Renner Springs, Northern Territory: Travel guide and things to do

The tiny settlement of Renner Springs, with its solitary hotel-motel, is one of the many stopping points on the Stuart Highway. Located 662 km from Alice Springs and 820 km from Darwin, Renner Springs is 161 km north of Tennant Creek in the heart of the Barkly Tablelands cattle country. In fact it likes to think of itself, and promotes itself, as 'The Heart of the Beef Country'.

Like so many places along the Stuart Highway it owes its origins to the Overland Telegraph Line. It was named after Dr Renner who was dispensing medical advice to the team working on the Telegraph Line when they passed through the springs in 1872.

The area achieved its importance because of the large number of freshwater springs which bubble up from the underground springs thus providing water to the area.

Things to see

Churchill's Head Rock
There are two places of interest to the south of the town. 'Churchill's Head Rock' on the old Stuart Highway 78 km south of Renner Springs may well rate as the most crass tourist attraction anywhere in Australia. A rock on the east of the old highway looks vaguely like a profile of Winston Churchill. In order to make the image more persuasive someone has stuck a piece of piping where the mouth should be so that the profile appears to be smoking a rather large cigar - it is hardly a natural phenomenon.

Attack Creek
Another 11 km south is a monument marking the place where on 25 June 1860 John McDouall Stuart, on his first attempt to cross Australia, was repulsed by hostile Aborigines. It became appropriately known as Attack Creek.

Each Easter Renner Springs has a local rodeo and race meeting which attracts stockmen and punters from all over the Territory.