Tennant Creek Region Trip Planner

Welcome to Tennant Creek Region, Australia's Northern Territory

Tennant Creek, like much of the Northern Territory, is hundreds of kilometers from its nearest neighbour. Situated along the Stuart Highway, the township and corresponding region lie 1,000 km (625 mi) south of Darwin and 500 km (312 mi) north of Alice Springs. The area is best known as the Barkly Tablelands and characterized by wide sprawling plains, enormous cattle stations, gold mines and Aboriginal culture. The Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Centre showcases the Warumungu people’s stories, history and art, and is considered one of Australia’s finest cultural centres. Karlu Karlu, or the Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve, is a sacred site of the Warumungu, as well as being the region’s highlight attraction. Humungous boulders are strewn across a broad, shallow valley in a captivating display of geographical wonder.

The Devil’s Marbles bring tourists to the area but its other natural endowment is responsible for bringing development. Prior to the 1930s, the only building in the area was a repeater station for the Overland Telegraph Line. With the discovery of gold, however, Tennant Creek became the site of Australia’s last major gold rush, now encapsulated at the Battery Hill Mining Centre. Mining remains important to the region, nicknamed the “Golden Heart of the Northern Territories.”

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