What is the Tanami Desert?
The Tanami Desert is a large desert in the Northern Territory and Western Australia, northwest of Alice Springs. It is known for red sand plains, spinifex and the long Tanami Track.
The Tanami covers about 184,500 square kilometres. Unlike some deserts, it has many low hills and rocky outcrops. The Tanami Track, about 1,000 kilometres long, crosses it between Alice Springs and Halls Creek in the Kimberley.
The desert is the traditional country of the Warlpiri and other Aboriginal peoples, and large areas are Aboriginal land. Communities such as Yuendumu and Lajamanu are known for painting and art centres.
Gold and wildlife
Gold has been mined in the Tanami since the early 1900s, and large mines still operate. The region is also important for threatened wildlife, including bilbies and great desert skinks.
The Tanami Track is unsealed for much of its length, so travellers need reliable vehicles, plenty of water and spare tyres. It is usually driven in the cooler dry season.
Did You Know?
Lake Gregory, on the desert's edge, becomes a vital wetland for waterbirds after big wet seasons.