Other than Katherine, the only town of any significant size between Darwin and Alice Springs is Tennant Creek – 630 miles south of Darwin and 320 miles north of Alice Springs, it lies on the Explorer’s Way, and is a popular stop with travellers making the gruelling journey through the Northern Territory.

The Barkly Region, of which Tennant Creek is the major town, stretches from Barrow Creek in the South to Newcastle Waters in the North, and all the way east to the border with Queensland.

The town of Tennant Creek is bordered to the east by the wide grassy plains of the Barkly Tablelands, a vast expanse of land which is mainly given over to cattle stations. Tennant Creek is at the heart of the Northern Territory’s gold mining past, and the last gold rush in Australia took place here as recently as the 1930s – many of the visitor attractions around the town are geared around gold mining, and tourist can even try their hands at “fossicking” for their own pot of gold! Prior to the gold rush, Tennant Creek was populated by workers on the Overland Telegraph Line, which enabled Australia to be have a communicated link with the rest of the world – the Telegraph Station dates back to 1872, and a number of historical buildings from this era can be explored during a stay in Tennant Creek.

The Barkly Region is home to around nine different Aboriginal groups and the area has very strong ties with the traditional culture and beliefs of the local Aboriginal people. There are a number of sacred Aboriginal sites in the area, including the Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu is their Aboriginal name), which are the most famous landmark of the region, and are located around 60 miles south of Tennant Creek. Traditional belief has it that these rocks are the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent, a creature in the Aboriginal Dreamtime story.

Although originally home to these different Aboriginal groups, the region has in more recent years become home got telegraph linesman, stockmen, and gold miners, all of whom have left an indelible mark on the history of the place. Some of Australia’s biggest and most historic cattle stations are to be found in the Barkly Region and the Overlander’s Way tourism drive follows in the footsteps of the drovers who led immense herds of cattle through the region en route to the Queensland coast.

Barkly Tablelands

The Barkly Tablelands are home to some of the most important pastoral areas of the Northern Territory and some of the world’s largest cattle stations, and stretch east from Tennant Creek to the state border with Queensland. They are immense plains stretching as far as the eye can see and you can travel for miles without seeing another soul – this truly is Outback Northern Territory style.

Barkly Homestead: 130 miles from Tennant Creek at the intersection of the Barkly and the Tablelands Highways is Barkly Homestead, the only service centre in the region and a popular stop off point on the journey to or from Queensland. Here you will find motel accommodation, camping grounds, a place to replenish supplies of fuel and groceries, a bar and restaurant.

Connells Lagoon Conservation Reserve: This is the sole Australian reserve whose primary objective is the conservation of Mitchell grassland communities. It is north east of the Barkly Homestead at the eastern edge of Brunette Downs Station, and covers around 160 square miles of land, home to a diverse range of birds and animals.

Overlander's Way: The Overlander’s Way follows the route taken by the early stockmen who drove their massive heads of cattle westwards from Queensland into the fertile grazing land of the Northern Territory. The tourism drive starts on the Queensland coast in Townsville, and travels inland through such towns as Mount Isa and Cloncurry on its way to Tennant Creek.

North of Tennant Creek

Heading north out of Tennant Creek on the Explorer’s Way to Katherine and you will travel through a region full of history – of Australia’s part in the Second World War, and of the old pioneering days.

Travel through Daly Waters, the place where Amy Johnson landed on her epic flight to Australia, though the Newcastle Waters, a fascinating ghost-town before you reach Elliott, the second largest town in the region and the old cross road between three of the country’s most renowned stock routes. Other landmarks along the route have connections with the Overland Telegraph line as well as with early European exploration of the region.

Elliott: 160 miles north of Tennant Creek is Elliott, second in size only to Tennant Springs in the region. Previously just known for being at the intersection of the major Australian stock routes, the town was developed during the Second World War as a camp for soldiers heading north. From here on, the land gets more and more arid, so Lake Woods, close to Elliott provides some welcome respite as it is a permanent lake and home to many species of water bird.

Dunmarra: Another 60 miles further north and you come to Dunmarra, named after a worker on the telegraph line who went missing early last century and was tracked by Aboriginals who could not pronounce his name correctly – and the version Dunmarra stuck! Some of the first facilities on the Stuart Highway, such as shops and hotels, are to be found here, which service visitors to the region as well as the local cattle stations.

Attack Creek: Head 46 miles north from Tennant Creek and you will reach Attack Creek and the monument which marks the spot where John McDouall Stuart was forced to retreat on his expedition across Australia in 1860 when he met with some hostile Aboriginal people.

Renner Springs: Just over 100 miles north of Tennant Creek is Renner Springs, named after one of the doctors who treated the construction workers on the Overland Telegraph Line in the 1870s. Basically, all that is here is a roadhouse and motel, which has both motel accommodation and caravan and camping facilities.

Banka Banka: 60 miles north of Tennant Creek is the Banka Banka Station, which was the first operational cattle station in the Barkly Region of the Northern Territory, and is still operational today. It is possible to camp overnight here, and facilities are modern and comfortable. During the main tourist season, there is also a talk on Outback Cattle station life.

South of Tennant Creek

Heading south from Tennant Creek, the next major town is Alice Springs, but in between the two you will find some beautiful scenery and the highlight of the area, the Devil’s Marbles. The road (the Stuart Highway) follows the original route of the Overland Telegraph Line.

Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu): An iconic image of the area some 60 miles south of Tennant Creek, the Devils Marbles are a collection of massive granite spherical boulders scattered haphazardly on the wide, shallow valley floor, on both sides of the road. Originally these would have been large, rectangular blocks, but they have been eroded by the wind over the years and fashioned into spheres. In amongst the rocks shelter the native flora and fauna of the region. The site is sacred to the traditional Aboriginal landowners, the Warumungu people, who believe that the boulders are the eggs laid by the Rainbow Serpent. From the western side of the road, take the 15 minute self-guided walking tour of the boulders. The boulders are best viewed at sunrise or sunset when they glow red. The Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve has bush camping facilities.

Wauchope: Just a couple of miles south of the Devils Marbles, this is the best place to stay if you are planning a sunrise or sunset visit to the marbles. The famous Wauchope Hotel provides comfortable cabin or caravan park accommodation.

Wycliffe Well: 80 miles south of Tennant Creek and 240 miles north of Alice Springs is Wycliffe Well started life as a stop off point on the stock route for the Overland Telegraph line in the 1860s. Later on, during the Second World War, it became a market garden, providing the Australian troops with fruit and vegetables. Since the 1960s when a petrol pump was installed, Wycliffe Well has become a popular stopping off point for visitors along the Stuart Highway, and the Wycliffe Well Holiday Park takes up most of the town, covering an area of 60 acres including a large fishing lake. However, it is for its visitors of a different kind that Wycliffe Well is more widely known – there have been numerous UFO sightings in the area, and there are even two model aliens at the front of the Holiday Park, so much are they a part of Wycliffe Well’s nature! It is worth noting too that the Holiday Park’s bar has the biggest range of beer available anywhere in the NT, and it has been suggested that this might have something to do with the number of UFO sightings…

Davenport Range National Park: East of the Devils Marbles and 55 miles south of Tennant Creek is the Davenport Range National Park, 700 square miles of beautifully rugged outback, which is best explored in a 4WD vehicle. The best known attraction in the park is the Old Police Station Waterhole on the Frew River (the old police station does still exist here!) though there are many other permanent waterholes which provide shelter to numerous plant and animal species, especially water birds. For experienced 4WD drivers, the Frew River Loop 4WD track is a challenging 10 mile alternative route to the Old Police Station Waterhole. Some of the journey is along the ridgeline, so you will be rewarded with some spectacular views. There are other 4WD routes through the park. Camping is permitted within the park in designated areas (Old Police Station Waterhole, Whistleduck Creek) though the sites are basic and you will need to bring all supplies with you.

Barrow Creek: About 125 miles south of Tennant Creek is Barrow Creek, a town set up as a repeater station for the Overland Telegraph Line in 1871. As with Tennant Creek, the original buildings of the Telegraph Station still stand and are open to the public. Barrow Creek is a popular place to stop on the journey from Tennant Creek to Alice Springs.

Ti Tree: 200 miles south of Tennant Creek lies the tiny township of Ti Tri, which services several nearby Aboriginal communities, and is home to the Anmatiere people. The Red Sands Gallery features art from the Utopia community, one which is well known for its art, and well worth a visit. This area is also becoming increasingly important for the cultivation of soft fruits such as melons and grapes, as it boasts year round sunshine and a plentiful supply of water.

Accommodation in Tennant Creek

Tennant Creek may be a relatively small town, but it has a range of accommodation options on offer, including budget backpacker hostels, campsites, caravan parks, and hotel and motel rooms.

Things to see and do in Tennant Creek

Battery Hill Mining Centre: Here you can step back in time and relive the glory of Tennant Creek’s golden past – visit the gold stamp battery, where gold-bearing ore was crushed and treated, as well as a museum of minerals, and an underground mine tunnel. Guided tours operate daily between April and October. Gold panning is also available here – and what you find, you keep!

Tennant Creek Telegraph Station: Seven miles north of the town are the green-roofed buildings of the Tennant Creek Telegraph Station, a group of historic buildings that formed part of the Overland Telegraph Line, which enabled Australia to communicate with the rest of the world. This is one of four remaining of the original 12 stations that existed in the NT (the others are in Alice, Barrow Creek and Powell Creek). It ceased operations in 1935, when it was superseded by an office in the town – it is well worth a visit as it gives an insight into the region’s early communications and its history.

Nyinkka Nyunyu: The Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre is one of the best interpretive museums and galleries of Aboriginal culture in the Northern Territory. The museums exhibitions and displays chart the life and culture of the local Warumungu people, including their legend about the establishment of the town – the belief being that Tennant Creek is sited on the home of a spiky-tailed goanna called Nyinkka. The museum also has a gallery and gift shop.

Kunjarra (The Pebbles): This is a granite rock formation, and to the Warumungu people is a sacred site, as a women’s dancing place for the Munga Munga Dreaming. It is also a very scenic place and the rock formations are quite spectacular.

Lake Mary Ann: Just three miles out of Tennant Creek lies Lake Mary Ann, north up the Stuart Highway (or via a walking and cycling track), just beyond the Honeymoon Ranges. It is a delightful spot for a picnicking, swimming, bushwalking and wildlife spotting.

Tuxworth-Fullwood Museum: Right in the centre of Tennant Creek, the Tuxworth-Fullwood Museum, a National Trust property, was originally an army hospital during World War Two, but now houses a collection of memorabilia from the town’s mining past, as well as a library of local photographs taken over the years.

Tennant Creek Township

There is an old story that says that Tennant Creek was established when a beer lorry broke down here in the 1930s and the drivers decided to make themselves feel at home whilst they set about drinking up their cargo! In truth, the town was established following the gold rush in the region, also in the 1930s, and grew from there. One of the major gold mines in the area was Nobles Nob, discovered by an unlikely pair of prospectors – one-eyed Jack Noble and blind William Weaber – and the mine went on to become the biggest open cut gold mine in Australia, until it closed in 1985.