By Australia specialist Sean
With their wildlife-rich plains, pearly white beaches, scorched-red deserts, and world-class vineyards, the Northern Territory and Western Australia have some of the most awe-inspiring natural phenomena in all of Australia. However, some people miss out on these states on their first visit, despite all they have to offer.
For those returning to the country who haven’t yet experienced Australia’s wild heart, I’ve created a guide of our top places to visit across the two states. From flights above thunderous waterfalls to Aboriginal experiences in the Outback and wine tastings in boutique vineyards, these are the experiences that we believe will allow you connect more meaningfully with the landscape.
Sunsets, military history & Aboriginal culture in Darwin
As Australia’s northernmost city, Darwin commonly acts as a one-night stop on the way to the stark, red-rock deserts of the Northern Territory. But I’d argue this modern hub, known for its intense sunsets and sober military history, is worthy of a more extended stay.
The place to be for Darwin’s vibrant, multi-tiered sunsets is Mindil Beach. Every evening, crowds gather on its soft, yellow sands to see the sky ablaze with fiery reds and soft pastel pinks. Head over on a Thursday or Sunday during the dry season (April to October), and you’ll experience the thrum of the Sunset Market. With over 200 stalls to explore, there’s a huge variety of food options, but you can’t go wrong with laksa, a spicy Malaysian noodle soup that Darwinians have proudly adopted as their own.
Alternatively, you can take a boat trip around Darwin Harbour to watch the sun dip below the horizon while you enjoy a seafood buffet. Thanks to the onboard commentary, it’s a great way to learn about the city’s past — Darwin, in particular Darwin Harbour, was bombed extensively in World War II.
I also recommend taking a tour with an Aboriginal guide into Litchfield National Park, about 90 minutes’ drive south. This verdant landscape, replete with monsoon forests and towering termite mounds, is the traditional home of the Marranunggu, Koongurrukun, Werat, and Warray people. As part of the experience, you’ll try authentic bushtucker, swim in crystal-clear pools, and follow your guide into lesser-trodden spots in their family’s land.
Waterfalls, crocodiles & rock art in Kakadu National Park
Roaring waterfalls that tumble over towering red-rock escarpments. Dappled green floodplains where saltwater crocodiles lurk in plain sight. Galleries of sandstone sheltering rock art tens of thousands of years old. Kakadu National Park’s magic lies in its vastness, and there’s a wealth of ways to delve into what the region has to offer.
The best way to see it is by air. On an hour-long flight, you’ll soar above boggy plains and lush monsoon forests out to the sheer cliffs of Kakadu’s middle. These remnants of ancient seabeds come alive with powerful waterfalls during the wet season, and the highlight of the flight is passing over the frothing white torrents at the colossal Jim Jim Falls.
I’m also a big fan of the boat trips along Yellow Water billabong. This snaking wetland is notable for its jaundiced yellow hue (caused by an algal bloom) and proliferation of wildlife. Here, I’ve seen gangs of resting crocodiles, herds of grazing buffalo, and more waterbirds than I’ve ever encountered before in my life. My advice is to head out early so you can see the jabirus wading in the floodplains, searching for a fish breakfast.
Another feature of Kakadu is its immense repository of rock art, which you can view in both guided and self-guided experiences. If you wish to go it alone, I can’t recommend enough the circular track at Ubirr, but for something more in depth, I suggest taking a 4x4 tour into Aboriginal-owned Arnhem Land.
Access to this largely unspoiled swathe of land is limited by its traditional owners, so you’ll be mostly undisturbed while you’re guided around Mount Borradaile — a significant spot for Dreamtime beliefs and a cathedral of vibrant ochre clay artworks that mimic the surrounding environment.
Safaris, cocktails & a luxury lodge stay at Bamurru Plains
Nestled on floodplains in the Northern Territory’s Top End, Bamurru Plains is a remote wilderness camp where you can observe a pick and mix of Australia’s rarest wildlife in safari-style experiences.
The adventure starts on the flight over. Swooping out of Darwin in a four-seater aircraft, you’ll get a first-class seat to the white-sand beaches and Martian scrublands that lead the way to the plains. Then, touching down in savanna woodland, you’re the only humans around for miles — but you’ll more than make up for that with your animal encounters.
Buffalo, egrets, wallabies, and feral horses (known locally as brumbies) all call this secluded area home, but above all, the place positively teems with magpie geese. Hundreds of thousands flock here during migration season (February to April) when the birds dot the plains with makeshift nests of trampled-down rushes.
The lodge is purposefully open plan to encourage this wild integration, and all bungalows are fitted with mesh nets for enjoying the views to the maximum. On our trip, we spent a lot of time just lounging on the deck and sipping cocktails or cooling off in the infinity pool, so we could watch the birdlife and buffalo plodding around on the plains around us.
But, all this pales in comparison to the twice-daily safaris. You can venture out on open-top drives or cruise down the Mary River, but the best way to see the plains is zipping across the fields by airboat. I was astounded by the amount of wildlife we encountered — far more than I’ve ever seen elsewhere in Australia — including a whole bask of saltwater crocodiles, who sunbathe statue-like among the rushes.
High tea, Australian cuisine & Aṉangu cultural experiences at Uluṟu
Although many make their way over to Uluṟu-Kata Tjuṯa National Park on a first-time Australia trip, I find the experience is often rushed, and few choose to stay overnight. They’re missing out, as far as I’m concerned. The way to really connect with this storied landscape is to spend a few days soaking up its cultural significance.
One of my top stays near Uluṟu is Sails in the Desert. This modern hotel, which sits in the desert oasis that surrounds the sandstone monolith, puts Aboriginal experiences at the forefront, with an Indigenous art gallery, Aṉangu furnishings, and even a daily high tea featuring native Australian ingredients like finger lime.
There are all the usual amenities too. Between visits out into the sun-baked Outback, you can while away the hours at the Red Ochre Spa or take a quick dip in the eucalypt-lined pool. And, at Ilkari Restaurant or Walpa Lobby Bar, you can sample modern Australian fare, with offerings like grilled kangaroo and roasted wattleseed mousse.
However, the real reward lies in the experiences. There’s no set itinerary here, so it’s up to you to choose what’s the most soul feeding. (Just be aware that it’s best to pre-arrange as some of the tours can book out). I find it’s worth pairing an Aṉangu-led tour of Uluṟu with some cultural experiences like a didgeridoo workshop or a lesson on bush tucker. I also love the amount of art you can experience here, especially Field of Light, a desert of frosted-glass spheres that sparkle under the stars.
My biggest tip, though, is to enjoy a sunset meal out in the Outback. With mammoth Uluṟu as your dinner guest, you’ll sample barbecued Australian cuisine while you watch the landmark turn from russet red to a deep maroon under an otherworldly sky. There are a few variations on the experience, and, in one option, you can even watch a light show detailing the Aṉangu creation story after you eat.
Hiking, light shows & a six-course Outback meal at Kings Canyon
It might not be as well-known as Uluṟu, but I’d argue Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park is one of the most striking attractions in the Red Centre. This enormous chasm is a tapestry of contrasting Outback landscapes, with ripples of eroded sandstone, sheer burnt-orange cliff faces, and pockets of verdant gullies dense with palms.
There’s a variety of routes to take in these surroundings, including the one-hour Short Creek Walk that meanders up the canyon’s middle. But, if you’re capable of a fairly strenuous four-hour hike, I’d opt for the main Kings Canyon Rim Walk.
Starting with a steep ascent up the canyon wall, you’ll weave between weathered buttresses and beehive-like mounds on a path that takes you to the palm-fringed Garden of Eden. A solitary waterhole in an otherwise stark scenery, it’s a great spot for seeing olive-green tree frogs hopping between the crevices. The best views, though, are at the top of the canyon, where you can observe ripples of crimson rockface, once shallow seabeds, stretching past the horizon.
Many only visit Kings Canyon for the day, but I’d urge you to stay overnight. Every evening, a section of the Outback blazes with shining bright lights and sonorous music in an art installation, called Light Towers, by Bruce Munro (architect of Uluṟu’s Field of Light).
Yet, the defining moment of an evening at Kings Canyon is the meticulously crafted six-course Outback meal awaiting you after sunset. Under a resplendent canopy of stars, you’ll sample a dinner of seasonal, locally sourced foods, paired with a variety of Australian wines, while a fire crackles beside you.
White-sand beaches, botanic gardens & street art in Perth
It’s a controversial opinion, but, these days, I think plucky Perth, Western Australia’s far-flung capital, gives Melbourne and Sydney a run for their money for coolest city in Australia. Picture the scene: sugar-white beaches sitting cheek by jowl with cyan waters, hidden laneways concealing canvases of eclectic street art, and a bustling downtown boasting avant-garde bars and Michelin-starred restaurants in a glossy cityscape that’s both modern and Victorian.
I can arrange for you to take a tour of Perth's backstreets so you can delve deeper into this cosmopolitan character. Along the way, you’ll learn about the city’s gold mining history and visit popular spots like the mock-Tudor London Court and the street art-laden Wolf Lane. You’ll also stop at Kings Park and Botanic Garden, the world’s largest inner-city park and a great place to watch the city’s flighty flocks of glossy-black cockatoos while you enjoy an ice-cream (or two).
I advise you also to find time to visit one of Perth’s ivory white beaches — the sands in Western Australia are a whole new level altogether. One of the nearest to the central business district is Cottesloe, or “Cott” as the locals call it. What I love about this vibrant suburb is it encompasses the best of both worlds. That means it’s got azure waters and pristine sands ideal for your inner surfer, as well as a long-stretching boulevard of cafes and bars that even born-and-bred Perthies are happy to frequent.
Cycling, snorkeling & searching for quokkas on Rottnest Island
A 40-minute ferry ride from Perth, Rottnest Island is a compact islet best known for housing one of only two quokka populations in the world. These confident, cat-sized marsupials dominate here, particularly in the main settlement, where they’re known to boldly grab for tourists’ snacks and even pose for the odd selfie.
With balmy weather almost year-round, cycling, particularly travel by e-bike, is my go-to method of transportation around the island. You can go it alone or opt for a guided tour, where you’ll stop off at pink-tinged lakes, neat micro-forests of wattle trees, and crescent bays piled high with powder-white sands. No cars are allowed here so it’s a place where you can experience real quietude.
It’s also worth venturing over for Rottnest’s crystalline waters, as well as the briny shipwrecks that dot the coast. I highly recommend a stop at Parakeet Bay on the islet’s northern tip for some the bluest, clearest, serenest waters in all of Australia. I’m a big fan of Little Salmon Bay for its gnarly, twisting coral reef bed, too. If you’ve got time, don a snorkeling mask and jump into the sea — neon-like wrasse and squadrons of stingrays are common sights.
Whale enthusiasts should consider visiting Rottnest Island in Australia’s spring (September to November) as this is a great time for spotting humpbacks from the northern shoreline or on the ferry ride over. Visit later in the season, and you’re more likely to see boisterous calves bouncing around the waters with their mothers.
Granite peaks, turquoise waters & whale watching in Albany
There’s so much more to Albany than meets the eye. Ostensibly a quaint seaside town on Western Australia’s southernmost tip, it’s also a former whaling port steeped in over two centuries of history, as well a treasure trove of wild coastal sceneries.
History aficionados will delight in the town itself. For a taste of what life was like for early European settlers, you’ve got the immaculately preserved Patrick Taylor Cottage and the Old Gaol. National Anzac Centre is also one of Western Australia’s finest museums, detailing the lives and losses of Australian and New Zealand combatants during World War II. But the highlight for many is Albany's Historic Whaling Station, where you can wander around eye-opening exhibits while the Southern Ocean blusters in the background.
Albany also prides itself on its rugged coastline. Along its shimmering bays, granite cliff faces emerge like ancient citadels and turquoise waters hug tightly to alabaster shores. The pinnacle of this is Elephant Rocks, giant boulders that, if you squint, resemble hill-sized elephants rising out of the ocean. I also suggest a stop at The Gap in Torndirrup National Park, where you can look down over a hanging precipice onto a churning sea. From June to October, it’s a perfect spot to indulge in some whale watching.
Further afield, experienced hikers will relish the challenge of ascending the eucalypt-blanketed Bluff Knoll, the highest peak in Stirling Range National Park, located about 90 minutes’ drive from Albany town. If you’re just after a stroll, however, you can’t beat Albany Wind Farm at sunset. The turbines sit right on the cliff’s edge, and I encourage you to walk beneath them as the sky fades into a placid pink.
Vineyards, karri forests & a fire lighting ceremony in Margaret River
Australia has a well-established reputation for its laid-back lifestyle and carefree attitude, and, in my opinion, no place embodies this better than the Margaret River region in southern Western Australia.
You’ll see this affable nature first at its vineyards. There are not many large, international cellar doors here. Instead, family-run, boutique wineries reign supreme — and thanks to the Mediterranean climate and flat, gravelly soils they produce some of the world’s finest cabernet sauvignon and chardonnay.
I can arrange for you to tour around some of these wineries, including Vasse Felix, the oldest vineyard in the region. As part of the experience, you’ll enjoy private tastings of award-winning harvests and sample canapes prepared to match the wines, as well as visit some of the local chocolatiers and breweries that have popped up in recent years.
Following a day of epicurean delights, you might then want to spend an afternoon kicking back on one Margaret River’s silky white beaches. (I personally love the gentle waters at Bunker Bay). Or, you could blow off the cobwebs on a hike along the Cape to Cape track. This walking trail passes over craggy outcrops, limestone caves, and shores of sun-bleached sands, but its standout feature is Boranup Forest, where you’re dwarfed by towering karri trees with distinctively mottled bark.
For something completely differently, you could also visit Ngilgi Cave to learn all about the local Wadandi culture. In this experience, you’ll listen to a didgeridoo performance and watch a traditional fire lighting ceremony.
Bohemian markets, coffee culture & convict history in Fremantle
Fremantle, or “Freo” as it’s fondly called by the locals, is Western Australia’s answer to New Orlean’s historic French Quarter, with a dash of Santa Monica’s quirky beachside cafes.
I’d spend the morning here just soaking up the bohemian atmosphere. Take a few hours strolling Cappuccino Strip (Southern Terrace), a bustling street built during the gold boom that is now home to the state’s best coffee shops and pizzerias. (Some say the coffee’s even better than Melbourne…). And, if you can, visit from Friday to Sunday to explore the Fremantle Market, which hosts a vibrant panoply of stalls, from fruit to handicraft, in a heritage-listed building.
The city is a historic port and one of the earliest European settlements in Western Australia, evident in its well-preserved architecture. You can dedicate a whole day admiring its Victorian buildings with their quintessentially Australian filigree. Or, delve further into its rich history on a half-day tour, where you’ll learn all about the melting pot of early Fremantle residents, from prison escapees to seafarers.
It’s also worth a stop at Fremantle Prison, a former penitentiary for nineteenth-century convicts.
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