Music festivals, breathtaking landscapes and never-ending sunlight await you in the Northern Territory, your next bucket list travel item.
It’s often the case that you’ll visit other countries before even exploring your own backyard.
With so-called #EuroSummer now firmly in the rear view mirror, there’s never been a better time to travel Australia, and tick-off all those bucket list items you’ve been meaning to get to for the past few years.
While there’s much to enjoy Down Under, perhaps the most spellbinding location for your next flight is the one-and-only Northern Territory.
Home to some of the country’s most breathtaking natural landscapes (you know, like Uluru) and a vibrant cultural scene, the NT should undoubtedly sit atop your #AusTravel bucket list, and here’s just some of the reasons why.
Celebrate with BASSINTHEGRASS.
Ok, we might be biassed (since we’re a music magazine), but NT is undeniably a major hub of Australia’s best-loved music festivals.
From the Barunga Fest to Darwin Festival and Fab Alice Festival, Territorians have long enjoyed some of the country’s hottest-ticket music events, but it’s BASSINTHEGRASS that tends to pull focus.
Boasting perhaps its starriest lineup to date, the 2024 edition of BASSINTHEGRASS — taking place this May — will welcome the likes of Macklemore, Jet, The Jungle Giants, Bliss N Eso, Mashd N Kutcher, Sunshine and Disco Faith Choir, and Young Franco, among many others.
We’ve already sorted through all the reasons you need to get yourself to this unmissable event, but BASSINTHEGRASS itself is reason enough to start packing your bags for a trip to NT.
Find out more details about BASSINTHEGRASS 2024 here.
Bask in the dry season.
NSW is currently in the midst of a miserable downpour, so if you’re keen to escape the rain and bask in perpetual sun, then NT is the place to be.
Unlike other Australian regions, winter in NT isn’t really winter, since the dry season stretches from May to October. In other words, Territorians are just weeks away from enjoying warm days and cool nights while the rest of the country shivers.
It’s this kind of seasonal magic that has this writer, who’s currently wrapped in a blanket, lusting over the possibility for sunlight, and it means you can skip a few of NSW or Victoria’s wetter weeks and laze in NT’s warm delights.
Unparalleled sunsets.
As for what NT’s dry season has to offer, you needn’t look further than its neverending horizons.
Territorians know that they enjoy the country’s most dazzling sunsets, thanks to the thousand-kilometre coastlines that offer multiple panoramic vantage points.
We all know the much-needed tonic that a technicolour sunset provides, and NT’s most popular lookouts include The Esplanade in Darwin, Cullen Beach, and Mindil Beach, the last of which boasts regular sunset markets with stalls, performances and more.
Deckchair Cinema.
By now, we’ve established that much of your trip in NT will rightfully be spent outside, and what better way to soak up the ambience than at Darwin’s famous Deckchair Cinema?
Operated by the Darwin Film Society, this unique movie-going experience offers yet another cultural to-do list item against the backdrop of Darwin’s Waterfront.
Cinephiles can enjoy both local and international movies under the stars, with Deckchair Cinema also playing host to regular touring film festivals.
After a long day in the sun, we’ll be sure to catch you at the Darwin Waterfront with a well-earned bucket of popcorn in hand.
Gateway to SouthEast Asia.
For those with an insatiable sense of wanderlust, a vacation in NT might not be enough. If you’ve got your sights set on places beyond Australia, then Darwin is the perfect pit stop, since it’s often referred to as the Gateway to SouthEast Asia.
The capital city is located within two and a half hours of Indonesia, and has a similar flight time from Singapore and Manila as it is to Sydney and Melbourne.
We’re pretty sure NT alone will be enough to satisfy your travel bug, but if not, a trip to Darwin means the world’s your oyster.
The music scene.
We’ve touched on NT as a hub for the country’s premier music festivals, but the territory’s music scene more broadly is also worth a mention.
King Stingray, The Poor, and Youthu Yindi are just a few of the starry bands and musicians who call Darwin home, but the city itself has quietly been making waves with its slew of stellar live music venues.
There’s a surplus of choice for those looking to catch a gig while visiting NT, from Happy Yess to The Darwin Convention Centre and The Deck Bar, Monsoons and Mayberry.
