It was nearly midnight.

I went to flick the switch on my computer for the night, and yawning took one last look at my twitter stream.

I love the Territory –

The Territory is where I first landed in Australia, and was all I saw of the Antipodes on that initial trip Down Under. Working (and saving) for nearly two years in the Top End  I never ventured beyond its borders – And then my travels took me overland back to Europe.

But for a ‘Dream Drive’ adventure holiday in the Northern Territory now…
Where would I go?

The NT occupies one sixth of the Australian continent, being Australia’s third largest State/Territory covering over 1.35 million sq km (520,902 sq mi) equivalent to the combined totals of France, Spain and Italy.
Or, if you’re more familiar with the UK – John O’Groats to Lands End would drop neatly in between Darwin and Tennant Creek (about half way down the NT!), with plenty of space around the edges to spare.

So there’s a fair bit of country to see!

And there’s plenty of space!
The Northern Territory is the least populated with less than a quarter of a million residents (233,300), which is less than half the population of Tasmania!

Where would you go?

Fishing for barramundi (a Top End fishing favourite)?
Cruising up the Gorge at Katherine?
Or clambering up Gunloom Falls to admire the view over the Top End plains from a natural infinity pool that featured in Crocodile Dundee?

The Northern Territory is not only a huge area to explore, it hosts a stunning array of contrasting landscapes from the tropical north wetlands…

 …to the dry red Centre –

Because of its size and scope, a trip to the Territory isn’t a ‘been there, done that’ kind of a holiday destination, where you quickly tick off this and mark off that –

Its more about the experience.

I wanted to experience the power of the NT ~

Its spiritual power at places like Nourlangie and Ubirr…

The power of its timeless landscapes in the Centre…

and the escarpment country at Twin Falls in the north…

And feel the magic of pulsating sounds emanating from around a billabong at night – to experience that timeless sensation of being at one with nature – biophilia.

And so (in less than 140 characters, as is Twitter’s mode) and including the hashtag: #DreamDriveNT I said…

I hit the send button.
And went to bed.

Ten days later, as another long hard working day came to a close, I checked into Twitter to see what had been happening, and my jaw dropped –

Me!!
I’d WON!

I couldn’t really believe it –
Who would?!
But a few days later on a very wet and miserable Queensland morning, the hard-core proof arrived.

$5,000 to spend on an adventure of my choosing, wherever I wanted to go on holiday in the Northern Territory.

So, with the essentials packed…

• Purple walking/hiking boots – Check
• Heeled horse-riding boots – Check
• Marine kayaking/canoeing water boots – Check
• Sandals for kicking back and relaxing – Check…

 

I was set for my Dream Drive holiday to the Northern Territory.

And if you want to come along for the ride?
To follow my adventure as I hike stunning National Parks, go horse-riding overnight on an outback station sleeping in a swag under the stars, go kayaking for 3 days down the Katherine River, and sip icy cold drinks in the infinity pool at Wildman Wilderness Retreat…

Simply enter your email address in the box below and I’ll give you a whistle (about once a week) of my latest escapade –

Where to first off?
Learning about bush tucker from a local Warumungu Aboriginal, traditional owner and experienced stockman, Jerry Kelly who took me horse riding across the spinifex plains of the Barkly Tablelands near Tennant Creek. 🙂

 

Photo credits: All photos in this post were taken by me on my fantabulous holiday in the Northern Territory – Sign up for the emails if you want to see more!