As Australia and the world begins to open up for travel, destination holidays are back on the menu. With their incentives for vaccinated people a trip to the Northern Territory is looking attractive, and more so for space buffs with Arnhem Space Centre in the Northern Territory set to host three NASA rocket launches in mid-2022.
The launches will be the first time the agency undertakes a space launch from a commercial facility outside of the USA, and will definitely be a spectacular sight.
Once the launches are over though, the Territory, with such wide open spaces and little light pollution can be an amazing place for anyone looking to get a better view of the heavens.
There’s loads of options across the vast Northern Territory including guided astronomy tours with Earth Sanctuary near Alice Springs, who also host the Dark Skies Festival, ‘a cosmic fusion of art, science & culture in the heart of Australia’ which will be returning on May 4 2022.
You could also try glamping under the stars near Katherine with Katherine Outback Experience, something a little further south at Kings Canyon or even a Safari Camp in the top end.
Of course if you’re in the NT, a visit to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is a must. It’s here you can experience dinner and a talk as part of the Ayers Rock Resort Voyage’s. Packages include the Sounds of Silence and Tali Wiru packages which offer bush tucker inspired meals while a resident star talker will share Dreamtime stories and traditions in the stars.
You could even try their glamping option with Longitude 131 offering stays under the stars near Uluru.
I can personally recommend the Uluru Astronomy tours, having checked them out a few years ago during a visit and it’s stunningly beautiful with stars as far as the eye can see – and you can probably snap a decent star pic of your own
Lastly, you could try your luck with UFO sightings and head to Wycliffe Well, located 130 kilometres south of Tennant Creek and 380 kilometres north of Alice Springs, which has built a reputation of attracting visitors of the extra-terrestrial kind since WWII.
You can stop over and camp at the alien-themed Wycliffe Well Holiday Park and keep your eyes peeled for a UFO sighting while you relax under the stars.
If you’re into space tourism, but, like me, can’t quite afford the space tourism involving rockets and flying with Mr Bezos, a trip to the NT is not a bad alternative. The incentives for travel aren’t bad either with their NT Summer Sale, kicking off tomorrow offering fully vaccinated travellers savings of $200 for every $1000 spent on flights, accommodation, tours and vehicle hire, with selected travel partners.
