Daly Waters Pub in Australia’s Northern Territory

Remember to stop at the traffic lights

The Northern Territory town of Daly Waters, miles from anywhere, has a big history, an iconic pub and a very irritating set of traffic lights.
We’ve all been there. Trapped at a red light for seemingly decades for no apparent reason, tapping on the steering wheel in an increasing frenzy of impatience and silently berating the idiot who is in charge of traffic flow.
Well, if the whole waiting at the lights thing winds you up, then it’s probably best to avoid the Northern Territory town of Daly Waters. Outside the local pub is what the residents proudly boast is the world’s most remote set of traffic lights. You’ve got to give them that – there probably isn’t another one for at least 500km in any direction, and the chances of there being enough traffic to cause a nasty snarl up at the crossroads is even more remote. No, congestion control and accident prevention aren’t the priorities in this little backwater; it’s all about entertainment. Much to the howling amusement of those who set it up, the lights are permanently set to red in an attempt to trick as many visitors as possible as they foolishly slow down and wait for green. It is, quite literally, a tourist trap.

World famous pub

The town is most famous for its pub, and quite rightly so. It is truly something special, and is covered in what can only be described as tat from across the world. Business cards, postcards, foreign currency, passport photographs, driving licences… By the looks of it, most that have visited have left something behind, and it has been put up on the walls, crammed between bus tickets, train passes and rather unpleasant-looking underwear. Well, you wouldn’t leave your best pair behind, would you? Even so, it’s so dusty, shapeless and discoloured that you’d struggle to believe anyone would wear in the first place.

Visitors from Chile to Berlin

That so much from around the world has come together in such a remote place is staggering. Student cards from Chile mix with Berlin underground tickets and scenic photos of Galway countryside sit alongside rather less scenic pictures of maple leaf tattoos on a Canadian bottom. You could spend hours strolling around, reading everything, and notching up the nationalities. If you ever fancy a quick round-the-world trip, or a spot of identity fraud, then this is the place to come. During the day, the tour buses stop by, and another set of visitors from around the world gets to leave their mark. The locals look on somewhat bemused but they’ve long since got used to the strange procession of litterbug foreigners. It’s almost as entertaining as watching the people at the lights

Big barbecue and fresh barramundi

The evening is when the Daly Waters pub really comes into its own, though. That’s when the big barbie comes out and new-fangled things such as vegetarianism are mercilessly shunned. Salad is what food eats in this neck of the woods, although there will be a sprinkling of it available. Frankly you don’t need lettuce leaves when the steaks are top quality and the barramundi is fresh out of the river. Once you’ve tasted it, you won’t really care too much about the traffic anyway.

Getting to The Daly Waters pub

Nearest International Airport: Darwin, but that’s a fair trek.
Using public transport: Forget it – either rent a car or join a tour between Darwin and Alice Springs. Daly Waters is 7km off the Stuart Highway, 275km south of Katherine.

More information: Daly Waters Pub

Wycliffe Well UFO Hotspot in Northern Territory, Australia

The cynical amongst us may question why, if super-intelligent beings from another planet were to come to earth in order to check out what humans are up to, they would choose a tiny roadhouse in the middle of the desert as their main point of reference.
Perhaps try a big city chaps – you’ll probably get a much better idea of things there. Watch all the films – those aliens have got the right idea. Smash up a few icons and pulverize a couple of famous suburbs, and we’ll soon know who’s boss.
However, even the most ardent non-believer would have to admit that, over the years, a disturbingly high amount of UFO sightings have been reported from this little outpost on the Stuart Highway.
Whether this is due to people going a little crazy being in the middle of nowhere or the fact that pretty much the only thing to do out this way is to drink copious amounts of alcohol, it’s not absolutely certain. There has to be some explanation though – UFO nuts have rated Wycliffe Well as the fifth biggest sightings hotspot in the world.
To say that the owner of the local roadhouse has leapt on this gimmick with enthusiasm is a categorical understatement. Lou Farkas has turned his modest establishment into a hilariously garish holiday park.
Just in case you weren’t aware that there may be a bit of extra-terrestrial activity, Farkas has plastered his property with alien paraphernalia.
The walls are covered in UFO, planet and night sky murals, whilst there are big plastic green men all over the place.
There’s a decidedly man-made ‘spaceship’ on what passes for a lawn and cautionary road signs warn of potential UFO landings providing a slight hazard. Whether it’s genuinely where aliens are planning to take over the world from, or a stroke of marketing genius, if you’re taking on that long, lonely trip up the middle of Australia, Wycliffe Well’s flying saucer shrine provides a welcome source of light relief.

Getting to Wycliffe Well, Northern Territory, Australia
Wycliffe Well is 375km north of Alice Springs and 135km south of Tennant Creek on the Stuart Highway in Central Australia. If, for some reason, you’d like to spend a bit of time chilling out in the virtually attraction-free holiday park, visit the website.

Nearest International Airport: For international flights, it’s Darwin. For domestic Australian flights, it’s Alice Springs.

The Devil’s Marbles in Central Australia – the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent?

In Australia’s Aboriginal culture, the Rainbow Serpent is thought to be responsible for carving out much of the landscape, as well as creating water sources and replenishing supplies. Many a story involves this great snake, which supposedly protects its people and punishes law-breakers. According to the indigenous Kaytetye people, it will have children too. They believe that the Devil’s Marbles, a scattering of huge mysterious boulders 114km south of Tennant Creek, are the Rainbow Serpent’s eggs.
The rocks still have a certain magical presence about them – and they’re one of the underrated highlights of Australia’s vast outback.
At sunrise, in particular, the lighting makes for incredibly atmospheric photography, whilst they’re great for scrambling over during the rest of the day. Just make sure you get there before the Rainbow Serpent’s eggs hatch.

Getting to the Devil’s Marbles, Northern Territory, Australia

Nearest international airport: The nearest international airport is Darwin, the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory. It acts as a hub to those wanting to fly into Australia on budget airlines. But that’s a good day’s drive away from Tennant Creek, let alone the Devil’s Marbles. Best to get a connecting flight to Alice Springs and drive up – but it’s still 375km.

Getting there by public transport: The Devil’s Marbles are in the middle of nowhere. Even if you can persuade the Greyhound bus to stop off there on the long road between Alice Springs and Darwin, it’s a long wait in the desert for the next one. The best option is to book onto a tour, or hire a car.

More information: Northern Territory Government website