Barkly Tableland

Drive across the never-ending plains of the Barkly Tablelands. Take in the rugged beauty and watch the colour of the landscape change as the sun sets.

Experience the big skies and far horizons of the outback at Barkly Tablelands, rolling plains of grassland that stretch east of Tennant Creek and are home to some of the Territory’s premier cattle stations.

Remote, rugged beauty

Travellers are drawn to the Barkly for its rugged beauty and to experience the sense of freedom that comes from driving through its long stretches of uninhabited land.

Watch as the colours of this immense landscape change with the sun, as rocky hillsides pick up the rays between daybreak and evening.

True cattle country

Drive through the Mitchell grassland, through which hardy stockmen drove their cattle along the tablelands’ endless stock routes not so long ago.

These plains are home to cattle stations the size of small European countries. Road trains have taken over the droving, but the same plucky characters still work the cattle today. You can meet a few of them at the iconic Barkly Homestead, the tablelands’ only service centre.

Travellers’ stories

Outback race meet

Frock up for one of Australia’s best kept outback secrets at the Brunette Downs Races in June. Join visitors who fly in and land on the dirt airstrip from all over Australia for this iconic bush race and rodeo event, which has been running for more than a century.

Get a ring-side seat to the popular outback spectacles of bronco branding, camp drafting, rodeo and novelty races, and camp the night to experience the event’s famous live entertainment.