Life Begins At.....
Issue link: http://ebook.aprs.com.au/i/25630
TOP END TRAVEL Unchartered Territory Oprah Winfrey is just the latest ‘senior’ traveller to be won over by the Northern Territory’s stunning mix of nature, adventure, indigenous culture and, as Steve Freeth reports, its more relaxed way of life. When Oprah Winfrey, whose television show is seen by 40 million people a week, insisted on visiting Uluru – or Ayers Rock – late last year she instantly put the Northern Territory on the world’s must-see list. “It strikes awe in your soul when you see it,” Winfrey told the media. While Oprah’s visit is expected to give the Northern Territory a huge tourism boost internationally, it’s also one more reason for senior Australians with the time and opportunity to really explore this vast and fascinating part of the world to follow her lead. Getting there and around Weather’s an issue anywhere you travel of course, but given the Northern Territory’s stark choice of either Wet or Dry seasons – and tropical north and desert south – it’s best to visit during the cooler, non- monsoonal months between April and September. Both Alice Springs and Darwin are well serviced by daily flights from most Australian capital cities, but a growing number of visitors are choosing to come by train or cruise ship into Darwin – in fact 32,000 people arrived by luxury liner last year. The Ghan passenger train trip, which was only completed in 2004 and has all the comforts of home, takes 48 hours to cover the nearly 3,000 kilometres between Adelaide and Darwin, with stopovers at Alice Springs and Katherine. Contrary to popular belief the Northern Territory is not all red dirt roads requiring four-wheel drives, though lots of them do exist. There are two main highways with links to other states and with the Stuart – also known as ‘The Track’ – linking Darwin to Alice Springs. There are sealed roads from both towns to most of the main tourist spots including Uluru, Kakadu and Litchfield National Park, and the NT Tourism web site (http://en.travelnt. com/) provides a good overview of car tours including itineraries they’ve called Nature’s Way, Explorer’s Way and the Red Centre Way. Of course many senior travellers may prefer others to do the driving and there are plenty of travel companies here to suit any agenda or budget, from the very big like AAT Kings to the downright boutique like Nomad Tours. (Continued page 20) THE RETIREE AUTUMN 15 >>> Epic Journey - Farmstay and Katherine Gorge, Northern Territory. Image courtesy of NT Tourism.