I was recently lucky enough to tour the beautiful and mesmerising lands of the Northern Territory. With the closest Australian capital city to Asia (Darwin), it’s only 18 hours away from the UK, making the NT a convenient starting point for an Australian adventure. It’s an incredible Territory with so much to offer, split across two main areas – the Top End and the Red Centre.

In the Top End you’ll be wowed by beautiful sunsets, natural hot springs and World Heritage landscapes. We started here, enjoying the vibrant bar scene and culinary hot spots of Darwin before jet skiing across the harbour to explore hidden beaches. From Darwin we moved on to Kakadu National Park, Katherine and Nitmuluk National Park where we hiked and helicoptered our way around taking in the unrivalled wildlife, ancient rock art and stunning gorges.

Further south, The Red Centre is home to Australia’s most dramatic, beautiful scenery including the awe-inspiring icons of Uluru, Kings Canyon and Kata Tjuta. We explored the various gorges, chasms and canyons of the West MacDonnell Ranges and Kings Canyon before riding camels at sunset and dining in the desert under the stars. Finishing in Alice Springs, I visited an amazing sanctuary for orphaned kangaroos and reflected on what a varied and authentic Australian experience I had been fortunate enough to have in the Northern Territory.

The NT has two distinct seasons: the tropical summer and winter dry season, both offering their own benefits. Dry season offers plenty of events and festivals and lovely warm weather compared to the rest of Australia. I visited in March, the tail end of the tropical summer when the flora and fauna were in full bloom. We also had the unique opportunity to access certain parts of the national parks by boat. Seeing the stunning waterfalls without the crowds that the dry season can attract was also an added bonus.

The Northern Territory is unlike any other region in Australia and what I loved most about it was how much the indigenous Aboriginal culture remains strongly at the heart of the Territory. You can learn about the culture, art and history of the Aboriginal communities whilst also revelling in the exciting wildlife and natural wonders that the territory has to offer. The Northern Territory offers something for everyone with such a wide range of activities on offer paired with delicious cuisine and a laid back atmosphere.

My highlight was taking a helicopter from Uluru to Kings Creek Station and staying in a beautiful luxury lodge in the middle of the outback where we enjoyed a BBQ as we watched the sunset over the outback. The visit to a kangaroo sanctuary in Alice Springs was out of this world and we got to help nurse some of the rescued orphan baby roos before they are released back into the outback.

Give the NT the time it deserves. I would recommend 2 weeks here alone as there is so much to offer. It can easily be built into longer Australian itineraries, and works especially well with South Australia if you choose to take the iconic rail journey aboard The Ghan.