Northern Territory » Barunga

Located in Arnhem Land on the overland route to Nhulunbuy, Barunga is well known for its annual indigenous cultural and sporting festival.

Temperatures for Barunga
Barunga has hot summer temperatures. The summer high temperature for Barunga is approximately 32 °c. The summer low temperature is approximately 25 °c.

Barunga has warm winter temperatures. The winter high temperature for Barunga is approximately 30 °c. The winter low temperature is approximately 19 °c.

Litchfield National Park
Litchfield National Park is an easy hour-and-a-half journey from Darwin, and is one of the Top End’s hidden treasures. This unspoiled wilderness boasts monsoon rainforests, cascading waterfalls, diverse flora and fauna and impressive natural formations. Travellers can cool off with a swim in the plunge pool below Florence Falls, wade through a series of rocky pools at Buley Rockhole, view magnetic termite mounds, visit Wangi

Falls and Tolmer Falls, or explore the sandstone towers of the Lost City. Litchfield National Park’s closest service point is Batchelor, offering a range of accommodation and facilities. Have a snack at the Butterfly and Bird Farm, drop into the Coomalie Cultural Centre to browse its presentation of indigenous arts and crafts, or admire Batchelor’s miniature replica of Karlstein Castle.

Mandorah
Mandorah is a tiny settlement on the western side of Darwin harbour. The 20 minute ferry trip from Cullen Bay to Mandorah provides unique views of Darwin’s beautiful harbour. Once at Mandorah, many day-trippers head straight for the local pub to enjoy its stunning views, barra and chips, and quintessentially laid-back character. Fishing at the ferry jetty is a popular pastime, especially during the dry season, when mackerel and tuna come within casting distance.

Melville Island
Melville Island is Australia’s second largest island after Tasmania. There is little infrastructure on the island, and is not open to the public for tourism, except on an organised tour. Separated from Bathurst Island by only two kilometres, Melville Island has a similar history. It was first sighted by Abel Tasman in 1644 on his way from Batavia.

In 1818 the son of New South Wales Governor Philip Gidley King, Phillip Parker King explored the island (he named it after Viscount Melville) and was surprised to discover that the local Aboriginal people knew some Portuguese words. He deduced they had made contact with Portuguese sailors after a Portuguese ship had been wrecked nearby.

Ownership of Melville Island was returned to the Tiwi people in 1978, and like Bathurst Island, it is run by the Tiwi Land Council. Milikapiti, Pirlangimpi and Paru are the main communities, which are serviced by schools, sports ovals, museums and art and craft galleries.

Newcastle Waters
The Newcastle Waters township, located 269 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, is part of a large, historic cattle station in the Barkly Tablelands. Economically dependent on droving in the early 1900s, the arrival of road trains in the 1960s reduced it to a virtual ghost town. The National Trust's Jones' Store, built in 1934, has been preserved as a museum. The explorer John McDouall Stuart reached the area in 1861 and described the river running north from Lake Woods as ‘the most splendid reach of water’. He named it after the Duke of Newcastle, Secretary for the Colonies. Stuart established a base camp near the present site of the station. The small township grew until the Junction Hotel served its last beer in 1960 and the remaining buildings are a testament to the era. The remains of the pub, the museum and the Drover's Memorial Park (featuring a bronze statue of a drover) allow travellers to step back in time and gain insight into life in the outback.