Northern Territory » Barrow Creek

Barrow Creek is situated 283 kilometres north of Alice Springs on the Stuart Highway. Set against the backdrop of the Forster Ranges, Barrow Creek’s proximity to a freshwater spring made it one of the outback’s more pleasant stops for pioneers. Many travellers stop at Barrow Creek to visit the Telegraph Station completed here in 1872. Wander around the old Telegraph Station, examine artefacts at the blacksmith’s hut and be transported back to the pioneer days.

The Barrow Creek Hotel is also a welcome pit stop. Frequented by friendly Territory characters, the Hotel contains an interesting collection of memorabilia gathered over the years. The Hotel also provides basic accommodation, fuel, meals and refreshments.

Temperatures for Barrow Creek
Barrow Creek has hot summer temperatures. The summer high temperature for Barrow Creek is approximately 35 °c. The summer low temperature is approximately 21 °c.

Barrow Creek has warm winter temperatures. The winter high temperature for Barrow Creek is approximately 20 °c. The winter low temperature is approximately 15 °c.

Kings Canyon

Kings Canyon is situated within the Watarrka National Park, and is a huge canyon 270m high. The walk around the rim of the canyon is definitely worth it as the views are spectacular, although it can take 3-4 hours and should only be attempted early in the morning during the summer months. On your way around the rim of the canyon you will pass the tropical pools of the Garden of Eden, and the beehive rock formations called the Lost City. The views from the canyon are also spectacular, overlooking the beautiful landscape.

Alternatively you can take the walk through the canyon gorge looking up to the towering canyon above you. This walk is a slightly more reasonable 1 hour walk. Another way to see the canyon is from helicopter. There are numerous flights leaving from both the Kings Canyon Resort and Kings Creek Station. This shouldn't be missed, as you get to fully appreciate the scale of the canyon.

From Alice you can get to Kings Canyon by following the Stuart Highway until the turn off for the Ernest Giles Road. This then joins upto Luritja Road, which takes you right to the canyon. For a more scenic route from Alice take the Mereenie Loop through the Western MacDonnell Ranges, although you will need a permit to use this road. From Uluru you would follow the Lasseters Highway until the turn off for Laritja Road.

Once in Kings Canyon you can either stay at the Kings Canyon Resort or Kings Creek Station. Kings Canyon Resort has a wide variety of styles of accommodation as well as a selection of restaurants and cafes to eat out at. Kings Creek Station offers cabins and camping and has a small shop selling supplies. Both are reasonably close to the canyon carpark.

Larrimah
The historic township of Larrimah, located 250 kilometres south of Katherine, is a pleasant stop along the Stuart Highway. Its traditional owners are the Yangman Aboriginal people, whose descendants live today in the nearby community of Wubuluwan and in other communities around the region. The Yangaman people believe Dreaming tracks of the Storm Bird (a Channel Bill Cuckoo) helped create the surrounding landscape.

John McDouall Stuart explored this area in the late 1800s but the township of Larrimah didn’t spring up until 1940, when Gorrie Airfield was constructed here to service the war effort. Prior to World War II, the now lost town of Birdum was located just south of Larrimah. Larrimah means ‘meeting place’ in the Yangaman language and the town enjoyed a brief post war boom as a railhead and service provider to surrounding cattle stations.

A stop in Larrimah demands a visit to the local hotel that was built using materials from the dismantled Birdum Hotel. It houses the highest bar in the Northern Territory, and is immediately recognisable thanks to the Pink Panther sitting outside. Budget hotel rooms, caravan sites and camping sites, meals and beverages are available. For traditional country fare, drop in to Fran’s Devonshire Teahouse after exploring the Old Police Station Museum.