Keep River National Park in the Territory’s far northwest, 3km shy of the WA border, packs a scenic and cultural punch well above its weight on the Northern Territory bushwalking scale. The best of its four walks are the 2km Goorrandalng loop (from the southern campground) and 8km Jarnem loop (from the northern one). The Goorrandalng loop is a moderate walk...

The lead characters in Australian box-office hit movie “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert” went over the top, physically as well as literally, when they donned chiffon and ostrich feathers to climb Kings Canyon. Standard walking attire is a safe and more comfortable, if less fun and flamboyant, option for getting to know this Northern Territory bushwalking headline...

The Jatbula Trail follows an Aboriginal songline and old stock route over the Arnhem Land escarpment in the Territory’s Top End. Named after Jawoyn traditional owner Peter Jatbula, who successfully campaigned in the 1970s and 80s for the return of this land to his people, the trail journeys through indigenous and geological history. Quickly elevated to bushwalking Northern Territory icon...

Their ridge lines timeworn – from Himalayan heights, some say – the MacDonnell Ranges reach east and west from Alice Springs, in Australia’s Red Centre. The roads to its spectacular gorges are well-beaten paths but there is no better way to experience these prehistoric mountains than on foot. The Larapinta Trail snakes 223km through Tjoritja/West MacDonnell National Park and has become the...

One of my favourite legs of the Larapinta Trail is from Jay Creek to Standley Chasm (section 3: 4WD and pick-up required). It begins with a tramp down a stony creek bed to a sacred water hole. And ends in the most popular site in the West Macs, a cathedral-like slice through the West MacDonnell Ranges’ red rock which floods...

The West MacDonnell Ranges attract the crowds but the eastern arm of the ancient ranges reaching across Australia’s Red Centre from Alice Springs is studded with uncut gems. These include aboriginal engravings, a gold mining ghost town and Trephina Gorge, sliced through the ancient hills by water. The Trephina Ridge Top Walk is a rugged and spectacular 9km one-way hike. Unless...

Australia’s most recognizable natural landmark, Uluru is integral to the Anangu people’s Tjukurpa, the creation period from which come their religion, law and moral systems. The Uluru Base Walk provides a fascinating insight into the geology of “the rock” – European settlers called it Ayers Rock – and the stone monolith’s spiritual significance to the traditional owners of Uluru-Kata Tjuta...