landscapes surrounding Uluru and Alice Springs.

Inhabiting much of Australia's central mainland and central northern regions, the Northern Territory is bordered by Queensland in the east, Western Australia in the west and South Australia in the south. As one of the last remaining genuine outback regions and with so many natural wonders, ancient history, rich culture and unique wildlife to explore, Northern Territory holidays can be as diverse as the region itself.

Map of Australia
Ayers Rock

Uluru/Ayers Rock

Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Uluru - Ayers Rock, the worlds greatest monolith is 9 km in circumferance and rises an imposing 348 metres, 380.6 yards above a wide, sandy floodplain covered in spinifex and desert oak. The enormous size of the rock is astounding when you realise that it is estimated about two thirds exist below the ground. Depending on the position of the sun during the day, Uluru changes colour from shades of fiery red, delicate mauve, blue, pink and brown, and rainfall creates a silver veil over the entire rock.
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Kakadu

Kakadu

Kakadu National Park
There is one place in the world where you can see six seasons transform the land in an endless cycle of change and renewal. One place you can witness a biological wonderland teeming with life like nowhere else, one place where a million birds can all take flight in a living cloud of colour and reptiles and mammals of all shapes and sizes patrol the waterways and roam the woodlands. One place where you can stand on the edge of a cliff that stretches for 500 kilometres and it feels like you're standing on the edge of the world. One place where you can read 20,000 year old stories on 200 million year old rocks. That one place is Kakadu National Park.
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The Olgas

The Olgas

Alice Springs, Northern Territory
The ancient desert landscape of Australia's Red Centre is home to a natural wonder and cultural landmark - Kata Tjuta or the The Olgas. Estimated to be over 500 million years old, the 32 weathered rock domes that are Kata Tjuta sit 40 kilometres to the west of Uluru/Ayers Rock. Kata Tjuta/The Olgas represents nature on a monumental scale, with the cluster's tallest peak being 200m higher than Uluru!
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Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon

Watarrka National Park, Northern Territory
Kings Canyon is the biggest attraction inside Watarrka National Park, which protects the rugged and scenic George Gill Range. This range contains a massive gorge, with red sandstone walls that rise over 100 metres to a plateau of rocky domes and other sandstone formations. Walks lead along the canyon floor as well as up to the rim and around the full length of the canyon.
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Crocosaurus Cove

Crocosaurus Cove

Darwin, Northern Territory
Crocosaurus Cove, located in the heart of Darwin city, allows visitors a unique, up close and personal view of Australia's iconic Saltwater Crocodiles. Bringing together some of the largest Saltwater Crocodiles in Australia & boasting the World's largest display of Australian reptiles, Crocosaurus Cove is a must see attraction when visiting Darwin and the Top End. Bring your bathers and "Swim with the Crocs", jump on our "Fishing for Crocs" platform and smile for the camera while holding a baby Saltwater Crocodile. Check out the Barramundi, Archer Fish & Whiprays in our 200,000 litre fresh water aquarium and don't forget our upstairs Top End Turtle enclosure. All of this and more awaits you at Darwin's ultimate urban wildlife experience, right in the heart of Mitchell Street, Darwin City.
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Katherine Gorge

Katherine Gorge

Nitmiluk National Park, Northern Territory
The natural beauty and wonder of Katherine Gorge is located in Nitmiluk National Park, and offers a holiday getaway for those who love and enjoy the outdoors. Nitmiluk National Park borders Kakadu National Park and is 244km southeast of Darwin. Carved through ancient sandstone, the Katherine Gorge, the innermost attraction of the park, consists of thirteen gorges complete with river rapids and plunging waterfalls. The gorge follows along the Katherine River, with its origins in Kakadu Park. One of the most spectacular areas in Australia, the Katherine Gorge winds 12 km with walls climbing more than 70 meters high. A variety of tours and cruises are available to those who want to traverse the area. The Katherine Gorge also serves as home to many ancient sites depicting early aboriginal art.
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Litchfield National Park

Litchfield National Park

Litchfield National Park. Northern Territory
Located about 100 kilometres south of Darwin, the Litchfield National Park is accessible year-round via sealed roads from Batchelor. The park features stunning landscapes of waterfalls and woodlands. Animal life common to the park include Wallaroos, Wallabies, Sugar Gliders, Black and Red Flying Foxes, a colony of very rare Orange Horseshoe Bats, hundreds of native bird species and, of course, the Dingo. Litchfield offers camping, fishing, swimming, bushwalking trails and four-wheel drive tracks during the dry season.
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Devils Marbles

Devils Marbles

Northern Territory
Located about 220 kilometres south of Tennant Creek, Devils Marbles is a place of breathtaking beauty and so-named for the huge piles of granite boulders that dot the landscape. The formations are known as Karlu Karlu in all four of the local Aboriginal languages. The reserve covers 1,800 hectares and is easily accessible from the Stuart Highway.
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casuarina coastal reserve

Casuarina Coastal Reserve

Darwin, Northern Territory
Casuarina Coastal Reserve protects a large coastal area in Darwin's northern suburbs. The reserve is popular for its white sandy beaches, dripsone cliffs, shady picnic areas, cycle paths and wildlife. World War II artillery observation posts are a reminder of the area's wartime involvement. Located between the mouth of Rapid Creek and Buffalo Creek, the 1500-hectare reserve includes 8 kilometres of sandy beaches fringed by Casuarina trees and dramatic sandstone cliffs. Behind the beaches and dunes are mangroves, monsoon vine thickets and paperbark forests. Barbecues, tables and shade make the area a popular picnic spot. Enjoy a stroll on the beach or along the track to Sandfly Creek. Birdwatchers come to see ospreys, kites, red-tailed black-cockatoos, cormorants and gulls along the dunes or soaring overhead.
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Territory Wildlife Park

Territory Wildlife Park

60kms south of Darwin, Northern Territory
The Territory Wildlife Park is an excellent introduction to the wildlife of the Northern Territory. About 60 kilometres south of Darwin, the park covers 400 hectares (about 1000 acres) in natural bushland. There are 6 kilometres of walking trails through this multi-award winning park, and a free shuttle train link between major exhibits. It has an aquarium, aviaries, a nocturnal house featuring unique Australian animals which can be seen only at night, and a Birds of Prey Display where trained hawks and eagles fly free. The beauty of the birds and the skill of their handlers is not to be missed. Allow at least four hours to enjoy the park where kangaroos roam free and there are hundreds of birds. Animals are kept in their natural habitats. The Territory Wildlife Park has a natural lagoon teeming with water birds and a Monsoon Forest Walk.
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Crocodylus Park

Crocodylus Park

Darwin, Northern Territory
Crocodylus Park is the best place in Australia to come face to face with the largest reptiles on the planet! Built upon 30 years of experience in crocodile research and conservation, Crocodylus Park plays host to over a thousand crocodiles from 30 cm long hatchlings to massive adults measuring over 4.8 m and weighing more than half a ton! Our diverse array of other wildlife, including big cats, primates, birds and other reptiles, ensure the crocodiles don't steal all the limelight.
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Leanyer Recreation Park

Leanyer Recreation Park

215 Vanderlin Dr, Leanyer Northern Territory
Looking for a free and fun day out for the whole family? Leanyer Recreation Park has something for everyone, including 3 giant water slides, pool & wet play area, open grassed area with BBQ's, cafe & catering, toilets & change tables, shaded playground, skate park, and basketball court. Other features include BBQ and picnic facilities and a kiosk, with a fully air conditioned room which can be hired out for birthday parties or meetings. Best of all, entry to the park is free!
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Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory

Fannie Bay, Northern Territory
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the Northern Territory's premier cultural organisation. Set in a scenic location overlooking the Arafura Sea in Darwin, the MAGNT is home to internationally renowned artistic, cultural and scientific collections and research programs. Each year MAGNT presents a dynamic program of internally-developed exhibitions, carefully curated from the collection, and the best travelling exhibitions from around Australia. It is also the home of the annual Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards - the most significant celebration of its kind in Australia.
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Douglas Hot Springs

Douglas Hot Springs

200 kms south of Darwin, Northern Territory
The thermal hot springs at Tjuwaliyn (Douglas) Hot Springs is this park's biggest drawcard. You can experience a natural thermal hot springs treatment or head up or downstream for cooler pools. The park is on the traditional lands of the Wagiman people and contains sacred sites. The Wagiman women care for and work with Parks and Wildlife to manage the park and continue to perform ceremonies on the land.
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Cutta Cutta Caves

Cutta Cutta Caves

27km south of Katherine, Northern Territory
Delve 15 metres below the surface to discover amazing limestone caves in the heart of Australia's Top End. Formed millions of years ago the Cutta Cutta Caves system is home to a variety of native wildlife and is rich in Indigenous culture and modern European history. Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park is located 27km south of Katherine and is easily accessible from the Stuart Highway. The park covers 1499 hectares of limestone landscape, and is home to five species of bats, including the rare Ghost and Horseshoe bats. About 170 species of birds have been recorded within the park, including the Hooded Parrot and the endangered Gouldian Finch. In addition to the Caves system, a Visitor Centre and kiosk, the park offers a Tropical Woodland walk, with information for visitors about the local flora and fauna.
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Fannie Bay Gaol

Fannie Bay Gaol

Darwin, Northern Territory
Opened in September 1883, Fannie Bay Gaol was Darwin's main prison for almost 100 years until 1979. An infirmary was added in 1887, which contained gallows used up until the last executions held in the Northern Territory in 1952. Male and female prisoners were held in separate buildings from 1928. The female prison block included a small garden designed to keep the prisoners busy. A watch tower, "native section" for Aboriginal prisoners, kitchen mess building, remand section and two maximum security wings were added during the 1950s.
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The Kangaroo Sanctuary

The Kangaroo Sanctuary

Alice Springs, Northern Territory
The Kangaroo Sanctuary is a place to celebrate the beauty of the red kangaroo - an Australian icon. The Sanctuary can only be visited on a pre-booked guided sunset tour. Our kangaroos come first, and because kangaroos sleep during the day we don't disturb them. This is why our guided tours are in the late afternoon, just when our kangaroos are starting to wake from their day-time sleep.The Sanctuary is only open Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for a guided sunset tour of approximately 2.5-3 hours.
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Ubirr

Ubirr

Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory
The Ubirr region is a World Heritage listed area with extensive Kakadu birdlife, Aboriginal art galleries, rugged escarpment, majestic views and even the elusive rock wallaby.
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Elsey National Park

Elsey National Park/Mataranka

Mataranka, 106km south of Katherine
This Elsey National Park features peaceful swimming spots, Aboriginal and World War II history, fishing and riverine canoeing and boating. You could easily stay a few days and find it hard to leave the natural beauty of Bitter Springs, which is in the northern end of the park. A 500m waterway is fed by an underground spring that gently flows down a watercourse lined with cabbage palms. Mataranka Thermal Pool is another favourite and known for its warm springs, which are around 30 degrees C and pump out 30.5 megalitres of water each day.
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Mindil Beach

Mindil Beach

Darwin, Northern Territory
Mindil Beach is one of Darwin's most popular beaches. Not only for its famous Sunset Markets during the dry season, but also for its location of being just 2 km from the city centre, and great vantage point for the spectacular sunsets of the top end.
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Tiwi Islands

Tiwi Islands

100 kms north of Darwin, Northern Territory
You can visit the Tiwi Islands on a guided tour and experience life in a modern-day Aboriginal community learning about the rich and fascinating history and culture of the Tiwi people. The Tiwi people are known around the world for their distinctive fabric prints, pottery, sculptures and carvings. There are several art galleries on both Melville and Bathurst Islands and visitors are more than welcome to purchase directly from the artists. Tiwi people are coastal Aborigines with a culture different to those on the mainland. Their strong traditions, rituals and traditional foods are still a very important part of everyday life today and they appear to have successfully combined both traditional and modern lifestyles.
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Darwin War Museum

Darwin War Museum

Darwin, Northern Territory
The Darwin Military Museum (DMM) was founded in the mid 1960s by Lieutenant Colonel Jack Haydon and members of the Northern Territory branch of the Royal Australian Artillery Association. The Association, throughout it's numerous contacts, soon started accumulating war memorabilia from all over the Territory, other parts of Australia and internationally. Since then, several notable local collectors have also contributed greatly to the museum's exhibits including the newest The Defence of Darwin Experience (DDE).
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Darwin Aviation Heritage Centre

Darwin Aviation Heritage Centre

Darwin, Northern Territory
The Aviation Historical Society of the Northern Territory operates the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, which is one of the major aviation museums in Australia. There are 19 aircraft on display, as well as 38 other major displays, relics of crashed aircraft from the attacks on Darwin in World War 2 and 21 engines. The aircraft on display are dominated by the massive B-52 bomber, one of only three on display outside of the United States, and the recently retired Australian F-111C. Other aircraft include a B-25 Mitchell Bomber - one of the few of its type surviving in the world with a proven war service record, Mirage and Sabre jet fighters, a Tiger Moth, WW2 Spitfire replica, and a Royal Australian Navy Wessex helicopter that assisted in the clean-up of Darwin after Cyclone Tracy struck on Christmas Day 1974.
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Alice Springs Reptile Centre

Alice Springs Reptile Centre

Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Welcome to the Alice Springs Reptile Centre home to the largest reptile display in Central Australia. We display an extensive range of reptiles including Terry the Saltwater Crocodile, HUGE Perentie Goannas, Thorny Devils, Frill-neck Lizards and many other fascinating lizards including a varied selection of NT Geckos from the Alice Springs region, Barkly and the Top End on display in the amazing Gecko Cave.
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adelaide River Cruise

Adelaide River Cruise

Adelaide River, Northern Territory
Most people are familiar with the cruises that entice a crocodile into the air with a piece of meat. Well, the Adelaide River is where it happens. Located just off the Arnhem Highway and only an hour South of Darwin, there are many cruises to choose from, with something to see around every river bend. There is also plenty of birdlife and stunning scenery along the Adelaide River which stretches for miles. This experience will show you the true beauty of the amazing territory.
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