Kallen, thoughts off the top of my head, heed or ignore them as you choose.
It’s an ambitious trip for 4 or 5 weeks, a high driving time to stopping time ratio, particularly if it’s your first time up there. Do-able, but I reckon you would have a far better time if you cut out the leg to Kunnanurra & Halls Creek. Depends on what you want, & also when you want to go. I can tell you from experience that it can become very tiring, especially if it’s hot.
There is plenty to see without heading west at Katherine.
Here are my recommendations (& not an exhaustive list ). Others will probably add their personal favourites.
Your planned route to Alice. I’ve only done parts of it. Lots of history along the way, Lots to stop & explore/photograph as well as the ‘remote’ experience. ? Could easily spend a week to 10 days.
Alice itself is not that special, stop there to stock up with supplies , but plan to camp out in the east & West Macdonnells. A good overnighter in the West Macs if you have your own toilet is Howards Lookout. Fantastic views. A good base camp in the West Macs is at Ormiston Gorge - toilets, showers & shelters. Explore from there - easily a couple of day trips, or longer if you like a bit of bushwalking. Out in the East Macs there is a reasonable campground at Trephina Gorge with basic facilities (toilets, water & shelters) but the camp ground at Ross River Homestead is really nice if open. A couple of days + in the East Macs.
Uluru & Kata Tjuta - ‘magnificent’ & something every Aussie should see at least once in their life! Allow a day to travel from Alice to the rock, to set up camp & have a dip in the pool. Another day to see the Rock at dawn & dusk, & to walk around it/visit the info centre. Break camp and spend 3rd day visiting Kata Tjuta & doing the Valley of the Winds walk if you are feeling reasonably fit spending that night at the Spring Creek free camp (no facilities) en route to Kings Canyon. A further day/overnighter at Kings Canyon.
Plenty to stop & look at between Alice & Darwin.
An overnight camp behind the Devils Marbles a bit south of Tennant Creek
Katherine Gorge.
Everyone raves about Mataranka, but honestly Bitter Springs just 10 minutes away is far more appealing. There is a caravan park there & the creek is natural, beautifully warm, crystal clear & just take a floatie & allow the current to carry you. Rather like Mataranka thermal pool was years ago before they concreted it like a swimming pool. Actually it’s better.
Edith Falls. Fantastic camp north of Katherine, brilliant swimming in the lower pool & up in the top pools. Full facilities & a kiosk. I would never bypass Edith Falls.
If staying in Katherine, the Manbulloo Station camp about 9kms out of town is right on the banks of the Katherine River & a very laid back sort of place. Much nicer than the CP’s in town. I’d prefer staing there & doing a day trip to Katherine Gorge. Go early to beat the heat of the day. Didn’t like the campground at the gorge.
Daly Waters pub. Camp ground next to the pub.
Kakadu - River/Billabongs/wildlife + Aboriginal heritage + Stone country.
Turn off at Pine Creek - Gunlom Falls - relax in a pool with extensive views at the top of a waterfall. Campground.
Yellow Waters - Get up early & take the breakfast cruise. You’ll think you’re in the middle of a david Attenborough doc. Huge variety of birdlife close up & plenty of crocs (also close up).
Cahills Crossing - stay at one of the NP campgrounds - ‘Merl’ is the closest. Make sure you are at the crossing at the turn of the tide for all the croc action - better than paid for jumping croc tours & free to boot. Ask at the Border Store when the tide time will be. If up for an easy walk the Bardejilledji walk is close by & takes you through some interesting stone structures & if you keep your eyes open some unusual rock art that many folk don’t see.
.
Ubirr rock, also close by has probably the best display of refreshed rock art as well as one of the best Kakadu views from the top of the rock. Kakadu can be either disappointing or mind blowing, this is largely dependent upon when you visit. If you are lucky to be there when the many billabongs have there water levels low enough for wading birds you’ll be rewarded by the sight of millions of birds as far as the eye can see. These are what I’d recommend for a short (?3 day) visit. There is much more to see if you stay longer.
Leave Kakadu heading toward Darwin. The campground at Annaburroo Homestead has a typically unique NT flavour as well as a croc free Billabong for swimming & canoeing, plenty of roos, a bar, & all facilities. Entrance off the highway directly opposite the Bark Hut Inn.
I guess Darwin is somewhere you have to check out whilst up that way. I liked it almost 30 years ago but these days it’s become a mining boom fuelled strip development which does little for me.
If you’ve never been, there is stuff worth checking out, but I’d doubt it will be a trip highlight.
Litchfield is mainly about waterfalls, rightly so, but leaving your camper in a campground & taking the car around the tight track into the ‘Lost City’ will reward you with an interesting & easy walk.
Mate, there are so any other things you could see whilst covering that ground but you’d need several months. Over your 4 or 5 weeks you’ll just be scraping the surface & seeing the highlights. Don’t underestimate the tiring nature of travelling every day, especially when hot, allow for as much stopping time as travelling time. Far better to be relaxed & appreciate what you are seeing than to try to do too much, get tired & grouchy & end up standing in front of magnificence wondering why you bothered! I’ve done it both ways!.
When driving try to take a break every couple of hours & have a good look at the country you are standing on when you do. Plan to set up camp by mid afternoon on each travel day.Too many people describe travelling through hundreds of kilometres of ’nothing’. They wouldn’t say that if they stopped & took notice of their surroundings every so often. They miss so much. It’s the little unexpected stuff which stays in the memories just as much as the big ticket stuff.
You might find some of the photos in the relevant sections of my (now aging) trip blog will whet your appetite.
http://www.cuppa500.com/_Big_Trip/Archive.html