Barkly Tableland

Barkly Tableland is a vast open region of pretty much nothing in the Northern Territory about the size of the UK but with fewer than 6,500 inhabitants.

Settlements

 * — largest town with about 3,500 inhabitants with many remains of its gold rush history
 * — UFO Capital of Australia

Understand
Barkly Tableland is a vast territory that has to be one of the most sparsely inhabited regions in the world: it's about the same size as the United Kingdom, but home to just 6,330 inhabitants (2007). The region roughly stretches from Newcastle Waters in the north to Barrow Creek in the south. Both of these settlements are connected by the Stuart Highway, the largest paved road that stretches right through the Northern Territory.

The word "tableland" is a misnomer because this area is not elevated, nor does it have well-defined boundaries. It is a vast treeless plain dominated by Mitchell Grass. What little water there is drains into the porous limestone beneath the clay soils, forming lakes and swamps in some places.

More than half the population live in Tennant Creek, a gold-mining village with the last gold rush occurring in the 1930s. The second paved road is the Barkly Highway, which connects Tennant Creek all the way east to Queensland. Along the road are wide grassy plains with plenty of cattle stations to be found. These plains are among the most important cattle grazing areas in the Northern Territory.

The region has an average of about 140,000 tourists each year, most of them passing through on the way to the Red Centre.

History
The indigenous inhabitants of this vast area include the Warumungu, Walpiri, Kaiditch and Alyawarr people, who have lived here for the last 65,000 years. The first non-indigenous person to enter the area was William Landsborough who, in 1862, named the area for Sir Henry Barkly, then the governor of Victoria. The completion of the Overland Telegraph Line in 1872, which allowed fast communication between Australia and Europe, led to increased settlement in the region. The Overland Telegraph Line connected Port Augusta with Darwin, a total span of 3,200 km right through the Outback. It roughly followed the current Stuart Highway, where most settlements can still be found today.

By car
Although Barkly Tableland is one of the remotest places in Australia, it is quite easy to get in with a 2-wheel-drive-car using sealed roads. The Stuart Highway (Highway 87) is a sealed road that crosses the region from north to south, and your best bet if coming in from Darwin, Katherine or Alice Springs. Incoming traffic from Queensland goes via the Barkly Highway (Highway 66), another sealed road in perfect condition both with a good limit. Even while using these quality roads, you are still in the middle of the Outback, so get plenty of fuel, drinks and food on board and make sure your car is in top condition.

More adventurous options are available using unsealed roads, but don't even think about these without having your car in top condition. Some of these roads can be done with a 2WD-car, but it's not recommended as they can be rough. Better rent a 4WD-car. Also make sure you carry plenty of fuel, drinks and food, as you might not see anyone here in days or even weeks. When in danger, never leave your vehicle as then you are a lot harder to be spotted from the air by rescue services.

By bus
Greyhound Australia ( Australian phones only) stops on most places of the Stuart Highway. Every day the bus from Alice Springs leaves at 7:30PM and arrives in Tennant Creek about 6.5 hours later. From Darwin, the coach leaves exactly at noon, passes Katherine at 5:25PM and arrives at Tennant Creek at 2AM (14 hours later). Bus travel is expensive, from Alice Springs to Tennant Creek costs $169, while from Darwin to Tennant Creek costs around $242.

Bus travel can be tedious though - sure, it's a way to get in, but getting around these vast distances is a nightmare. Having your own transport is definitely a better option.

By air
It's possible to get into Barkly by air. There's plenty of land available, which leads to plenty of places for small airplanes or helicopters to land. The roadhouse Barkly Homestead has a 1- to 2-km long gravel airstrip available.

See

 * Aboriginal cultural sites, such as Karlu Karlu.
 * The Barkly region is also renowned for the cattle industry and encompasses some of Australia's largest and most historic stations. These include Newcastle Waters, Banka Banka and Brunette Downs. The Overlander's Way tourism drive follows the paths of many droving heroes who brought vast herds of cattle through the Barkly on their way to the Queensland coast.

Itineraries

 * Stuart Highway

Do
There is very little to do in this region, owing to the fact that there's barely anything in here. Hiking is very much discouraged. However, if you do happen to be here at night, the sky is pretty clear, making this region a good spot for star gazing.

Eat
Although in the Top End and Alice Springs, you can get a wide variety of food, Barkly Tableland has little to offer apart from roadhouses. If you're a vegan or a vegetarian, this area has almost nothing to offer.

Usually the roadhouses would have typical Australian cuisine, which include pies, lamingtons, and not to forget Vegemite. Food here is relatively expensive.

Drink
The only bars and pubs are either in the small towns. Roadhouses may or may not have alcohol.

Sleep
Camping is popular way to experience the region. There are plenty of spots to pitch a tent or roll out a swag, but some of the best spots are dotted throughout conservation reserves in the Devils Marbles and the Davenport Range National Park - a 1120-km² area east of the highway about 250 km south of Tennant Creek. The Park is dotted with waterholes that attract plenty of wildlife, birds and fish.

Go next

 * North to Top End and Darwin
 * South to Red Centre and Alice Springs