Travel Guide Tennant Creek

Tennant is the capital of the Barkly region, which is absolutely immense (around 10 times the size of Belgium), and sparsely populated with just 8,000 inhabitants. This gives a density of 0.02 people per square kilometer (20,000 less than Belgium!). The economy is dominated by mining and gigantic cattle stations. Tennant Creek, known as the "golden heart" of the Northern Territory, is a former gold-mining town that was officially founded in 1935. Disused mines can be visited to discover the fascinating stories of its mining history. Every year in October, the Barkly Goldrush Campdraft Challenge is held, a major western festival with activities such as mechanical bull riding, cattlemen's parades, music and on-site catering, but the rest of the time it's a town where you stop for groceries rather than sightseeing. It has to be said that Tennant doesn't have the best reputation, not least because of its many social problems. We do, however, recommend stopping off to see the two Aboriginal art centers, Nyinkka Nyunyu and Barky Regional Arts.