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Tennant Creek A stopover full of surprises

Spend a few quiet days under the blue skies of Tennant Creek. Learn about the indigenous culture, mining history and original cattle kings.

Pull in at Tennant Creek, a friendly hamlet on the main artery between Alice Springs and Darwin, and discover a rich history shaped by gold mining, Aboriginal culture and the NT’s original cattle kings.

A rich, ‘golden’ history

Australia’s last gold rush took place right here in the 1930s, earning the town its title of ‘the Territory’s heart of gold’. Re-live the gold rush era on an underground tour at the Battery Hill Mining Centre, which houses Australia’s last operating ten-head gold stamp battery. Try fossicking for your own gold to take home.

Trawl through gold mining artefacts and memorabilia at the Tuxworth-Fullwood Museum, which was once a camp hospital during WWII.

Explore the stone buildings of the Telegraph Station. Constructed in 1872, the Tennant Creek station was a link in Overland Telegraph Line that connected the outback with the rest of the world.

Strong Aboriginal culture

Listen to the local Warumungu people’s legend of ‘Nyinkka’, the spiky tailed goanna that shaped the town, at the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre. This centre is considered one of the best in the Territory and includes a gallery of Indigenous art from the region, cafe and opportunities to find out more about Aboriginal life, history and land.

Join in a song at the Winanjjikari Music Centre, where contemporary music is produced and performed by Aboriginal musicians. Watch the action at the recording studio and take home a CD of original music.

Sacred site

Visit the sacred women’s dancing site at The Pebbles, a spectacular granite formation north of the town that’s known as Kunjarra to the Warumungu people.

Relax in the natural surroundings

Pack a picnic and follow the walking track through the Honeymoon Ranges to Lake Mary Ann. Your reward is a cool swim in the picturesque reserve.

Stockman in the saddle

Join in the fun of bull and bronco riding, barrel racing, a ‘stockman’s challenge’ and camp draft events at the annual Barkly Goldrush Campdraft Challenge in October.

Top 10 region awarded to The Red Centre, Australia. Lonely Planet Best in Travel 2019

Things to see & do in Tennant Creek