About the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory is a federal territory in Australia. The capital city is Darwin. The other two sizeable settlements are Katherine near the base of the top end and Alice Springs to the south. The Northern Territory is equivalent to the size of France, Spain and Italy altogether. It is blessed with a wide range of environments characterized by contrast, colour and indigenous beauty. The Aboriginal people hold a spiritual connection to the land going back tens of thousands of years. The Northern Territory economy is dominated by two major industries, tourism and mining. The area is spread out over 1.35 million sq kilometres . The Northern territory accounts for about 17% of the Australian landmass but only 1% of the population.

Population

The approximate population is 198,500 and the indigenous population is 56,900.

Weather

The red centre follows the standard four seasons weather pattern. Spring and autumn are mild variations of summer and winter. The tropical top end has two distinct seasons; the wet and dry. The best time to visit is between May and October, the climate is sure to be warm and dry. In the centre temperatures can be around 40 degrees.

Cost of Living

In Darwin, Katherine and Alice Springs the cost of living is fairly comparable to the rest of Australia. When you get into the more remote areas expenses can rise, especially for fuel and accommodation, although the cost of fuel may seem cheap by European standards. As you can imagine there is not a great deal of urban living except for Darwin.

Attractions

There are an endless amount of attractions to see in the Northern Territory from the aspiring aboriginal rock art and dot painting, bush walking, camel and horse riding, diving, fishing, Ayres Rock, Kakadu National Park and many more. For further information have a look at the following website www.tourismtopend.com.au

Darwin is a tropical city, very multicultural and cosmopolitan. It is the gateway to the famous Kakadu National Park and Litchfield National Park. Darwin boasts a very compact CBD, easy to find your way around and it sits on a harbour, almost twice the size of the Sydney Harbour.

Alice Springs is Australia’s most famous outback town. It is a thriving modern town, set on flat red dirt with many shrubs and is the gateway to the McDonnell Ranges. Alice Springs is a town in the desert, boasting fantastic pubs, restaurants and tourist attractions. Alice Springs has amazing scenery and landscape and is vastly different to the Top End.

There is so much to see and do and the experience of being in the tropical north and the centre of Australia is a great one.

Who will it suit

This is definitely a must see place for travellers and tourists. It is considered an experience of a life time and an absolute MUST SEE! Many of the Northern Territory hospitals offer assistance and accommodation for single nurses. We always receive positive feedback from our health professionals who have worked in the Northern Territory.

There is so much to the Northern Territory. We recommend visiting websites and enjoying the Lonely Planet guide to find out more!