The photo of the joey from the Kangaroo Sanctuary in Alice Springs attracted 5,161 likes on @AusOutbackNT and melted just as many hearts.

The Kangaroos Sanctuary dominated the social media platform with photos of locals from the tourism attraction taking out six of Tourism NT's top 10 most liked photos of the year.

The quirky Kangaroo pics included a joey learning how to walk (2); a joey called “Little Indi” caught red-handed playing with a roll of toilet paper (3), a video of a joey giving a visitor a hug (6) and a photo of “Roger the ripped Kangaroo” flexing his muscles (10).

“The Northern Territory is renowned for its unique native wildlife and quirky characters so it's no surprise that when combined this proved a powerful combination on Instagram,” said Tourism NT CEO Tony Mayell.

“The photos of the joeys in Alice Springs are not only cute and cuddly but also represent the iconic Northern Territory outback and true Australia. It's no wonder these moments attracted thousands of likes from all over the world.”

Sunsets also proved popular in 2015, with two sunsets from Central Australia making the top 10, including a spectacular time-lapse photo at Uluru. The Territory's natural landscapes also won over Instagrammers with the list of “most-liked” photos from each region featuring pristine beaches, rivers, and waterholes.

Mr Mayell said Instagram was an extremely valuable and cost-effective form of marketing with the annual “State of the Nation” report by travel search site Expedia.com.au recently finding 85 per cent people surveyed considered social media potential before booking a vacation.

“Instagram is a huge marketing platform for us with travellers sharing hundreds of pictures a day via @AusOutbackNT and the Northern Territory's official hashtag #NTaustralia,” he said.

“In 12 months, our Instagram audience has doubled reaching over 126,000 individuals with our overall social media audience at more than 450,000 which just goes to show just how popular the Northern Territory is with travellers.

“With stunning sunsets and spectacular landscapes there's a unique photo opportunity around every corner so it's about time everyone came an experienced the Northern Territory for themselves.”

 

@AusOutbackNT Top 10 Instagram Posts for 2015

1. Joey hugging a hand at Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs

2. Joey learning to walk at Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs

3. Joey with toilet paper at Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs

4. Sunset, Kings Canyon

5. Dog in front of Welcome to Northern Territory sign, QLD and NT border

6. Joey hugging visitor at Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs

7. Sunset timelapse, Uluru     

8. Rain puddles at Walpa Gorge, Uluru

9. Maguk Gorge, Kakadu

10. Roger the Kangaroo at Kangaroo Sanctuary, Alice Springs