AUSTRALIA

Darwin | The Ghan | Kakadu National Park | Uluru | Cobourg Peninsula

Northern Territory & Outback

If you are thinking of visiting Australia, the Northern Territory is the place to start. The Northern Territory has some of the best known tourist icons in Australia. These are Ayers Rock or Uluru as it is known by the aboriginal people and Kakadu National Park.

Access can be via air from Asia into Darwin by Qantas, Garuda Indonesia or Royal Brunei and from other Australian cities by Qantas or Virgin Blue. If you fancy the train, The Ghan leaves Adelaide for Alice Springs twice a week. The Ghan will go through to Darwin from February 2004. There are Express Coaches from all capital cities that go to Alice Springs, Ayers Rock, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Darwin. They also do a loop out to Kakadu.

Closely linked with Darwin and Kakadu is Katherine Gorge or Nitmiluk National Park its aboriginal name. It is 400 kms south of Darwin and the town of Katherine has a range of hotels, family apartments and some great B&B's. With Katherine Gorge, Cutta Cutta Caves, Mataranka and the aboriginal experience at Manyalalluk all easy distances it makes Katherine a great spot to spend a few days.

There is excellent fishing in the rivers in the Top End but you must be wary of the salt water crocodiles, or estuarine crocodiles as they are often called. These crocodiles can grow in excess of five meters and weigh around a tonne so they have the potential to be dangerous. The fishing is good for barramundi in the rivers and estuaries. There are many fishing tour operators to choose from, they are very experienced and must be licensed to take out visitors.

Darwin

The 'capital' of northern Australia is closer to Jakarta than it is to Sydney, and closer to Singapore than it is to Melbourne, so it should come as no surprise that it looks outward to Asia as much as it looks inland to the rest of Australia.

When Cyclone Tracy levelled Darwin in 1974, she took with her a lot of its streetscapes, but there are still a few colonial buildings to give a feel for what went before. The city's musuems focus on everything from pearling to crocodiles to the night Tracy came to town.

The city of Darwin is the gateway to the Top End and a cultural destination in its own right. Its surrounding districts and towns have much to offer the traveller.  Visitors invariably rave about the city's bustling markets, its gorgeous harbour, memorable sunsets, spirited nightlife and welcoming locals. There are a number of attractions within easy reach of Darwin, perfect for laid back excursions not requiring too much of a drive.  Half an hour south of Darwin, the Berry Springs Nature Park is a popular recreational area for locals. The bubbling springs and their network of pools provide a rejuvenating fresh-water swimming experience. Even closer to Darwin, swimmers can splash around with huge barramundi at the Howard Springs Nature Park.

Further south along the Stuart Highway, turn off at Bachelor for Litchfield National Park - a great place to see stunning waterfalls, incredible termite mounds and cool off with a dip in one of its famous rock pools. Dundee Beach and Mandorah Beach boast huge stretches of sandy shoreline, perfect for long walks and keen fishermen.

Sky City  Hotel - 5 Star

Location:

Enjoy the total entertainment experience, including first class boutique style accommodation, world class gaming facilities, premier dining and luxury amenities as well a s superior conference, banquet and entertainment facilities. Formerley known as the MGM Grand Hotel, and set on 18 acres, this beachside resort is right next door to the Mindil Beach Markets and situated only 3 minutes from the CBD.

Accommodation:

A new benchmark for hotels in Darwin has been set with the opening of MGM Grand's fabulous 5 star Garden Rooms. The remarkably spacious custom-built guest rooms and breathtaking views of the beachside gardens complete the perfect picture for both your business and leisure travel.

All rooms present a magnificent tropical feel. Timber venetian blinds and warm earthy tones complement the elegant marble bathrooms. Some of our rooms also have beautiful ocean views. Private balconies overlooking the pool, beach or tropical gardens are an added feature.

Keeping in fitting with the existing hotel, the Garden Rooms feature cool marble in the bathrooms with the added luxury of spa baths and a separate shower giving you the feeling that you are indulging in something special. Relaxing in the spa baths, the full length glass windows provide uninterrupted views of our lush tropical gardens and unique beachfront location. There are also private balconies for your further pleasure.

Facilities:

• Swimming pool
• Spa
• Gymnasium
• Guest laundry
• Business services
• 24 Hour room service
• Sauna
• Tennis courts

Dining:

• Cocktail Bar
• Harmony E
• Authentic Asian Restaurant

The Ghan

Journey Overview:

Journey: Adelaide - Alice Springs - Darwin

The Ghan. It’s an odd name for a train but in Australian history it is a living legend. For it is the ultimate journey through the heart of the continent.

The legend has soared to new heights with the extension of The Ghan journey to Darwin. When The Ghan first departed Adelaide for Alice Springs, it was always intended that it would one day travel through to Darwin. More than 70 years on, that dream has become reality.

Boarding The Ghan in Adelaide, with great connections available on the Indian Pacific and The Overland for guests travelling to or from Sydney and Melbourne, experience one of the most fascinating great train journeys of the world. Enjoy 2 nights aboard this great train and marvel at the spectacular Australian landscapes; from the rusty reds of the Red Centre, then north to Katherine and the tropical splendour of Darwin, or south to the countryside and rolling hills surrounding Adelaide.

Services:

Included in the fare, Gold Kangaroo Service guests travelling Adelaide to Darwin, or vice versa, will be treated to lunch and a tour of the Alice Springs Desert Park during the break in Alice Springs. The Desert Park features more than 400 species of plants and 120 species of animals and provides a wonderful insight into the natural splendour of Australian arid landscapes, animals and plants, and their traditional use by Aboriginal people. Lunch is served in Madigan's Restaurant within the Park overlooking a magnificent escarpment.

The Ghan offers several optional off-train touring opportunities during its 4 hour break in Katherine including an exciting Boat Cruise or Helicopter Tour showcasing the breathtaking grandeur of the 25 million year old canyons of Katherine Gorge. These tours are all booked and paid for on the train.

Darwin Station Transfers

The Darwin Train Station is situated approximately 20 minutes drive south of the city centre. Complimentary coach transfers are provided for Gold Kangaroo Service guests to/ from the Saville Park Suites, 88 The Esplanade, Darwin (The Ghan's central drop off and collection point), or direct to/ from the following hotels: Crowne Plaza Darwin, Darwin Central, Holiday Inn, Holiday Inn Esplanade, Mirambeena Resort, MGM Grand Hotel, Novotel Atrium. Please enquire at time of booking.

Red Kangaroo Service guests may purchase a coach transfer between Darwin Train Station and Darwin Coach Terminal (67-69 Mitchell St), in the heart of Darwin for $9 per person one way. Transfers are purchased upon boarding the coach.

On Board Services:

Gold Kangaroo Service:

• Superior, well appointed day and overnight sleeper accommodation. One double size ‘Deluxe’ Cabin featuring double bed, lounge and own bar/ video (surcharge applies).
• Stylish Restaurant Car dining included in your fare. Freshly prepared, nutritious meals with waiter service to your table. Quality wines and beverages for purchase. Please note that breakfast packs will be delivered to cabins on some The Ghan services to cater for early morning destination arrivals and off-train tour requirements.
• Hot canapes served in the Lounge to guests dining in the Moonlight Dinner. Delicious petit-fours served to guests who dine in the Sunset Dinner.
• Luxurious Lounge and bar car for relaxation, refreshment and video entertainment. Newspapers and board games available.
• Gold Kangaroo Service Reception.
• Complimentary train certificate upon disembarking.
• Music channels and detailed journey commentary selected from your own sound system.
• Complimentary welcome kit in cabins, including "collectors" pin.
• Complimentary toiletries bag.
• Complimentary on-board magazine.
• Complimentary hair dryers and CD units (small deposit required)
• Complimentary tea and coffee available 24 hours a day.

Red Kangaroo Sleeper Cabin:

• Comfortable twin share cabin comprising two facing lounge chairs converting to sleeping berths at night.
• Private washing facilities in your cabin.
• Access to the Red Kangaroo Dining Car offering tasty meals for purchase.
• Access to the Red Kangaroo Lounge Car offering relaxation, refreshment and video entertainment.
• Alcoholic beverages, softdrinks and snacks for purchase.
• Toilets and showers at the end of each carriage.
• Complimentary on-board magazine.

Red Kangaroo Daynighter Seat:

• Comfortable recliner lounge chair with generous leg room and individual reading light.
• Access to Red Kangaroo Lounge and Diner (dress codes apply).
• Buffet car meals, snacks and drinks for purchase.
• Video entertainment and on-board magazine.
• Showers and toilets at the end of each carriage.

History

Australia’s most famous rail adventure was named after the Afghan Camel Trains that originally made the arduous journey from Adelaide to the Red Centre. Today’s Ghan whisks you through the spectacular and formidable outback to Alice Springs in 20 hours on it’s way to Darwin. The service also operates, in conjunction with the Indian Pacific, to and from Sydney.  Initial construction was by South Australian Railways as a narrow gauge (3'6") line.

• January 18, 1878: Construction of southern line from Port Augusta starts
• 1879: South: Quorn reached
• 1883: South: Marree reached
• 1883: Construction of northern line from Palmerston (Darwin) starts
• 1888: North: Pine Creek reached
• 1891: South: Oodnadatta reached
• 1910: First promise to complete the line in the Acceptance Act (but no date given)
• 1926: Line acquired by Commonwealth Railways
• 1926: North: Katherine reached
• 1929: North: Birdum reached, terminus at Larrimah
• August 6, 1929: South: Alice Springs reached, The Ghan starts running under current name; the northern and southern part are not connected.

The tortuously curving narrow gauge line was notoriously prone to delays, often caused by flash floods washing away bridges and tracks. A decision was thus made to rebuild the entire line with a straighter alignment some 150 km east of the existing track, this time using standard gauge.

• 1957: South: Line from Stirling North (near Port Augusta) to Marree rebuilt and connected to Adelaide   * Some sections of the narrow gauge track remain in operation as the Pichi Richi Railway
• 1976: Northern line closed
• October 1980: New track from Tarcoola to Alice Springs opens
• July 2001: Construction of Alice Springs-Darwin track starts
• September 17 2003: Darwin reached, the line from Adelaide to Darwin is complete
• January 17 2004: First cargo train reaches Darwin
• February 4 2004: First passenger train reaches Darwin

Kakadu National Park

In Australia's tropical Top End, the delicate pink beauty of the waterlily and the prehistoric brute strength of the crocodile merge in stunning Kakadu National Park. Rivers with roaring waterfalls and a landscape of towering sandstone escarpments cradle some of Kakadu's treasures waiting to be explored.

Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn - 4 Star

Location:

Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn lies in the township of Jabiru, within the heart of the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. The hotel's unique shape was chosen by the Gagudju people, the traditional inhabitants of Kakadu National Park.

Accommodation:

The hotel has 110 guest rooms, all featuring air conditioning, ceiling fans, ISD/IDD phones, colour TV, video movies, radio, desk, minibar, tea and coffee making facilities, iron and ironing board, hairdryer, babysitting and room service. (Some facilities not available in the wet season).  Gagudju Crocodile Holiday Inn is the only hotel of its standard in Kakadu National Park. Most rooms are located overlooking the central courtyard that boasts a billabong and shaded swimming pool.

Facilities:

• Swimming pool
• Tour Desk
• Guest laundry
• Giftshop
• Local art for sale
• 24 Hour reception
• Car parking
• Facsimile
• Outdoor barbecue

Dining:

• Escarpment Restaurant
• Ginga's Tavern
• Escarpment Cocktail bar 

Uluru

Uluru is a site of deep cultural significance to the Anangu Aboriginals and the most famous icon of the Australian outback. The 3.6km (2.2mi) long rock rises a towering 348m (1141ft) from the pancake-flat surrounding scrub. It is especially impressive at dawn and sunset when the red rock spectacularly changes hue.

Longitude 131 - 5 Star (Re-opening 1st July 2004)

Location:

Luxurious, eco-sensitive and romantic, Longitude 131° offers immersion in the wilderness of Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, complete with 5 star luxury and private views of the sun rising and setting on the Rock. Set atop an isolated sand dune close to the border of the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Longitude 131° is a deluxe camping experience like no other. Catering for just 30 guests, Longitude 131° offers unparalleled tranquillity and intimate touring experiences.

Accommodation:

At Longitude 131° you will find unprecedented solitude and serenity. Each tent is a private place to rest, relax and refresh. Soak up the unique objets d'art from the comfortable lounge or the spectacular view of Uluru from your bed. No expense has been spared in ensuring your stay with us is a special experience which nurtures your body, stimulates your mind and liberates your spirit.  Rooms feature air conditioning, minibar, in-room safe, telephone, tea/coffee making facilities, CD player, private bathroom, bathrobe, hairdryer and writing desk. Disabled facilities are available.

Facilities:

• Guest facsimile
• Dry cleaning
• Non-smoking rooms
• Outdoor pool
• Guest library
• Doctor on call

Dining:

• The Dune (communal dining, contemporary australian cuisine)
  

Cobourg Peninsula

Cobourg Peninsula is one of Australia’s idyllic locations that includes Garig Gunak Barlu National Park, which encompasses the Peninsula and the surrounding waters of Cobourg Marine Park. The peninsula juts out into the Arafura Sea on the north-west corner of Arnhem Land and is surrounded by bays, inlets, rocky headlands and coral reefs. With a coastline that stretches for hundreds of kms, Cape Don is situated on the north west tip of Cobourg Peninsula,  Arnhem Land and is the most western point of Garig Gunak Barlu National Park. Renown for its rugged coastline and fringing reefs, it also offers abundant fishing opportunities.

Cobourg Peninsula has spectacular scenery, with fantastic flora and fauna, some of which are found nowhere else. Covering an area of 450,000 ha the Garig Gunak Barlu National Park and the Cobourg Marine Park are managed jointly by the local Aboriginal custodians and the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory through the Cobourg Peninsula Sanctuary and Marine Park Board. The creeks and coastline offer a haven for birds and animals.

The Cobourg Marine Park encompasses and protects the coastline with its unique fringing reef, home to dolphins, dugongs, sea turtles, manta rays and crocodiles to name a few, all of which are still traditionally hunted by the local Aboriginal custodians, as they have been doing for thousands of years. Guests at Cape Don have the approval of the Aboriginal custodians to enter their traditional hunting grounds and to view the marine and other wildlife. There are guided tours to explore the unique coral reef system, the spectacular mangroves lining the creeks, white sandy beaches and the lush beautiful monsoonal rainforest.

The region also boast a history from today and back into the distant past of the Aboriginal people. There is the lighthouse built in 1916, and the occupation in defence during World War 2, tracking enemy aircraft, some of which were to bomb Darwin. Then there are the archaeological history of the Aboriginal people from the today and going back many generations.

Access:
The only access is by light aircraft landing at Cape Don all weather airstrip. There are package tours incorporating the air transfer from Darwin, taking approximately 45 minutes.

Seven Spirit Bay - Wilderness Lodge

Location:

Seven Spirit Bay is a total experience of wilderness.

Situated on the Cobourg Peninsula, Northern Territory Australia, within one of the most magnificent and untouched tropical areas in the world. The Cobourg Peninsula is part of Aboriginal Arnhem Land, where entry is by permit only and extremely limited.

Your adventure to this remote wilderness region begins with a 45-minute scenic flight in a light aircraft, travelling northeast from Darwin over Van Diemens Gulf to the Cobourg Peninsula.  On arrival at Vashon Head, Midjari private airstrip, your host will greet you and transfer you to the lodge by safari vehicle.

Just as tribal ancestors were inspired by the land so many thousands of years ago, Seven Spirit Bay will touch your soul and inspire your sense of adventure.  As the most northern lodge on Australia's mainland the remote and extremely secluded location gives you the opportunity to experience true wilderness.

Accommodation:

Superbly sited in the tropical forest, just a few metres from the sea, Seven Spirit Bay nestles among the trees in virtually untouched forest, designed to be in complete harmony with the environment.

The lodge is barely discernable from the air or water, however has commanding views across the bay. The main building is the focus of activity from which meandering paths weave through the native, open woodland to several clusters of tropical style accommodation units, called 'habitats'. The main building offers a spacious indoor/outdoor dining area, cocktail bar and guest lounge - surrounded by cool, lush lawn and broad decking which overlooks the lagoon pool and the impressive vista of the Arafura Sea.

Guests are privately housed in large, freestanding hexagonal habitats, each secluded in the bush.  With five sides featuring floor to ceiling louvred shades with screens to admit the breeze and provide spectacular views, the habitats allow the impression of total immersion in the tropical surroundings. With only 23 habitats the number of guests are limited.

Habitats features two queen size beds for relaxed comfort, spacious sitting area, tea and coffee making facilities, a refrigerator with cold water and a personal mini-bar.  Their is neither TV or radio to compete with the sounds of nature.  Each habitat has its own private, semi-open 'bathroom in a garden' - a most indulgent and unique bathing experience perfectly suited to the tropical wilderness environment.

Facilities:

• Lagoon Pool
• Views of the Arafura Sea
• Guided walks
• 4WD & Adventure safaris
• Sport fishing
• Fly fishing
• Guided bird watching
• Honeymoon packages
• Incentive & conference facilities
• Internet access

Dining:

• Restaurant (daily fresh produce, all meals included)
• Lounge Bar
• Superb Australian wines
  

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