For Christmas 2024, The Weekly was invited to visit the Northern Territory, and our cover — featuring the fabulous Poh Ling Yeow — was shot at Rainbow Valley, known as Wurre to the Southern Arrernte people.
Over 400 species of flora grow here, dunes are scattered with wildflowers, rust-headed Fairy Martins dart in and out of Desert Oaks and Bloodwood trees, and as night falls, cave bats swoop among the boldly striped cliffs.
“It’s a really majestic place,” says Paul Ah Chee, a Yankunytatjara, Wankangurru, Arrernte man who is a Traditional Owner of this Country and First Nations Community Engagement Consultant for Tourism NT. Paul has been coming here since he was young, as have generations of Arrernte people.
“There’s a sense of being at home here,” he tells The Weekly. “It’s a place we can relax and feel safe.”
Wurre / Rainbow Valley has a deep cultural history, which archaeologists date back 30,000 years. They’ve found significant rock art and evidence that Arrernte people used traps to fish and ground seeds to make bread.
Behind these cliffs, palaeontologists have uncovered the fossilised remains of two enormous marsupials that walked here 25 million years ago. It is an unfathomably ancient landscape.
“When we look at the land, it’s a part of us, not just a pretty sight,” Traditional Owners have said. “The landscape identifies us and connects us with our past, present, and future.”
‘Altyerre’ is the Southern Arrernte word for creation time, and Rainbow Valley abounds with Altyerre stories. Some sites are so sacred that visitors are not permitted and Traditional Owners cannot share their stories.
All over this land, the message is to tread carefully and respectfully. To Southern Arrernte people, Wurre is a place where culture and nature are inextricably linked.
Paul hopes that The Weekly’s readers will “take away an understanding of how important the land is to us all, and especially to people who have been entrusted to protect this site for future generations.”
Where else should you explore in the Northern Territory?
The Northern Territory is home to incredible natural landmarks and culturally significant places. But, no trip to the Red Centre would be complete without making a visit to Uluru / Ayers Rock. The monolith that rises out of the desert is considered to be the spiritual heartland of Australia.
While in the area, you should make your way to the red rock formations of Kata Tjuta (otherwise known as ‘The Olgas”). Translated from the Indigenous language, it means “many heads”. You can spy these magnificent mounds from Walpa Gorge Walk or the Valley of the Winds Walk (if you’re feeling ambitious.
If you’re keen to explore the lush vegetation of the Northern Territory, head to Katherine and take a dip in one of the many natural hot springs or to Kakadu National Park for breathtaking scenes across the Kakadu escarpment, river cruises, and sunsets over the 20,000 square kilometres of World Heritage national park.
When is the best time to go to the Northern Territory?
There’s not one perfect time of the year to visit the Northern Territory, it can be great all year round! That being said, there are two distinct climate zones: the tropical Top End (which includes the capital Darwin) and the Red Centre (home to Uluru / Ayers Rock)
In the Top End, there are two main seasons: dry and wet. The Dry Season is from around May to October. During this time, you will enjoy sunny days and cooler evenings. Towards the end of the Dry Season, you would experience “the build-up”, when weather starts to warm up and humidity increases. From November to April there would be incredible thunderstorms and even warmer weather. There are fewer crowds during this time, so you could snag a bargain on travel costs.
The Red Centre experiences four typical seasons, but they tend to be extreme. So expect hot summer days and super cold (below-freezing) nights in winter. Despite the very cold nights, winter is typically the most popular time to visit as the daily temperatures are more manageable (aka not blisteringly hot).
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