The Territory's unique flora, fauna and landscape are celebrated in its two award winning nature parks. The Alice Springs Desert Park, nestled in the MacDonnell Ranges just 10 minutes out of Alice Springs is a world-leader that showcases the natural and cultural environment of the Centre in three stunning habitats.

Professional guides, including local Aboriginal people, share stories of the region with visitors who also enjoy displays of free-flying birds of prey, close viewing of unique and rare animals in the nocturnal house and innovative representation of the natural history of the Australian deserts.

Near Darwin, the Territory Wildlife Park is set within 400 hectares of natural bushland including wetlands, monsoon forest and a crystal clear spring. The Park showcases the native flora and fauna of the Top End.

For many Territorians, nature is an integral part of their lifestyle – a factor that distinguishes the Territory from more developed parts of Australia.

And you don't have to travel far. The saltwater crocodile, perhaps our most famous native animal, is a regular inhabitant of all open waters of the Top End. But the best way to get a good view is at a Darwin Wildlife Park or from the safety of a guided tour to crocodile country.

In the Top End, you’ll commonly see green tree frogs, geckos, green ants, orange-footed bush chooks, Torres Strait pigeons and frillneck lizards. In Alice Springs, crested pigeons, galahs, and zebra finches are frequent visitors.

The Northern Territory is world-famous for its birdlife diversity (about 400 species). In Darwin more than 100 native bird species are known to occur in a suburban Darwin block. Take a short drive from from one of our cities to discover red-collared lorikeets, black flying-foxes; magpie geese and other waterfowl in nearby wetlands; or thousands of migratory shorebirds in coastal areas such as Casuarina Beach.

Our urban birdlife varies throughout the year, with influxes of common koels, dollarbirds, shorebirds, pratincoles, rainbow bee-eaters and channel-billed cuckoos marking the arrival of the wet season, and kites the arrival of the dry season.

Darwin has become a must-visit destination for increasing numbers of international wildlife enthusiasts, and ecotourists seeking open space and wildness. The city provides an easy access to the distinctive environments and fauna of northern Australia, and an opportunity to see animals that occur nowhere else in the world. Similarly, Alice Springs offers access to the unique environments of central and arid Australia.