Campervan Travel to Tennant Creek

Its a 660 kilometre drive from Mt Isa to Tennant Creek, and in our campervan we anticipate that to take us the best part of a day. Our kids are 12 and 10 years old, so they get restless and we do need to stop fairly frequently. A common misconception with campervan travel is that you can walk around and stretch whilst en route- this is not actually legal, as everyone has to be strapped in whilst driving, so stopping for a break and a stretch is essential.
This drive continues along the Overlanders Highway, which was the original route that cattle drovers took their herds along into the Northern Territory. It is an uneventful drive, with hardly any where to stop, so make sure you take plenty of sustenance for the journey! The scenery is so typical of the outback, dry and arid with a stark beauty to it. However, the novelty of being so far from anywhere soon wears off, and we were glad to reach our destination! The heat is immense, so thank goodness the air conditioning held out.
Tennant Creek is a town of 3500 people, set in the immense Barkly Region which consists of wide open spaces with scattered cattle stations, Aboriginal communities and mines around it. We had booked our motorhome into the Tennant Creek Caravan Park, which had everything we wanted and more for a good nights recovery from our drive. The friendly staff were able to point us in the right direction as far as tourist attractions were concerned, and the shops in town were just a short walk away.
We decided to spend three days in Tennant Creek, as one day would involve an hours drive south of town to the Devil's Marbles, an intriguing and bizarre rock formation that had been recommended to us by a few people. Naturally formed round boulders sit atop one another here, making it seem as if they are floating above the earth when viewed from a distance. They are situated on a sacred aboriginal site that many consider to be one of the oldest traditional sites in the world. There are campsites if you wish to stay longer, but after a picnic and a walk around we felt we had seen everything we needed to, so didnt stay on.
In Tennant Creek the main tourist attraction is the Battery Hill Mining Centre, where you can experience how life was in the gold rush there in the 1930's. There is a museum there, and you can take an underground mine tour and see the big machinery in action. You can even pan for your own gold, and keep anything you find!
Our son Derek is mad keen on fishing, so we had to make a day of fishing, swimming and canoeing on Lake Mary Ann, which is situated just a short drive out of town. Its a pretty dam and a refreshing way to spend a day despite the hot sun.
Now its time to move on, the friendly town of Tennant Creek has served us well! Newcastle Waters here we come...

Restrictions - Some campervan companies have restrictions on where you can take your camper, and sometimes you cannot take it off sealed roads. Check on this beforehand.

Equipment - Find out what camping and cooking equipment is included and what isnt. This is important on long journeys.

Type of Campervan - Make sure its able to do what you want to do, i.e. is it four wheel drive, does it have a snorkell to cross deep rivers. Is it new and reliable? You do not want to break down in the middle of nowhere!

Fuel Prices - Remember fuel gets more expensive the more remote you are, so don't budget on the fuel prices in the city.

Water - Take a good supply of water with you. Dehydration is a dangerous thing, and car engines are prone to overheating in the hot sun. You don't want to run out of water.

Our next leg is just a three hour drive up the Stuart highway, to the historic cattle station that is Newcastle Waters. We are only spending a night here, as we did not want to go the whole stretch to Katherine in one drive. We booked into the Elliot Caravan Park, in the town of Elliot about 23 kilometres south of Newcastle Waters. Elliot is a small, largely Aboriginal town, with not much to see except the beautiful gardens outside the council building. Arriving here we feel very detached from life as we know it in Australia! Everything in the outback is a far cry from our suburban life in Brisbane.
Its an uneventful night at the camping ground in Elliot, and in the morning we head off to Newcastle Waters to see what its all about. The town itself is virtually uninhabited, its glory days of being a central point for drovers long over. There are some heritage-status buildings, although they are not much to look at, and the bronze 'Drover's Statue' is probably the highlight of this town.
However, a short distance away is the immensely large Newcastle Waters Cattle Station, home to 45000 head of cattle! Of course it would be impossible to see even a small portion of the 10 000 square kilometre property, so we had to settle with a small drive around the homestead, taking in some of the herds of cattle and watching the jackeroos and jillaroos at work on their horses. It was a dusty experience, but the campervan held out the dust pretty well and the inside remained relatively intact.
Travelling in these more remote regions of the Northern Territory requires a lot of planning. Remember there are very few other people around, so you need to prepare for any eventuality and be well stocked with fuel and supplies. Try to keep your distances between stopovers relatively short, as your vehicle will cope much better with this in the heat. A well planned trip will allow you to enjoy the drive more, and although the scenery can be a bit monotonous you will be able to appreciate the sights of the outback more if you are not worried about the drive.
So our next stretch is an easy four hours to Katherine. After a picnic lunch at Newcastle Waters we struck out, very excited about getting closer to the tropical top of the Northern Terrirory!

Central Australia's golden town, Tennant Creek, is
surrounded by large cattle properties, rocky outcrops and vast outback tablelands stretching as far as the eye can see. Alice Springs is within a day's drive south, with Darwin an easy few days north. With the freedom of your rental car, you can choose each day where you want to base yourselves to explore the rugged Australian terrain or spend a few days close to town to enjoy the local attractions.

One of the most famous local landmarks, the Devils Marbles, is located just over an hours drive south of town. These massive round boulders seem to be suspended in space, and are impressive at dusk when they seem to glow red with the sunset. There is a walk here which takes you to the best viewing spots and there is a great campground if you want to stay a while longer to enjoy all this region has to offer.

Not far is the Davenport Range National Park, which offers beautiful scenery, attracting locals and tourists from all areas. The Old Police Station Waterhole is one of the most well known features of the Park, and is easily accessible from the main road. Come here for a picnic and swim to enjoy the hidden treasures of the central territory.

Head east and you will find the Barkly Tablelands, known for their rich cattle grazing land. Travel along the Overlander's Way towards the Queensland border and you will be on the same trail as the stockmen who first drove their herds into the Territory from Queensland. Stop at the Barkly Homestead for a coffee and chat to the locals and
enjoy the remoteness of central Australia at it's best.

There are a number of camping grounds in town, but you might want to head one of the many further out for an outback adventure. Bring all your own supplies and be prepared for incredible nights under a canopy of stars, camp fires and fun filled days either exploring the surrounding terrain or simply relaxing in a deck chair reading a book.

A great place to stay for the night is the Threeways TouristPark, named because you can travel in three different directions - north, south on the Stuart Highway or east onto the Barkley Highway. It is perfect base to visit the local attractions with excellent facilities.

You can't visit Tennant Creek without panning for gold. You may not strike a big nugget, but there's still tales ofvisitors coming home with a lot more than they bargained for. Battery Hill Mining Centre is a few minutes away, which has an interesting museum and guided mine tours. Thiswill give you a greater appreciation of the local industry and history of the area. The Peko and Eldorado Mines are
the most famous, established when Tennant Creek was put on the map during its famous gold rush.

For a quick getaway, head to the Mary Ann Dam which is only five kilometres north of town. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy a refreshing swim or spot of fishing. With plenty of wildlife and birdlife here you might want to schedule some time here. Continue on further north to visit the Pebbles, which are often referred to as a smaller version of the Devils Marbles. These large boulders set off stunning
scenery, and being so close to town are worth visiting to capture the spirit of the outback.

Tennant Creek is a great base to explore much of the
surrounding territory. There are certainly plenty of far horizons and rugged mountain ranges in every direction, and the whole region seems to typify the Australian outback at its best. Its vast stretches of grassy plains and long, dusty roads beckon you to explore what lies beyond the horizon.