Drive Northern Territory: from Uluru to Darwin

Uluru–Kata Tjuta National Park includes Uluru and Kata Tjuta (once respectively known as Ayers Rock and the Olgas), a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Uluru/Ayers Rock is arguably one of the world's natural wonders; Kata Tjuta is just as magical, a groupof rounded domes divided by narrow valleys.

Ayers Rock / Kings Canyon (approximately 310km / 5 hours). In the morning, there is the possibility to explore the base of the monolith or take optional excursions in the desert. Arrival at Kings Canyon in the afternoon, in time to admire the magical colors of the evening on the Canyon, perhaps taking the shorter route inside, leaving the longer and more challenging one for the following morning. Kings Canyon, in Watarrka National Park, is an area of cultural importance for Aboriginal people for tens of thousands of years. The site doesn't attract the crowds like Uluru/Ayers Rock, but those who make it here will take home equally unforgettable memories. For the "Rim Walk," you climb the side of the cliff along steps carved into the rock (in about half an hour); once at the top, you proceed through a maze of limestone boulders called "The Lost City," beyond a bridge that leads to a group of springs surrounded by ferns ("The Garden of Eden"), and then descend on the other side among more boulders. Along the way, there are splendid panoramic viewpoints. If you visit the park in the southern winter, don't leave too early because the sun doesn't illuminate the canyon walls until mid-morning. In total, it's a 6 km hike that takes about 3-4 hours round trip with some effort. The Rim Walk should be avoided in summer (between September and May) because it gets too hot. Alternatively, you can follow the trail at the bottom of the canyon (2.6 km) in the dry bed of Kings Creek.

driving from Alice Springs, it takes over five hours to get to Watarrka via the Lasseter Highway and Luritja Road. “Alice”or “The Alice” is the unofficial capital of the Red Centre and not just your gateway to Uluru. A few attractions should not be missed: the Araluen Arts Centre with works by a famous Aboriginal artist, the Museum of Central Australia showing local fossils and meteorites, the Central Australian Aviation Museum, the Royal Flying Doctors Service Tourist Facility, with guided tours every half-hour; the out-of-town Desert Park, that with an easy 1.6 km (1-mile) trail through three reconstructed natural habitats, shows you 120 or so of the animal species that live in the desert around Alice but that you won’t spot too easily in the wild, including kangaroos, but especially small marsupials like the rare bilby, reptiles like the bizarre thorny devil lizards, and birds. Don’t miss the excellent Birds of Prey show. You need at least 2 hours to see it. The centre of town occupies a compact area between the Stuart Highway and Leichhardt Terrace, along the almost perennially dry Todd River. Todd Mall, a pedestrian thoroughfare lined with cafés and galleries, bisects downtown. Get an overview of Alice’s going up Anzac Hill for a 360-degree view over the town and the MacDonnell Ranges. Take several hours to explore the many facets of this interesting grouping of attractions, all within walking distance of one another. The Museum of Central Australia mostly shows local fossils, natural history displays, and meteorites. Some impressive Aboriginal and contemporary Aussie art is on display at the Araluen Arts Centre ([tel] 08/8951 1122; www.araluenartscentre.nt.gov.au), the town’s performing-arts hub, which incorporates the Albert Namatjira Gallery, with works by this famous Aboriginal artist, as well as a display of the Papunya Community School Collection, a group of 14 paintings from the early 1970s. Check out the “Honey Ant Dreaming” stained-glass window in the foyer. Aviation buffs may want to browse the old radios, aircraft, and wreckage in the Central Australian Aviation Museum, which preserves the territory’s aerial history. You can buy stylish crafts, and sometimes catch artists at work, in the Central Craft gallery. You may also want to amble among the fabulous outdoor sculptures, including the 15 m (49-ft.) Yeperenye caterpillar, or among the gravestones in the cemetery, where “Afghani” camel herders (from what is now Pakistan) are buried facing Mecca.

Approximately 3000 square kilometers of territory enclose the Edith Falls, ideal for swimming, and Nitmiluk, the Aboriginal name for Katherine Gorge. Katherine Gorge is a great encounter with spectacular nature: the narrow and long rock fissure is navigable from April to November. Suddenly, you find yourself immersed in silence, broken only by the sound of birds. The blue sky becomes more and more distant, while the shadow of the sheer walls makes the air even cooler. It is divided into 12 different canyons separated by rapids, which are spectacular during the rainy season from November to April. At the Visitors Centre, you can find information about excursions, cruises, and various activities (such as canoeing) related to this splendid park. This is the land inhabited by the Jawoyn people, who are happy to share their culture through unique experiences. Nitmiluk is the Aboriginal name for Katherine Gorge and it means "the place of cicadas," which originates from the onomatopoeic sound "nit nit nit" produced by their song.

about 150 km east of Darwin lies Kakadu National Park, one of the most spectacular wilderness areas in Australia, and a World Heritage Site both for its natural riches and Aboriginal culture. The owners of the region are in fact the Aboriginal people, inhabiting the area since time immemorial and managing the park with the Australian government. Kakadu covers more than 20,000 square kilometres, roughly half the size of Switzerland. The dry-season months are best for the climate and for wildlife viewing, but the wet season, between November and March, can be breathtaking in spite fo the torrential rainfall: true, some major sights are inaccessible and the wildlife dispersed, but the land is gorgeously green, luscious and resplendent.