Discover Tennant Creek

Tennant Creek can be explored through a range of themes: local Warumungu culture, the history of gold mining, and panoramic views across the town and the Central Australian region. There are also different ways to experience the area: you can visit exhibitions, take a self-guided walk, see artists at work or set off from the town centre along a cycling path. This lets you shape your trip around the experiences that matter most to you.

Culture, Art and Gold Mining History

Nyinkka Nyunyu is an arts centre, gallery and cultural museum. There, you can learn about local Warumungu culture, as well as Aboriginal life, history and Country in the Tennant Creek region. If you would like to focus on cultural experiences during your visit, this offers a dedicated focus for your trip.

At the Battery Hill Gold Mining & Heritage Centre, the focus is on mining history and other collections. The centre is located at the site of the historic No. 3 Government Gold Stamp Battery. Exhibits include historic mining equipment and vintage vehicles. Museum displays also feature Tennant Creek’s early pioneers, Albert Borella and mineral specimens from around the world. This range offers several specific points of interest if you are interested in the town’s history, vehicles or minerals.

The Pink Palace is on the northern outskirts of town. It is home to the Julalikari Arts and Crafts Program, where local Aboriginal women artists paint traditional and contemporary works of art. Visitors can talk with the artists, watch them at work and buy artworks directly from them. This experience differs from visiting an exhibition: it also includes meeting the artists and seeing how they work.

You can also explore the area’s history on a self-guided walk: the Tennant Creek Telegraph Station Historical Reserve is 10 km north of Tennant Creek, off the Stuart Highway. The walk takes you past historic buildings. The self-guided format gives you the option of fitting this visit into your travel plans independently.

Views and Outdoor Trails

Bill Allen Lookout offers expansive 360-degree panoramic views of Tennant Creek and the Central Australian region. The lookout is accessible via a sealed road and is 1 km beyond the Battery Hill Mining Centre on Peko Road. There is a large car park with ample room to manoeuvre. If you would like to make the views across the town and region the focus of your visit, these details are useful for planning your drive.

For a two-wheeled activity, a cycling path runs from the town centre to Tingkkarli/Lake Mary Ann. This route takes your trip in a different direction from visits to cultural and historical sites. Another walking trail is at Kunjarra/The Pebbles, 11 km north of town. It leads around the sacred site. If you would like to include nature and activity in your travel plans, you can choose between the cycling path and this walking trail; the descriptions feature different destinations and ways of getting around.

Visitor Information and Finding Accommodation

The Tennant Creek Visitor Information Centre is located at the Battery Hill Gold Mining & Heritage Centre on Peko Road. Travellers can get advice and recommendations there every day.

More destinations

Discover more destinations here: Lake Bennett, Ayers Rock, Kakadu, Stuart Park, Katherine, Nightcliff, Driver and Alice Springs.

Back to the main travel overview: Northern Territory.