The Northern Territory is the Australia of the picture books: Uluru in the Red Centre, waterfalls and rock art in Kakadu and Litchfield, crocodiles and tropical markets in Darwin. Here you'll find all 5 places with 45 checked spots, the climate, jobs and the matching road trips.
Darwin is the tropical capital of the Northern Territory and the base for Kakadu and Litchfield: sunset markets on the beach, an outdoor cinema with deckchairs and a strip of bars full of backpackers.
Alice Springs sits in the middle of the Red Centre and is the starting point for the classic Uluru tours.
Kakadu is Australia's largest national park and a double UNESCO World Heritage site: Aboriginal rock art thousands of years old, wetlands full of crocodiles and birds, and waterfalls over high cliffs.
Litchfield National Park is about an hour and a half south of Darwin and known for waterfalls with plunge pools, rock pools and giant termite mounds.
Uluru is the heart of Australia: a rock sacred to the Anangu that glows red at sunset.
All 45 spots at a glance: open the Northern Territory map.
The Territory is two worlds. In the tropical Top End around Darwin, Kakadu and Litchfield the dry season runs from May to October with blue skies and around 30 degrees, the wet season from November to April with storms, floods and closed roads. The Centre around Alice Springs and Uluru is desert: from May to September the days are warm and the nights cold, often below zero, while summer climbs above 40 degrees. The best time for both is May to September.
The whole Northern Territory counts as regional. Most hiring happens in the dry season: hostels, bars and tour operators in Darwin, resorts at Uluru and roadhouses along the Stuart Highway. In remote areas such as Uluru, tourism and hospitality work can also count towards your second visa. Farm work is mainly the mango harvest around Katherine and Darwin (September to November). Check the postcode and type of work with Home Affairs before you start.
Minimum wage, tax, your rights and the harvest calendar for all of Australia are on Working in Australia.
May to September. That's the dry season in the north, and the days in the Centre are pleasantly warm. In the wet season many roads and parts of Kakadu are closed.
Only at signed spots, such as many of the waterfalls in Litchfield National Park. Saltwater crocodiles live in the sea and rivers, so always take warning signs seriously.
Fly to Ayers Rock (Yulara) or drive from Alice Springs, about 450 kilometres and roughly five hours.
New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania.
Updated October 2026. Checked against official sources. Whether a job counts towards your second visa is decided by Home Affairs alone, so check with them before you start.