Barkly Tablelands

Stretching across the heart of the Northern Territory, the Barkly Tablelands is a vast, semi-arid savanna of red earth, Mitchell grass plains, and ancient cattle stations. This is outback Australia at its most raw and expansive — a place where the horizon seems infinite and the silence is palpable. The region's rugged beauty and rich pastoral history offer a genuine taste of remote station life, with opportunities to witness Aboriginal rock art, spot wildlife like wedge-tailed eagles and kangaroos, and experience the famed outback hospitality at historic roadhouses and homesteads. For self-drive travellers, the Barkly Tablelands is a classic leg on the journey between Alice Springs and Queensland, rewarding those who pause with its stark, unvarnished grandeur.

Highlights & What to See

• Brunette Downs Race Day — an iconic outback race meeting held in August on a remote cattle station, featuring horse racing, campdrafting, and a raucous social atmosphere under the big sky.
• Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) — just south of the Tablelands, these surreal, balancing granite boulders are a sacred Aboriginal site and a spectacular spot for sunset photography.
• Banka Banka Station — a historic working cattle station offering campgrounds, a museum, and a chance to chat with locals about life on the land.
• Lake Woods — a vast ephemeral wetland that, after good rains, becomes a birdwatcher's paradise teeming with waterfowl and migratory species.
• Newcastle Waters Historic Village — a preserved droving settlement with original buildings, including the Junction Hotel and the Old Police Station, evoking the era of overland cattle drives.
• Elliott — a small town that serves as a service stop, but also offers access to the nearby Longreach Waterhole, a peaceful spot for a swim or picnic.

Suggested Time to Spend

To truly appreciate the Barkly Tablelands, allow at least two to three days for a self-drive journey between Tennant Creek and the Queensland border. This gives you time to detour to the Devils Marbles, explore Banka Banka Station, and soak in the vast landscapes without rushing. If you're on a tighter schedule, a single day's drive from Tennant Creek to Camooweal offers a satisfying taste of the plains, but you'll miss the deeper station experiences. The region is best visited during the dry season (April to October) when roads are reliable and temperatures are more bearable.

Nearby Areas Worth Combining

• Tennant Creek — 100 km west, this historic gold-mining town offers the Battery Hill Mining Centre and the Nyinkka Nyunyu Aboriginal cultural centre.
• Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu) — a must-see detour just off the Stuart Highway, roughly 100 km south of Tennant Creek.
• Davenport Ranges National Park — a rugged wilderness of gorges and waterholes, ideal for bushwalking and camping, located south of the Tablelands.
• Alice Springs — about 500 km south, the gateway to the Red Centre with its desert landscapes and Aboriginal cultural experiences.
• Mount Isa — 200 km east in Queensland, a mining city with the iconic Mount Isa Mine and the Riversleigh Fossil Centre.

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