A remote red-earth desert in Australia’s north, among the last places explored by Europeans.
Area
184,500 km²
Continent
Oceania
Location
Northern Territory & Western Australia
Temperature
Up to 40°C
Rainfall
300–400 mm a year
Climate
Hot desert
About the Tanami Desert
The Tanami is a vast, rust-red desert of sand plains and spinifex in Australia’s Northern Territory. Remote and hard to reach, it was among the last regions of the continent explored by Europeans. It remains important Aboriginal land and holds one of Australia’s major gold mines.
Did you know?
It was one of the last deserts in Australia to be mapped, as late as the 20th century.
Highlights
- One of Australia’s most remote deserts
- Red sand plains and spinifex
- Significant Aboriginal country
Photo gallery
Life in the Tanami Desert
Animals, birds and plants that have adapted to survive this landscape.
Animals
Red kangaroo
The largest marsupial, roaming the arid Australian outback in mobs.
Dingo
Australia’s wild dog, a top predator across the outback deserts.
Thorny devil
A spiky Australian lizard that channels dew along its skin to its mouth.
Birds
Emu
Australia’s tall flightless bird, wandering the outback for food and water.
Trees & plants
Spinifex grass
Spiky hummock grass that covers vast stretches of the Australian outback.
Acacia (thorn tree)
Flat-topped thorn trees that survive on scarce desert groundwater.
Day & night in the Tanami Desert
Deserts are famous for their extreme temperature swings. Flip between day and night to feel the difference — these are typical figures for a subtropical desert.
Midday sun
+45°C
typical daytime high
Blistering daytime heat gives way to surprisingly cool nights — clear skies let the day’s warmth escape, and the temperature can tumble by 30°C or more after dark.
Recorded range for the Tanami Desert: Up to 40°C