Tennant Creek is known for its gold mining history. The surrounding region, the Barkly Tablelands, is characterised by wide plains and vast skies, and with a population of 3,000, Tennant Creek is the main service centre for the area. 
Natural Marbles and Marvels
Tennant Creek sits in the middle of the outback, but its beautiful land is anything but barren. The town is situated in open mallee scrubland, surrounded by rocky ranges and brilliant blue skies that give way to millions of stars at night. The air is fresh and clean and the colours of the landscape are ever-changing as the rocky hillsides pick up the varying sun's rays between daybreak and evening. This phenomenon is particularly evident at the Devils Marbles (Karlu Karlu to the Aboriginal people). This collection of huge granite boulders precariously balanced on top of one another, located 100 kilometres south of the town, glow fiery red as sunset hits. The Pebbles (known as Kunjarra) are another granite outcrop formation, just north of the town, and are also a sacred site for the Warumungu people. Camping is a popular way to experience the region and there are plenty of spots to pitch a tent or roll out a swag. Some of the best spots are dotted throughout conservation reserves in the Devils Marbles and the Davenport Range National Park - a 1,120 square-kilometre area east of the highway about 250 kilometres south of Tennant Creek. The park is dotted with waterholes that attract plenty of wildlife, birds and fish. A number of walking trails throughout the region allow travellers to experience the plants, birds and landscapes of Tennant Creek up-close. One walking path winds its way through the Honeymoon Ranges to Lake Mary Ann, five kilometres north-east of the town, and is the perfect spot for a swim and a picnic. more
