Darwin to Adelaide River Rail Trail

Australia's only long-distance rail trail starting in a capital city, following the route of the North Australian Railway (opened 1888, closed 1976) from Darwin CBD south to Adelaide River. The formal, signposted section - 28km of sealed/gravel bike path from Darwin CBD through The Narrows, Pinelands, Yarrawonga and Howard Springs to Coolalinga - is a high-standard part of Darwin's suburban cycling network. From Coolalinga to Adelaide River the old rail corridor becomes progressively more remote and unmaintained, passing through rural farmland and Top End savanna and riparian forest, with heritage features including original embankments, hand-dug cuttings, culverts and dozens of 1880s bridges. IMPORTANT: as per RTA, several sections of the old corridor are currently impassable (recent mining activity, private land, missing bridges) and require public road bypasses to complete the ride - this GPX follows the rail corridor wherever passable and detours onto road where it isn't, reflecting how the trail is actually ridden end to end rather than the formal corridor alone. RTA's own full-route figure (137km, made up of 28km formal path + 61km unmaintained corridor + 48km road bypass) matches this GPX almost exactly. Funding for further formalising the unmaintained sections is awaiting NT Government investment, so this is expected to improve over time rather than being a permanently stalled project.

Darwin CBD to The Narrows (4km): formal path from Daly/McMinn St, past a 700m restored original track section with re-sleepered bridge. The Narrows to Pinelands (10km): formal path beside Stuart Hwy, past shops and the Aviation Heritage Centre. Pinelands to Coolalinga (14km): formal path through remnant bushland, past Yarrawonga and Howard Springs interpretive shelters - end of the 28km formal, high-standard section. Coolalinga to Arnhem Hwy (6.5km): gravel track along a power line easement, passing the historic Wishart siding fettler's cottage. Arnhem Hwy to Goode Rd (5km): overgrown corridor with original 1880s bridge girders (incl. the Elizabeth River bridge); riders typically continue on Stuart Hwy shoulder or a Humpty Doo back-road bypass. Goode Rd to Mulgara Rd (13.5km): dirt track past Noonamah and WWII sites, then a public-road bypass (Cox Peninsula Rd, Mala Plains Rd) around the busiest road section. Mulgara Rd to Old Bynoe Rd (9.8km): Crown land between farms and mango orchards, past the Berry Creek pipe-bridge crossing (impassable in monsoon season). Old Bynoe Rd to Darwin River (approx. 16km road bypass): the former corridor is impassable here; riders use public roads past Tumbling Waters Holiday Park and Darwin River Tavern. Darwin River to Batchelor (31km): wide gravel service road, then a 4WD track with seasonal creek crossings, then a short sealed-road diversion (White Rd/Lithgow Rd/Bevan Rd/Litchfield Park Rd) around recent mining activity, rejoining the corridor to Batchelor. Batchelor to Adelaide River (28km): remote corridor and road via 'Old' and 'new' Coach Rd, past the former Batchelor Railway Station, Stapleton siding and the WWII Snake Creek Armament Depot, finishing at Adelaide River township.