"Daly Waters Pub, Stuart Tree & Aerodrome" Daly Waters by AlbuqRay

Daly Waters is a small town located ~4 km off the Stuart Highway, 373 km north of Threeways and 273 km south of Katherine. Zig (1+1) and I made a quick stop at Daly Waters on the second day of our trip back to Darwin from Alice Springs on 25 Aug 2010. We actually made three stops: the Pub (~10 min), The Stuart Tree (~20 min), and the Aerodrome (~40 min). There are also a few remnants of the old telegraph station near the Tree.

Probably the best known thing in Daly Waters is the Pub, which holds the longest continuous liquor license in the Northern Territory, dating back to 1893. It is also one of the oldest buildings in the Northern Territory, having been built in the late 1920's. The historic pub was licensed in 1938 to service passengers and crew from the nearby airfield. See also separate tips here.

Big S Carved on The Stuart Tree Trunk

The name Daly Waters was given to a series of natural springs by John McDouall Stuart during his third attempt to cross Australia from south to north, in 1861-2. Stuart named the springs after the new Governor of South Australia, Sir Dominick Daly. Stuart's first attempt, in 1860, had reached Tennant Creek. The second, in early 1861, pushed further north but again Stuart turned back. The third journey left Adelaide in October 1861 and reached Daly Waters on 28 May 1862. The party had been pushing through difficult lancewood scrub and harsh terrain at a little over a kilometer per day. This journey was successful, reaching the north coast near modern Darwin on 24 July 1862. The Stuart Tree has a large "S" carved into it by him (or someone else in his party) during their epic journey. See also a separate tip here.

Hanger & Buildings at Daly Waters Aerodrome

The Daly Waters Aerodrome was Australia’s first international airfield. It was a center for the London to Sydney air race of 1926, a refuelling stop for early Qantas flights to Singapore, a World War II Airforce base and more recently an operational base for joint military maneuvers. Although the aerodrome was closed to commercial traffic in 1965, the original Qantas hangar from 1930 still stands, housing exhibits of photographs and equipment from the area's aviation past. See also separate tips, travelogues and a videoclip here.

• Pros:Much Northern Territory history in this area
• Cons:Not enough time to appreciate everything
• In a nutshell:Would be good to spend a night in Daly Waters