Devils Marbles

Thousands of huge, red boulders, some delicately poised on top of each other, some nestling together, make up the compelling spectacle of The Devil's Marbles. Located around 100 kilometres south of Tennant Creek, this shallow valley is full of slender, pale-limbed gums, fragile against the burnished red boulders, some as tall as low-rise buildings.

To local Aboriginal people, the Waramangu, this is a sacred place, the domain of the Rainbow Serpent. They believe the huge boulders, called Karlu Karlu, are the eggs of the Rainbow Serpent. A less attractive explanation is that molten lava squeezed from below the earth's surface some 1640 million years ago became a coarse-grained granite dome. Eventually over time it cooled and broke into smaller boulders, which weathered in the sun and wind.

The beautiful ruddy brown colour comes from oxidation and iron minerals on the granite surface. With their surreal shapes and changing colours, the Devil's Marbles are a magnificent photographic subject, particularly when the sun is low.

The 1,802 hectare reserve is an easy visit from Tennant Creek either on a tour, or by self-drive. The boulders are a half-hour walk from the car park.

The beauty of isolation

If you really want to get away from it all you can't beat the beautiful Davenport Range National Park, about 252 kilometres from Tennant Creek on the Bonney Creek turnoff. One of the most recently created national parks, this region is known for its remote, tranquil beauty. You'll need a high clearance four-wheel drive, food and water, and an adventurous spirit.

Bushwalks weave around a network of serene waterholes that attract prolific bird life: corellas, magpies, cranes, herons, swans, wagtails, birds of prey and crows as well as rarer species; the waterholes also support at least seven species of fish. Visitors can swim to their heart's content - try a dip in the old Police Station Waterhole, using the simple camping facilities there or at Whistleduck Creek.

Wildlife spotters should take a camera or sketchpad - this land is an ecological haven, designated national park to preserve the important environmental values between the Top End and central Australia, where tropical and arid zone landscapes meet.

The area is rich in Aboriginal history, marking the boundary between the traditional lands of the Warumungu, Alyawarre and Kaytetye people. There is also a strong European heritage here as the area was settled at the turn of the 20th century and used for mining and pastoral purposes.