Northern Territory
Wild, remote, and enormous, the Northern Territory is Australia's true outback, sparsely populated by people as rugged as its wide range of alternately lush and harsh ecosystems. If you saw Crocodile Dundee or Priscilla, then went to Sydney and won¬dered where the "real" Australia was, it's probably here, nestled in some dusty pub somewhere between the croc-infested tropical rainforests of the north and the sun-scorched earth of the Red Centre. But the NT is more than kitschy stereotypes. It is heterogeneous in every aspect-biology, geology, climate, and culture—and the rich patchwork that emerges provides a true adventure for die traveler with gusto and an independent spirit.
Dutch explorers were the first Europeans to infiltrate the region in the 17th century. Discoveries of gold along the Finniss River in 1865 brought more settlers com¬posed mainly of zealous miners and occasionally equally zealous missionaries. No permanent settlement was established until 1924, and it wasn't until 1978 that Can¬berra granted die fledgling territory self-government. The fragile nature of this auton¬omy was revealed in summer 1998, when the Canberra government simply invalidated a new Territory law legalizing medical euthanasia. The resulting Territorian anger gave strength to a movement for statehood, which John Howard's govern¬ment seized upon as an opportunity to revitalize the Australian federation. Pending approval by its citizens in a referendum scheduled for October 1998, the NT will become Australia's seventh state in January 2001. While new to white settlers, the region contains some of the oldest land formations as well as the longest surviving cultures in the world. Million-year-old sandstone formations (like Australia's most famous image, the vivid red Ayers Rock), gorges, and plateaus imbue an ancient grace to die raw land. Closely linked with these natural wonders, Aboriginal communities possess complex histories that date back up to 50,000 years as well as rich cultural and spiritual ties to the land. Today, one quarter of Territorians are Aboriginal, by far the highest proportion in die country.
Tile Northern Territory encompasses nearly one-fifth of Australia's land—1.3 mil¬lion square kilometers—but barely more than one percent of its people. Further^ more, the vast majority of its less than 200,000 hearty inhabitants cling to two centers: Darwin, the cosmopolitan capital, gateway to Asia, and mecca for backpack¬ers; and Alice Springs, an isolated desert outpost that clings to its rough-and-ready image despite the influx of cappuccino-drinking tourists. Between the two are stretches of land so astonishingly empty as to bring post-apocalyptic visions to the minds of the brave but lonely drivers who venture across. At the same time, the luxu¬riant tropics are a paradise forgotten by those who think "outback" is synonymous with barren desert. The Top End's dramatic gorges, winding rivers, and pristine plunge pools teem with wildlife, highlighted by world-famous Kakadu National Park, die not-to-be-overlooked Litchfield National Park, and the huge Arnhem Land. For travelers who don't mind being far from bright lights and big cities, the NT offers.
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