When you close your eyes and think of Australia, do you really think of Italian food, shiraz, cricket and Kylie?
No. You think of the real Australia. The dry desert, the red kangaroos, big crocs, dingoes, Uluru, and Mick Dundee.
What Kiwis love about the Northern Territory is the raw, unfiltered feeling when you get there. It's not the polished harbour views of Sydney or the cafe culture of Melbourne's laneways. The NT is wide-open spaces, incredible hospitality, and a genuine Outback adventure.
The good news is there are plenty of ways to take it on.
By train, the Ghan is one of the great rail journeys in the world. All-inclusive, it runs from Adelaide to Darwin, cutting straight through the Outback. A brilliant way to appreciate just how vast the place is.
By car, a road trip through the Outback should be on every Kiwi's list. The drive from Darwin down to Uluru is full of highlights, and the kind of landscapes you simply cannot find anywhere else.
By boat, take an airboat across the Kakadu floodplains or cruise the Kakadu wetlands. Throw a line in while you're at it.
For accommodation, Outback lodges like Bamurru Plains and Finniss River Lodge are exceptional stays that put you right in the middle of it all.
Most Kiwis have family or friends on the Australian east coast. Next time you're planning to visit them, tag on a Northern Territory adventure. Same flights, completely different experience.
Pictured above: The Outback. Fair dinkum real Australia.