Copywriting style guide northern territory australia

COPYWRITING GUIDE

A HELPFUL GUIDE TO ASSIST INDUSTRY AND LOCAL OPERATORS MARCH 2016

Introduction This guide is based on the Tourism NT style guide. It is provided to assist Industry and local operators when writing for tourism audiences and is intended to help present information in a consistent style.

It is not a definitive guide. Please use judgement when writing, and cross check place names and Indigenous language with relevant sources.

The guide also contains the correct spelling for names and words commonly used in the NorthernTerritory.

General writing In general terms, you should: • keep words and sentences simple and short • rely on nouns and verbs, not adverbs and adjectives • choose positive expressions • be bold • be brief • be consistent • be clear • avoid industry jargon • avoid sexist and racist language • avoid stereotypical stories and photos.

Our Copywriting Style Numbers and measurements

Australian Business Number (ABN)

Must be written as follows: 17 435 764 236.

currency

For domestic marketing, use only $ symbol.

Example: $10.20 For international and online marketing, use AUD, no $ symbol.

Example: AUD24.00. Always use two metric and imperial measurement decimal places.

dates and times

This information should be precise and complete: months in full (June not Jun) days in full (Saturday not Sat) format: Friday 18 January 2015 (not Friday, January 18, 2015).

Abbreviations are only acceptable where space is limited or, for example, when producing media itineraries.

For financial and calendar years use a hyphen.

Example: 2014-2015. Note: no space either side of hyphen.

fractions

Do not use fractions when referring to time, spell out in full.

Example: a quarter of an hour, not 1/4 of an hour.

Use full stops to indicate a decimal placing. When decimal numbers are less than one unit, a zero should be placed before the decimal point.

Example: 0.25.

kilometres (km)

Spell out in full in body copy. Where space is limited, km is a recognised representation and may be used. However, regardless of the number of kilometres, it is always km, not kms. Use the US spelling ‘kilometers’ when writing for US audiences.

measurement

Abbreviated symbols of measurements (other than kilometres, see kilometre) are acceptable and should be written in lowercase with a space between the number and abbreviation or word.

Example: 350 centimetres, 350 cm.

metric and imperial measurement

Be mindful of the target audience. In publications, use the measurement relevant to the country, including spelling.

Example: kilometers in US publications.

Our Copywriting Style Numbers and measurements

millions and billions

Millions and billions are spelt out with a gap between the figure and the word.

Example: AUD7 million.

per cent(%)

In body copy, spell out in full using two words.

The symbol is appropriate in charts or where space is limited, written without a space between the figure and the %.

Example: 20 per cent, 20%.

square metres (m2)

In body copy, the abbreviation (m2) is acceptable.

Example: 25 sq m, 25m2.

temperature

In body copy, the abbreviation is acceptable with no space between the figure and the °C. Example: 25 degrees Celsius, 25°C; or 80 degrees Fahrenheit, 80°F.

thousands

Only use a comma to separate numbers when there are at least two digits before the comma.

Example: 1000 and 10,000.

time

Numbers written numerically are preferred in itineraries. Hours or minutes can be abbreviated to hrs and min when space is limited, with a space between the number and the timeframe.

Example: 3 hrs or 20 min (Note: no full stops after the abbreviation).

When referring to a specific time, the numerical form is acceptable with no space between the number and ‘am’ or ‘pm’.

Example: 8pm or 10am.

For international correspondence, use the 24-hour clock, with no decimal point.

Example: 1400 hrs.

numbers

In body copy, single-digit numbers (up to nine) must be written in full, with exceptions to telephone numbers, addresses and times.

Example: one, two, three, nine.

10 and over are written in numerals.

Example: 10, 11, 12, 23.

Our Copywriting Style Online / telecommunications

Written in lowercase and where appropriate, preceded by ‘email:’ Example: email: name@domain.com.au.

email address

email/ecommerce/ebusiness

No hyphen or space and all lowercase.

facsimile It is appropriate to abbreviate the word to ‘fax’ in

most cases. In a list of contact details, write the

word ‘fax’ followed by a colon and a space. It only

requires a capital letter if it appears at the

beginning of a sentence.

Example: fax: +61 8 8999 3909 (international) or

fax: 08 8999 3909 (domestic).

mobile number

In a list of contact details, write the word ‘mobile’ followed by a colon and a space. It only requires a capital letter if it appears at the beginning of a sentence.

Example: mobile: 0402 123 456.

online/offline

Written in lowercase as one word, no hyphen.

telephone number

It is appropriate to abbreviate the word to ‘tel’ if in a list of contact details and not body copy.

Write the word ‘tel’ followed by a colon and a space. It only requires a capital letter if it appears at the beginning of a sentence.

Example: tel: +61 8 8999 3856 (international) or tel: 08 8999 3856 (domestic).

website

One word.

World Wide Web

Must be written in uppercase.

URL (website address)

The URL should be written in lowercase and the prefixes of ‘http://’ or the word ‘web’ or ‘website’ are not required.

Example: www.domain.com.au.

In some cases it is preferable to remove the ‘www.’ like in advertising with limited space. The rule of thumb is to be consistent across a document or website, either use ‘www.’ or do not.

Our Copywriting Style Names

adjectives

Avoid using adjectives such as ‘amazing’, ‘awesome’ and ‘exotic’. These are overused and don’t give the reader a meaningful picture of what you’re referring to. Describe it instead.

date years

1930s not 1930’s (no abbreviation or ownership).

initials

Write capitals with no full stop and no space between initials.

Example: Dr WE Coyote.

national parks

When referring to the names of the parks, always use capital letters.

Example: Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

When shortening the name to ‘the Park’, ‘p’ must be uppercase because it’s a substitute for the proper noun. When referring to national parks in general, use lowercase.

Example: Kakadu National Park is 250 kilometres from Darwin. The Park is 19,000 square kilometres in area. It is one of Australia’s most famous national parks.

people’s names

Initially write Mary Smith and then write Ms Smith or Mary.

region/area

These words are lowercase.

titles

Write capitals, with no full stop.

Example: Dr Jones. Mrs Maple-Brown. Mr Maxwell.

tourists

Don’t use this term. Use ‘traveller’ or ‘visitor’.

World Heritage-listed

Kakadu and Uluru-Kata Tjuta national parks have been World Heritage listed. ‘World’ and ‘Heritage’ require capitals because they are proper nouns.

When using the term as an adjective before a noun (describing the national park), Heritage and listed are hyphenated because it forms a compound adjective (see adjectives). When the term appears after a noun, no hyphen is required.

Example: World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park is 250 km from Darwin. Or Kakadu National Park was World Heritage listed in 1981.

Our Copywriting Style General rules and symbols

abbreviations

Avoid using abbreviations, especially in body copy. Use only when space is limited and avoid using full stops to indicate shortened forms of words.

Use full stops only to avoid confusion.

acronym

Avoid using acronyms except when they have been internationally recognised as proper nouns.

Example: Qantas.

Prior to using an acronym, the full title or name should be spelt out and immediately followed by the acronym in brackets.

Example: Tourism Top End (TTE).

ampersand (&)

Do not use an ampersand unless it forms part of an organisation’s name or where space is extremely limited.

apostrophe (‘)

An apostrophe has only two uses - to indicate possession or to indicate letters omitted in contractions of words.

Example: ‘Darwin’s weather is balmy’ (possession) or ‘it’s time to go’ (the apostrophe replaces the ‘i’ in ‘is’, as in ‘it is time to go’).

Apostrophes are not used to indicate possession in pronouns.

Example: hers, theirs, yours and its.

apostrophes in place names

Some Northern Territory place names have no apostrophe before the ‘s’. Example: Doctors Gully, Pethericks Rainforest, Browns Mart, Vesteys Beach and Devils Marbles. Exceptions are John Flynn’s Grave Historical Reserve and Hell’s Gate.

Always check these types of names with another source.

capitals when naming: birds

Names for birds always have a capital.

Example: Carpentaria Wren and Black-necked Stork (Jabiru). Note: The second part of a hyphenated name does not have a capital.

General names for birds such as ducks, geese, finches and herons do not have a capital.

fish

All specific names and groups of fish are in lower case. Example: barramundi, golden snapper, jewfish and salmon. Note: Spanish mackerel has a capital ‘s’ is used because it relates to a country.

mammals and flora

General names of creatures and plants that are common nouns and have further sub categories do not have a capital. Example: buffalo, kangaroos. cycad. The sub categories (the specific names) require capitals. Example: Red Kangaroo and Horse-shoe Bat.

Our Copywriting Style General rules and symbols

capitals for scientific names

Scientific or Latin names should be in italics.

The first word is the genus and always has a capital, the second word is the species and does not have a capital.

Example: Livistona mariae, Livistona rigida.

captions for images

Captions are recommended to be provided for images in most cases. Use a location and region where suitable, e.g. Top Didj Cultural Experience & Art Gallery, Katherine; Kings Canyon Rim Walk, Watarrka National Park. In some cases there is not enough space to provide a caption or it is the front cover of a document. Try to provide caption references inside a cover or in the copy.

colloquialisms

In travel writing these are sometimes acceptable.

Example: fly off the handle, foot the bill.

contractions

When writing for example, a funding submission or letter to government, do not use contractions such as I’m, you’re and isn’t; they are too informal so spell them out. For travel writing this is acceptable.

cross hatch (#)

Don’t use the cross hatch symbol to abbreviate the word ‘number’. An exception is in booking reservation numbers where it is provided in that form. The cross hatch is also used in social media (Twitter) where it is refered to as ‘hashtag’.

Placed before a topic name it helps define the messages related to the topic.

Example: #NTAustralia.

directional

Do not abbreviate symbols of direction such as north, south, east and west, eg. use north-east, with a hyphen instead of NE. When the direction forms part of the area’s recognised name, it should be capitalised.

Example: North-East Arnhem Land.

dot points

The first word of each dot point should be in lowercase. Use no punctuation at the end of each line, except for a full stop at the very end of the list.

Example: Government agencies will look at: · availability of residential land · sites for further blocks if required · densities of pests such as rats and Cane Toads.

For entire sentences, use an initial capital letter and a full stop for each. Avoid using a mixture of single words, short phrases and complete sentences in a list of dot points.

Our Copywriting Style General rules and symbols

et cetera (etc)

Do not use it if at all possible.

hyphens(-)

Coordinate, coordinator and cooperate no longer have a hyphen.

Compounds of two words used adjectivally before a noun are hyphenated.

Example: a Darwin-based firm, a three-hour tour Read the adjectives aloud and if they can’t be used independently of each other, they should be hyphenated.

Example: ‘Darwin’ firm and ‘based’ firm don’t make sense, so a Darwin-based firm is correct in this instance.

its

its - indicates belonging to, or associated with.

it’s

Contraction of ‘it is’ or ‘it has’. When deciding whether to use ‘its’ or ‘it’s’, read the sentence aloud and insert the word that has been substituted by the apostrophe to see if it makes sense.

Example: When it’s (it is) eight o’clock, give the dog its (as in belonging to the dog) food.

political leaders

In formal correspondence, write The Hon Chief Minister, John Citizen, MLA or Minister for Tourism, John Citizen, MLA.

quotation marks (‘ “)

Single quotation marks are used for quoting text, titles, a quote within a quote and coined phrases such as ‘it’s about time’. Double quotation marks are used when quoting direct speech.

retroflex/diacritic/underscore

The line underneath letters t,n,I and r in some instances are there to remind the reader to pronounce the sound in a certain way.

Example: Uluru-Kata Tjuta.

Our Copywriting Style General rules and symbols

that and which

These words are often thought to be interchangeable, but actually aren’t.

Example: The house that/which stands on the corner is up for sale. When ‘that’ is the object of a following verb, it can be omitted altogether.

Example: The school they go to is closed.

‘Which’, not ‘that’, is used when adding incidental information.

Always insert a comma before ‘which’ but never before ‘that.’

which

Refer to that and which.

Please use this style guide in conjunction with a recognised language style guide for more information regarding grammar.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Aa Aaki Gallery Aboriginal art gallery in Ti Tree.

Aboriginal always a capital ‘A’. The word is an adjective.

Example: Aboriginal culture, Aboriginal people.

Aborigine Aborigine is a noun and always capitalised.

Example: he is an Aborigine.

Acacia peuce a rare and striking tree of the Australian arid zone. accommodation double ‘c’ and double ‘m’.

Adelaide River Foreshore to be part of Adelaide River National Park (proposed) Conservation Area.

Adelaide River National Park national park in the Top End (proposed).

Adelaide River War Cemetery all capitals as it is a proper name.

Note: Cemetery is ‘ery’ not ’ary’.

Afghan camel trains part of the history of the outback. airconditioned one word. aircraft one word. air mattress two words with no hyphen.

This section outlines the spelling of place names and common words related to the tourism industry in the Northern Territory

airstrip one word.

Akanganentye Gallery an art gallery in Alice Springs. a la carte three words with no hyphens, all lowercase.

Alardju Conservation Reserve reserve in the Darwin area. al fresco not alfresco.

Ali Curung formerly Warrabri.

Alice Springs Airport the airport in Alice Springs.

Alice Springs Desert Park a unique park showcasing the landscapes, animals and plants of Australia’s deserts.

Alice Springs Telegraph Station Historical Reserve reserve in Alice Springs (not Overland Telegraph Station).

Alligator Billabong in Kakadu National Park. Billabong is part of the name so requires a capital.

Anangu the Aboriginal Traditional Owners of UluruKata Tjuta National Park area. Diacritics must be used.

Anbangbang Billabong in Kakadu National Park.

Angkerle Aboriginal Corporation this Corporation manages Standley Chasm, near Alice Springs. anthills correct name is termite mounds - see termite mounds for more information.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Anzac Hill War Memorial Lookout located in Alice Springs.

Ayers Rock use Uluru/Ayers Rock.

Apsley Strait the body of water between Bathurst and Melville Islands, north of Darwin.

Ayers Rock Airport (Connellan) located at Yulara.

Arafura Sea a sea lying between Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the northern coast of Australia, including the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Aranda Aboriginal people west of Alice Springs.

Arltunga Historical Reserve reserve 110 km east of Alice Springs.

Arnhem Land two words with capitals (if an operator registers the name as Arnhemland it is written that way).

Example: Davidsons Arnhemland Safaris.

Arrernte Aboriginal people of Alice Springs and the East MacDonnell Ranges - related to Aranda people but different family group and spelling. artefacts to be spelt with an ‘e’. artisan one word - a skilled craftsman. art site two words.

Attack Creek Historical Reserve reserve on the Stuart Highway, 74 km north of Tennant Creek. audiovisual one word.

Australia abbreviation is Aust.

Australian Aviation Heritage Centre formerly the Darwin Aviation Museum.

Ayers Rock Resort formerly Yulara - now the structure is called Ayers Rock Resort, owned by Voyages Hotels and Resorts. The township is Yulara.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Bb

Bangtail Muster community street parade held each May Day holiday in Alice Springs. barbecue the abbreviation BBQ is only acceptable when listing facilities in a publication.

Baroalba Creek/Burdulba/Gubara Springs in Kakadu National Park, Baroalba is the name of the creek and Gubara is the springs and pools from where the creek leaves the Brockman massif. Burdulba is the local Aboriginal name for the creek. barramundi the fish - lower case ‘b’ and no ‘e’ on the end.

Note: this is an exception to standard species classifications.

Barramundie Gorge with an ‘e’ on the end - a place name registered as such.

Barranyi (North Island) National Park park in the Gulf region near Borroloola.

Barrow Creek Telegraph Station Historical Reserve a reserve 250 km north of Alice Springs.

Barunga Aboriginal community near Katherine.

Batchelor a town near Litchfield National Park.

Bathurst Island Island is part of the name and has a capital ‘I’.

Part of the Tiwi Islands.

Beatrice Hill the location of the information centre, Window on the Wetlands, off the Arnhem Highway. bed and breakfast no capitals or abbreviations when used in text.

The abbreviation B&B is acceptable when listing facilities in a publication.

Belyuen Aboriginal community, Cox Peninsula Road.

Berry Springs Nature Park reserve outer Darwin on the CoxPeninsula Road.

Bilkbilkmi located in Graveside Gorge area of Kakadu National Park. billabong does not require a capital unless the proper name of a billabong. birdlife one word. birdwatching one word.

Black Jungle Conservation Area to be part of Adelaide River National Park.

Blackmore River Conservation Reserve reserve in the Darwin area.

Blyth Homestead in Litchfield National Park. Note: no ‘e’ on Blyth.

Bond Springs Station cattle station east of Alice Springs.

Borroloola a township in the Gulf region of the Top End. Botanic Gardens not ‘Botanical’ - formerly Darwin Botanic Gardens now George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling bougainvillea an ornamental shrubby climbing plant that is widely cultivated in the tropics.

Bowali Visitor Centre formerly the Kakadu National Park headquarters, now upgraded and renamed Kakadu National Park Bowali Visitor Centre.

Browns Mart a historic theatre in Darwin. Note: no apostrophe.

Brunette Downs north-east of Tennant Creek. buffalo no ‘e’ in the singular buffaloes an ‘e’ in the plural.

Bukalara Rock formations in the Gulf region of the Top End. Buley Rockhole in Litchfield National Park - Rockhole is one word.

Bullwaddy Conservation Reserve reserve 100 kilometres east of Daly Waters.

Burdulba Aboriginal name for Baroalba creek.

Refer to Buroalba. bush camp two words. bush food two words. bush skills two words. bush tucker two words. bushwalk one word.

bus pass two words.

Butterfly Gorge Nature Park reserve about 130 km from Katherine. bygone one word.

Bynoe Harbour out of Darwin past Berry Springs.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Cc cameleer a camel driver. campervan one word. campfire one word. camping ground two words. camp oven two words. camp site/s two words.

Cape Crawford in the Gulf region of the Top End. Caranbirini Conservation Reserve about 40 km south-west of Borroloola off the Carpentaria Highway. caravanning one word - double ‘n’.

Casino used in an itinerary as ‘the Casino’ it is a proper noun and has a capital. Used as ‘Darwin has a casino’ it is a common noun and does not have a capital.

Casuarina Coastal Reserve reserve in Darwin. cemetery not cemetary.

Central Australia capital ‘C’ and ‘A’ Central Mount Stuart Historical Reserve reserve 200 km north of Alice Springs.

Centre (the) preferred terminology is Central Australia, however the Centre is a recognised place name so use a capital ‘C’.

Chairman/Chairperson use inclusive language and write ‘Chair’.

Chambers Pillar Historical Reserve reserve south of Alice Springs - no apostrophe before the ‘s’.

Channel Island Conservation Reserve reserve in the Darwin area.

Charles Darwin National Park national park near Darwin city. check-in two words hyphenated if appearing before a noun. Example: check-in counter.

Chung Wah Society at the Chinese Temple in Woods Street, Darwin.

Commonwealth Government use first - Federal Government is allowed in appropriate places. community generally a description and does not require a capital. Example: Peppimenarti Aboriginal community.

Connells Lagoon Conservation Reserve conservation reserve east of Brunette Downs off the Tablelands Highway - no apostrophe before the ‘s’.

Cooinda in Kakadu National Park.

Coolalinga outer Darwin.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Coomalie Creek near the township of Batchelor.

Copperfield Recreation Reserve located near Pine Creek. corroboree generic name for Aboriginal dance - small ‘c’ unless it is the name of a particular corroboree.

Different language groups have their own names for dances.

Corroboree Rock Conservation Reserve reserve beside the Ross Highway, 43 km from Alice Springs.

Cox Peninsula Road south of Darwin - the Territory Wildlife Park and Berry Springs Nature Park are on this road and it is also the road to Mandorah.

Note: no ‘r’ in Peninsula. crossroads one word. cruise only a capital ‘c’ used if a proper name of a cruise. Example: Yellow Water Cruise.

Curtin Springs on the Lasseter Highway - on the way to Uluru/ Ayers Rock.

Cutta Cutta Caves Nature Park limestone caves south of Katherine.

Also referred to as Cutta Cutta Caves.

Cyclone Tracy capitals ‘C’ and ‘T’. Note: no ‘e’ in Tracy.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Dd Dalhousie Hot Springs in the Simpson Desert.

Daly River south of Darwin - the township is officially named Nauiyu.

Daly River (Mt Nancar) Conservation Area conservation area in the Katherine region.

Daly River Esplanade Conservation Area conservation area in the Katherine region.

Daly Waters Top End township on the Stuart Highway.

Damoe-Ra Park Damoe-Ra is Larrakia for ‘eye’ or ‘spring’ and is the name for a nearby registered site sacred to the women of that tribe. In the Darwin area.

Dariba Nungalinya (Old Man Rock) off Casuarina Beach.

Darwin Crocodile Farm correct name - not ‘the Crocodile Farm’.

Darwin International Airport always include ‘International’. day-to-day three words hyphenated. deckchair one word.

Dhamitjinya (East Woody Island) in the Gove (Nhulunbuy) region.

Dhimurru Land Management in the Gove (Nhulunbuy) region. didjeridu/didgeridoo when writing for the web, use didgeridoo.

This anglicised version is acceptable for web copy to aid search optimisation. In all other cases didjeridu should be used as it is closer to the Aboriginal form of the word.

Djabulukgu a language group and association in Kakadu National Park.

Djukbinj National Park a reserve owned by the Limilngan-Wulna people in the Darwin area.

Docker River in the Centre near the WA/NT border, the Pitjantjatjara name is Kaltukatjara.

Doctors Gully in Darwin city - no possessive ‘s’.

Douglas River Esplanade Conservation Area in the Daly River region.

Dreaming/Dreamtime capital ‘D’. dry (the) or dry season no capital ‘d’.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Ee East MacDonnell Ranges not ‘Eastern’.

East Point Reserve a recreation park in Darwin. ecosystem one word. ecotourism one word.

Elcho Island off the Arnhem Land coast.

Ellery Creek Big-Hole a large waterhole in the West MacDonnell National Park. Note the hyphen.

Elliott a town in the Barkly region, located halfway between Alice Springs and Darwin.

Elsey Cemetery not Elsey Graves. Near Katherine.

Elsey National Park in the Katherine area.

Endyalgout Island a fishing spot off Arnhem Land. en route two words.

Erldunda a roadhouse on the intersection of the Stuart and Lasseter Highways.

escarpment a lower case ‘e’ as usually a description and not a name. esky colloquial description. Consider ice box or cooler for international publications or websites.

Euro one of four subspecies of the common wallaroo.

Explorer’s Way tourism drive that follows the Stuart Highway.

Formerly the Explorer Highway.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Ff

Fannie Bay Gaol operated as a gaol from 1883 to 1979, in Darwin.

Finke Gorge National Park 140 km west of Alice Springs.

Finke River runs through Finke Gorge National Park.

Finniss River runs through Litchfield National Park. firesticks one word. first-class always hyphenated when used as an adjective or an adverb. Example: a first-class hotel. No hyphen when used as a noun. Example: the hotel was first class. five-star two words hyphenated. floodplains one word.

Florence Falls in Litchfield National Park. fly fishing two words, no hyphen.

FOC Acronym for free of charge - should not be used in formal correspondence.

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve Part of the Adelaide River Conservation Reserve.

folklore one word. four-wheel drive do not use ‘4x4’ or ‘4WD’.

Frances Bay in Darwin city. Note: not Francis. freecall one word - a telephone number with no charge to the person making the call. Do not use the term ‘tollfree’. freshwater/ fresh water one word when it’s an adjective. Example: freshwater crocodile, freshwater stream. Two words when referring to the water Example: the river is fresh water.

Frilled lizard capital ‘F’ - the word ‘neck’ or ‘necked’ is a variation of the accepted common name.

Not frill-necked.

Frog Hollow park in Darwin city. Note: two words without an ‘s’ on Frog.

Frogshollow Backpackers Frogshollow Backpackers is the registered name of a backpackers accommodation property and should be written this way. fun-filled hyphenated when an adjective as in ‘a fun-filled weekend’.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Gg

Gove Airport in east Arnhem Land on the Gulf of Carpentaria. graveyard one word.

Gregory’s Tree Historical Reserve in the Katherine region.

Gagudju a language group in Kakadu National Park.

Groote Eylandt in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

Garig Gunak Barlu National Park Aboriginal-owned park at the top of the NorthernTerritory on Cobourg Peninsula (formerly Gurig National Park and Cobourg Marine Park).

Grove Hill Heritage Hotel and Museum at Grove Hill Siding - part of the Goldfields Loop.

Gemtree on the Plenty Highway.

George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens gardens located in Darwin city.

Giwining/Flora River Nature Park approximately 135 km south-west of Katherine.

Girraween outer Darwin.

Glen Helen Gorge 135 km west of Alice Springs. goldfields one word. goldmine one word. gold rush two words. gorge lower case ‘g’, but capital when a proper noun.

Example: Katherine Gorge.

Gosse Bluff now called Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve - in the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Gubara springs in Kakadu National Park. ‘springs’ is not part of the name and does not have a capital (often misnamed as Kubarra pools).

Guluyambi name of an Aboriginal culture cruise on the East Alligator River in Kakadu National Park.

Gummulkbun an Aboriginal clan.

Gunbalanya formerly Oenpelli. In Arnhem Land.

Gunlom in Kakadu National Park - formerly known as UDP Falls and Waterfall Creek Falls.

Gunwarddehwardde a lookout in Kakadu National Park - if ‘lookout’ is added it does not have a capital ‘L’.

Gunya Titjikala an Aboriginal community 120 km south of Alice Springs.

Gurudju land near Litchfield National Park belonging to the Marranunggu people.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Hh

homemade one word. homestead/ Homestead capital ‘H’ when a proper noun. Example: Mataranka Homestead. Lowercase ‘h’ when a general description. Example: we visited a homestead.

Harrison Dam Conservation Area in the Darwin area.

home style two words, hyphenate when an adjective.

Example: home-style cooking.

headcount one word.

hors d’oeuvres no capitals.

headframe one word.

horserace, horseracing one word.

headsets one word.

horse riding two words.

Heavitree Gap in Alice Springs.

Horse-shoe Bat Orange Horse-shoe Bats are found in the Cutta Cutta Caves near Katherine and Tolmer Falls in Litchfield National Park.

Heavitree Gap Police Station Historical Reserve reserve in the Alice Springs area.

Henbury Meteorites Conservation Reserve located 147 km south-west of Alice Springs.

Henley-on-Todd Regatta hyphenated. Correct name is (insert current sponsor) Henleyon-Todd Regatta.

Hermannsburg Aboriginal community west of Alice Springs. highlights one word. high-rise two words, hyphenated.

Holmes Jungle Nature Park near Darwin’s northern suburbs. homeland one word, no capital.

hot air ballooning three words.

Howard Springs Hunting Reserve reserve near Darwin.

Howard Springs Nature Park 35 km south of Darwin.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Ii

lllamurta Springs Conservation Reserve 192 km from Alice Springs. llparpa Ranges outskirts of Alice Springs. llparpa Swamp Wildlife Protected Area in the Alice Springs area. lmilgil a safari camp in Arnhem Land. implement instrument or tool. To ‘implement’ a plan meaning to put it into action is the same spelling.

Indian Island Conservation Area in the Darwin area. indigenous no capital ‘i’. in-house two words hyphenated. lnjalak Hill in Arnhem Land. lpolera a community in Central Australia. itinerary the plural is ‘itineraries’. lwupataka Aboriginal Land Trust.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Jj Jabiluka refer ‘Djabalukgu’ for correct spelling of language group. Jabiluka is the name for the Mineral Lease.

Jabiru capital when referring to the town in Kakadu National Park. jackaroos and jillaroos common nouns - no capitals.

Janganpa Dancers traditional dancers in Alice Springs.

Jankangyina an Aboriginal word meaning ‘lightning’.

Jarrangbarnmi in Kakadu National Park (formerly Koolpin Gorge).

Jawoyn Aboriginal people in the Katherine Gorge area.

Jervois Range a mountain range north-east of Alice Springs.

Jim Jim Falls in Kakadu National Park.

John Flynn Historical Reserve a reserve at the junction of the Stuart and Barkly Highways.

John Flynn’s Grave Historical Reserve the grave is at the foot of the MacDonnell Ranges. Include an apostrophe.

Johnston’s River crocodile Johnston is spelt with a ‘t’.

Joss House use capitals when referring to the Chinese Temple in Darwin. No capitals required if used as a common noun.

Judbarra/Gregory National Park in the Victoria River region.

Jukurrpa artists Alice Springs performers.

Junction Reserve in Central Australia.

Our Copywriting Style Spelling

Kk

Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk) is acceptable when referring to the gorge only. The name of the national park is Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge).

After the correct names have been used, ‘Katherine Gorge’ and ‘Nitmiluk National Park’ may be used on their own to make reading easier.

Kakadu National Park in the Top End - World Heritage-listed park.

Katherine Low Level Nature Park three kilometres from Katherine.

Kalarranga Lookout in the Finke Gorge.

Keep River National Park Victoria River region.

Kalkarindji on the Buntine Highway.

King Ash Bay a fishing spot in the Gulf near Borroloola.

Kambolgie a creek and a camp site in Kakadu National Park.

Kings Canyon in Watarrka National Park in Central Australia no apostrophe.

Kantju Gorge in the Uluru/Ayers Rock region.

Kintore Caves Nature Park in the Katherine region.

Karlu Karlu/Devils Marbles Conservation Reserve no apostrophe in Devils. Near Tennant Creek.

Knuckey Lagoons Conservation Reserve in the Darwin region.

Kata Tjuta/The Olgas official name is Kata Tjuta/The Olgas and this should be written initially and when The Olgas are being named formally. In the remaining text it can then be abbreviated to Kata Tjuta.

Retroflexes must be used.

Katherine a township in the Top End. Katherine Airport airport in Katherine.

Koolpin Gorge refer Jarrangbarnmi.

Kulgera on the Stuart Highway south of Alice Springs.

Kunbarllanjnja a local council in Gunbalanya, Arnhem Land.

Kununurra in Western Australia.

Kuyunba Conservation Reserve in the Alice Springs region.

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Ll Lake Amadeus in Central Australia.

Lake Bennett two ‘t’s. Near Darwin.

Lake Finniss in the Top End near Shady Camp - has two ‘s’s.

Lambells Lagoon Conservation Area to be part of Adelaide River National Park. landlocked one word.

Larapinta Trail walking track through the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Larrimah a town on the Stuart Highway.

Lasseter Highway highway to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Lasseters Hotel Casino no apostrophe before the ‘s’.

Leaning Tree Lagoon Nature Park 69 km east of Darwin Nature Park via the Arnhem Highway.

Leanyer Recreational Park artificial lake in the northern suburbs of Darwin.

Leichhardt note the double ‘h’.

Leliyn/Edith Falls located within the Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge) 42 km north of Katherine. licence is a noun and has a ‘c’. Example: a liquor licence licensed an adjective or a verb and has an ‘s’.

Example: a licensed restaurant. lifestyle one word. lightning note: there is no ‘e’. lily only one ‘l’. Lilies is the plural.

Limmen National Park in the Katherine area.

Litchfield Loop tourism drive through Litchfield National Park.

Litchfield National Park use ‘Litchfield Park’ only in reference to registered tour or operators’ names.

Livistona Livistona mariae in Palm Valley and Livistona rigida at Mataranka. Note: not Livistonia. lookout one word.

Luritja Road part of the Mereenie Loop.

Lyons Cottage historic building in Darwin - no apostrophe.

Lytwelepenty/Davenport Ranges National Park about 250 km from Tennant Creek.

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Mm

Mangarrayi Aboriginal people around the Elsey Katherine area.

Manngarre circular walk through a small monsoon rainforest at the East Alligator River.

Manton Dam Recreation Area south of Darwin.

Macassan early visitors to Australia.

Manyallaluk Aboriginal community in the Katherine region.

Mac Clark (Acacia peuce) Conservation Reserve about 340 km south-east of Alice Springs.

Mardugal Billabong in Kakadu National Park.

Acacia peuce, a rare tree that thrives in the harsh environment of this area.

MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia.

MacDonnell Ranges Loop tourism drive that links the attractions of the East and West MacDonnell Ranges.

Marrakai plains on the way to Kakadu National Park.

Marranunggu Aboriginal people from the Litchfield National Park area.

Mary Ann Dam Recreational Lake artificial lake five kilometres north of Tennant Creek.

MacDonnell Siding a place name with capitals.

Mary River Crossing off the Arnhem Highway on the way to Kakadu National Park.

magnetic termite mounds see termite mounds.

Mary River National Park located approximately 170 km from Darwin.

Maguk one word name only - not Maguk Falls formerly Barramundi Gorge. In Kakadu National Park.

Maryvale in Central Australia, near Chambers Pillar.

Malabanjbanjdju in Kakadu National Park.

Mamukala wetland area with undercover observation bird platform and bird hide near the South Alligator River floodplain. mangoes an ‘e’ in the plural, otherwise mango.

Mataranka Thermal Pool proper name and all capitals - pool is singular can be referred to as ‘Mataranka thermal springs’ which only requires a capital ‘M’ in that case.

McArthur River in the Gulf region near Borroloola.

Melville Island a large island to the north of Darwin, part of the Tiwi Islands.

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Mereenie Loop incorporating Larapinta Drive and Luritja Road - travels through the West MacDonnell Ranges, Watarrka National Park and on to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park.

Merrepen Arts Festival an annual event held at the Nauiyu Community, Daly River.

Meyers Hill In Olive Pink Botanic Garden, Alice Springs.

Note: not ‘Annie Meyers’.

Mikinj Valley in Arnhem Land.

Milikapiti part of the Tiwi Islands. Community located on Melville Island.

Mindil Beach located in Darwin.

Mindil Beach Sunset Markets Thursday and Sunday night markets in the dry season (April - October).

Miners Park in Pine Creek - no apostrophe before ‘s’.

Minjungari Odyssey Tours and Safaris - Litchfield National Park camp. monsoon forests no capitals. Sometimes referred to as monsoon vine forests, however around Darwin it is without ‘vine’.

Mt no full stop after the abbreviation.

Example: Mt Olga, Mt Surprise.

Mt Borradaile located in Arnhem Land.

Mt Conner on the way to Uluru/Ayers Rock and known to the Aboriginal custodians as Atila.

Mt Ebenezer located in Central Australia.

Mt Ertwa located in Central Australia (not Mt Ertiva).

Mt Sonder located in Central Australia, recognised as the end of the Larapinta Trail.

Mt Zeil highest point in the Northern Territory at 1531 m, located in Central Australia.

Mudjeegarrdart an airstrip in Arnhem Land.

Muirella Park in Kakadu National Park.

Mulgara a small, vulnerable, arid zone marsupial, and a gallery at Ayers Rock Resort. multi-award two words hyphenated.

mosquito plural is mosquitoes.

multilingual one word.

Mount Olga the highest dome of the Kata Tjuta formation.

Murranji Track Buchanan’s book with ‘Murinji’ spelling is incorrect. Old stockmen’s trail.

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Murgenella in Arnhem Land.

Myilly Point Historic Precinct Darwin attraction. myriad an indefinitely great number. mythology a common noun, no capital.

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Nn

Nhulunbuy township in Arnhem Land. Also known as ‘Gove’.

Nightcliff Rainforest Conservation Area in the Darwin area.

Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge) Gorge referred to as Katherine Gorge (Nitmiluk).

Namatjira, Albert a famous Aboriginal artist (now deceased).

National park referred to as Nitmiluk National Park (Katherine Gorge).

Napwerte/Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve a reserve 39 km south of Alice Springs.

After the correct names have been used.

‘Katherine Gorge’ and ‘Nitmiluk National Park’ may be used on their own to make reading easier.

Nanguluwur in Kakadu National Park.

Nardab Floodplain below Ubirr in Kakadu National Park.

Native Gap Conservation Reserve north of Alice Springs.

Nature’s Way tourism drive that begins and ends in Darwin, through Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks.

Nauiyu official name of the township of Daly River.

Nauiyu Nambiyu Aboriginal name for Daly River - name of community council only.

Nawurlandja a lookout in Kakadu National Park.

N’dhala Gorge Nature Park in the East MacDonnell Ranges.

Ngalipanyangu Cultural Centre Tennant Creek art gallery.

Nguiu the main community on Bathurst Island.

non-smoking two words hyphenated.

Noonamah outer Darwin. north-west two words hyphenated.

Nourlangie Rock in Kakadu National Park, not just Nourlangie.

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Oo

Ooraminna Homestead and Bush Camp on the Old South Road south of Alice Springs. open-air two words hyphenated when used as an adjective. Example: open-air concert. open-cut open cut is hyphenated when used as an adjective. Example: open-cut mine.

Ochre Pits in the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Ormiston Gorge and Pound in the West MacDonnell National Park.

Oolloo Crossing Conservation Area in the Katherine region.

Outback capitalised when used as a proper noun (the Outback) - lower case when used as an adjective (an outback experience).

off-beat two words hyphenated. off-peak two words hyphenated.

outpost any remote settlement - only capitalised if part of a proper noun.

off-season two words hyphenated.

Overland Telegraph Station all capitals as in Overland Telegraph Line.

O’Keeffe Residence in Katherine - owned by the National Trust.

Overlander’s Way tourism drive that links Queensland to Tennant Creek via the Barkly Tablelands.

Old Darwin Civil Aerodrome and hangar no capital ‘h’ on hangar.

Olgas, The officially it is Kata Tjuta/ The Olgas and this should be written initially. Kata Tjuta is then preferred.

Olive Pink Botanic Garden in Alice Springs, formerly known as Olive Pink Floral Reserve. on board two words. on to two words as in ‘they drove on to Alice Springs’. onto one word as in ‘he jumped onto the train’.

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Pp Pandella Falls at Peppimenarti. parkland one word.

Paspaley Pearling Co. in The Mall, Darwin. Note: Paspalis Group of Companies.

Patakijiyali Museum located in Nguiu.

Pebbles, The misnamed in the past as the ‘Devils Pebbles’. peninsula only capitalise if part of a name, such as Gove Peninsula, Cox Peninsula Road. Note: there is no ‘r’ on the end.

Peninsular Apartments note the ‘r’ - the apartments name was registered as such.

Peppimenarti an Aboriginal community in the north-west of the Northern Territory. percentage one word.

Pethericks Rainforest Reserve in Litchfield National Park - no apostrophe. pick-up two words hyphenated when used as an adjective. Example: pick-up point.

Pioneers’ Way tourism drive that links Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park and Watarrka National Park.

Pirlangimpi township on Melville Island - formerly named Pularumpi.

Pitjantjatjara a linguistic dialect of Western Desert language speakers. plateaus plural of ‘plateau’. Plateaux is also correct but not used. professional one ‘f’ and double ‘s’. program replaced programme as the first preference of the Macquarie Dictionary.

Pukamani capital ‘p’ - Tiwi burial sites and poles.

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Qq Qantas although an acronym, should be written in lowercase with a capital ‘Q’.

Quoll - northern Endangered native carniverous marsupial.

Ranger Uranium Mine capitals when the whole name is used, no capitals if just ‘uranium mine’. Can be just ‘Ranger’.

Redbank Gorge 165 km west of Alice Springs in the West MacDonnell National Park.

Red Lily Billabong one ‘I’ in Lily - in Kakadu National Park. road train two words. rock art two words. rock pools two words.

Rr racecourse one word. racehorse one word.

Rainbow Valley Conservation Reserve in the James Ranges, Central Australia. rainforest one word.

Pethericks Rainforest is a registered name so has a capital ‘R’, Manngarre rainforest is a description so has a small ‘r’. ranger-guided two words, hyphenated.

Ronan Park park in Timber Creek.

Ruby Gap Nature Park 140 km east of Alice Springs.

Rum Jungle ex mining town near Batchelor.

Ryans Well Historical Reserve north of Alice Springs.

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Ss saltwater/ salt water one word when it’s an adjective. Example: saltwater crocodile, saltwater river. Two words when referring to the water. Example: the river is salt water. sandbar one word.

Sandy Creek Falls now called Tjaynera Falls - in Litchfield National Park.

Santa Teresa an Aboriginal community in Central Australia.

Note: no ‘h’ in Teresa.

Simpsons Gap in the West MacDonnell National Park, 18 km west of Alice Springs - no apostrophe.

Sir Edward Pellew Group of islands a group of islands in the Gulf of Carpentaria ‘Group’ is part of the name and therefore has a capital but ‘islands’ does not.

Snake Creek a WWII site near Adelaide River.

Note: not Snake Gully.

South East Asia with caps, without a hyphen.

Southern Cross proper noun therefore capitalised.

Southern Hemisphere proper noun therefore capitalised. southern skies no capitals. spear grass two words.

Savannah Guides network of professional tour guides.

sportfish one word.

Savannah Way tourism drive that links the Territory with Queensland and Western Australia.

spotlight, spotlighting both one word - as in spotlighting animals.

Sea Eagle two words - White-bellied Sea Eagle is the full name.

Springvale Homestead commercial accommodation near the Low Level Nature Reserve in Katherine.

self-drive two words hyphenated when discribed.

Standley Chasm in the West MacDonnell National Park -18 km west of Alice Springs. Note the ‘d’.

Serpentine Chalet Bush Camping Area in the West MacDonnell National Park.

stopover one word as used in itineraries.

Serpentine Gorge in the West MacDonnell National Park 100 km west of Alice Springs.

Strehlow Research Centre part of the Alice Springs Cultural Precinct.

The Research Centre is not open to the public, however some artefacts are on display at the Museum.

shipwreck one word.

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Stuart’s Tree Historical Reserve in the Katherine region.

Sturt Desert Pea all capitals. sunrise and sunset both one word, except when saying “as the sun sets over the water”. sunscreen one word.

Survivors Lookout overlooking the Darwin Wharf Precinct.

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Tt tailor-made two words hyphenated. takeaway one word. Adjective. take off two words.

Tanami Desert in Central Australia.

Taracumbie Falls waterfall on Melville Island.

Tennant Creek a town centred around the junction of the Stuart and Barkly Highways.

Tennant Creek Telegraph Station Historical Reserve not Overland Telegraph Station termite mounds not anthills. The large mounds are cathedral termite mounds, the tombstone-shaped mounds are magnetic termite mounds.

Territory Wildlife Park a 45 minute drive south of Darwin.

Threeways where the Stuart Highway joins the Barkly Highway - the roadhouse is Threeways (one word) Roadhouse. time frame two words.

timetable one word.

Tindal one ‘I’ for the RAAF Base in Katherine.

Tindall Caves two ‘l’s for Tindall Caves.

Ti Tree a township on the Stuart Highway north of Alice Springs.

Tiwi Islands encompasses Melville and Bathurst Islands, Aboriginal-owned communities 80 kilometres north of Darwin.

Tjaetaba Falls in Litchfield National Park.

Tjaynera Falls in Litchfield National Park - formerly Sandy Creek Falls.

Tjenya Falls between Wangi Falls and Pethericks Rainforest in Litchfield National Park.

Tjukurpa an Aboriginal word that refers to the creation period when ancestral beings created the world. Also refers to Aoangu religion, law and moral systems. It shapes the structure of Anangu society.

Tjuwaliyn/Douglas Hot Springs situated in Tjuwaliyn/Douglas Hot Springs Nature Park, about 130 km north-west of Katherine.

Tnorala (Gosse Bluff) Conservation Reserve formerly Gosse Bluff - in the West MacDonnell Ranges.

Tolmer Falls and Gorge in Litchfield National Park.

Top End has capitals.

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Traditional Owner Aboriginal custodians of a land. Do not abbreviate to ‘TO’. travelled / travelling / travellers note the double ‘I’.

Tree Point Conservation Area in the Darwin area.

Trephina Gorge Nature Park 78 km along the Ross Highway in the East MacDonnell Ranges.

Tropic of Capricorn Marker attraction between Tennant Creek and Alice Springs.

Tropical Summer December to early March in the Top End. Tuxworth-Fullwood House Tennant Creek National Trust Museum hyphenated.

Twin Falls in Kakadu National Park.

Twin Ghost Gums attraction in the West MacDonnell National Park.

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Uu Vv Ubirr one word - never ‘Ubirr Rock’.

Vernon Islands Conservation Reserve in the Darwin area.

Uluru/Ayers Rock can be abbreviated in descriptions to Uluru.

Retroflexes must be used.

Victoria River Depot Historical Reserve in the Katherine area.

Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park the official name of the national park. Note: it has a hyphen, there are no spaces either side of the hyphen and retroflexes must be used.

Umbrawarra Gorge Nature Park about 25 km west of Pine Creek.

Umorrduk in Arnhem Land. underwater one word when an adjective, as in ‘underwater viewing’.

Undoolya Station a station in Central Australia.

United Kingdom, United States spell out the first time and then use UK, US.

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Ww Wallace Rockhole Rockhole is one word.

Wangi Falls in Litchfield National Park.

Wardaman Aboriginal people associated with the Katherine area.

Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre cultural centre at Cooinda in Kakadu National Park. wartime one word.

Warumungu Aboriginal people in the Tennant Creek area.

Watarrka National Park 330 km from Alice Springs - may be referred to as Watarrka National Park (Kings Canyon). watercourse one word. waterhole one word. waterlily one word. waterproof one word.

Wauchope on the Stuart Highway, south of Tennant Creek.

Wessel Islands a small chain of islands off the coast of Arnhem Land. west and east must be written in full unless in registered company or tour name. Lowercase when not part of a name.

West MacDonnell National Park west of Alice Springs. Not Western. wet, the lowercase ‘w’ - means wet season. wetlands one word - Mary River wetlands is a description, not a name. wet season no capital ‘W’.

Whistleduck Creek in the Davenport Range National Park. wilderness only a capital ‘w’ when part of a name. wildlife one word. wild flowers two words.

Wildman Reserve off the Arnhem highway on the way to Kakadu National Park.

Window on the Wetlands Visitor Centre information centre at Beatrice Hill off the Arnhem Highway.

Wollogorang on the Savannah Way. world-class two words, hyphenated when an adjective.

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World Heritage-listed capital ‘W’ and ‘H’, small ‘I’ - hyphen when adjective. Example: World Heritage-listed national park.

World War II / WWII WWII is preferred. Do not use WW2. worldwide one word.

Wycliffe Well on the Stuart Highway, south of Tennant Creek.

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Xx Yy Zz year-round two words hyphenated.

Yellow Water in Kakadu National Park - no ‘s’ in Water.

Yellow Water Billabong no ‘s’ in Water.

Yeperenye/Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park note the plural Gaps and singular Park.

Yeperenye name of Alice Springs Dreaming festival, a shopping centre and a Central Australian caterpillar.

Yeperenye/ Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park formerly Emily and Jessie Gaps Nature Park.

Yuendumu an Aboriginal community in Central Australia.

YuIara the name of the township near Uluru, now called Ayers Rock Resort.

Tourism NT Corporate Affairs GPO Box 1155 Darwin NT 0801 Ph: +61 8 8999 3942 Email: news.tourismnt@nt.gov.au