Destinations / Tennant Creek / North of Tennant
Attack Creek
74 kilometres north of Tennant Creek is a monument marking the point where explorer John McDouall Stuart turned back on his expedition to cross the continent in 1860 after a hostile encounter with some local Aboriginal people. It has since been appropriately known as Attack Creek.
Newcastle Waters
The Newcastle Waters township is part of a large, historic cattle station located 269 kilometres north of Tennant Creek. Economically dependent on droving in the early 1900s, the arrival of road trains in the 1960s reduced it to a virtual ghost town. The National Trust's Jones' Store, built in 1934, has been preserved as a museum.
Renner Springs
Located 170 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, this tiny settlement was named after Dr Frederick Renner, who provided medical services during the construction of the Overland Telegraph Line in 1872. The old style roadhouse features 27 air-conditioned rooms, powered caravan sites and shady campground accommodation.
Banka Banka
Located 100 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, the Banka Banka Station was the first operational pastoral lease in the Barkly region. There are grassed camping grounds with modern facilities. During the tourist season visitors can experience a slide show talk on outback station life.
Elliott
Elliott is located 255 kilometres north of Tennant Creek and is the second largest town in the Barkly region. Established during World War II as an interim camp for troops heading north, it was also a crossroad for three of Australia's most famous stock routes; the Barkly, the Murranji and the north-south.
Dunmarra
Dunmurra, 355 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, was named after Dan O'Mara, a linesman that went missing in the area in the early 1900s. Aboriginal trackers employed to search for his body had difficulty pronouncing his name, so Dunmarra stuck. It was one of the Stuart Highway's first stores and hotels and now services travellers and local cattle stations.
Travelling north from Tennant Creek towards Katherine on the fast, straight Explorer’s Way, you pass through golden grasslands that slowly give way to Savannah woodland.
Along the way, reminders of the past abound from the region’s pioneering, pastoral and Second World War history.
Banka Banka Station was the first operational cattle lease in this region and also served as an army camp during World War II. Visitors can camp overnight at the station and learn about its past.
Renner Springs, now a roadhouse and motel, was originally a medical post for the workers constructing the Overland Telegraph Line in the 1870s. Its name derives from Doctor Charles Renner, who was the physician there, and the fact that there are numerous springs in the area.
Elliott, 255 kilometres north of Tennant Creek, is the Barkly region’s second largest town and was developed during World War II. There is a range of services and facilities available for the traveller. Lake Woods nearby is a large body of permanent water in an otherwise largely arid region and is a haven for many bird species.
Daly Waters is a crossroads of outback history. Established to service cattle droving routes, this small township was also incorporated into the Overland Telegraph Line, served as a stopover for early Qantas flights to and from London, and was a major staging post for troop and supply movements during World War II. The Daly Waters Pub is the quintessential outback watering hole and the epicentre of the township. It is a worthwhile diversion from the drive, famous for its bush hospitality, huge meals and quirky decorations on the walls.
Explore Tennant Creek & surrounds
