Visiting Darwin and Exploring the Northern Territory

Visitors to Darwin really love the Mindil Beach Sunset Market, held every Thursday and Sunday evening from April 25 to October. Among the highlights at the market is the food offering Thai, Sri Lankan, Portuguese, Indian, Greek, Chinese, Brazilian, and Malaysian cuisines. There is also a selection of unique gifts and while you’re enjoying the market, you can delight in the lovely sunset all about.

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory is located in a tropical garden on Darwin Harbor. The gallery offers an impressive collection of Aboriginal, Southeast Asian, and Oceanic art. There are also artworks by Australian painters. A must-see is “Sweetheart” the stuffed crocodile which is one of the largest captured in northern Australia. Visitors can look into the region’s ecology in The Natural History Room. Some of the other highlights are exhibits on local history, among them photos of Darwin before and after Cyclone Tracy in 1974. When you’re done touring the complex, you can relax in the cafe. 

An exciting area to visit is the Darwin Wharf Precinct packed with shops, restaurants, entertainment places, and attractions. Visitors can do some shopping or embark on a harbor cruise. You can look into the history of pearl fishing at the Australian Pearling Exhibition and visit the large aquarium, Indo Pacific Marine with living corals and tropical creatures. 

Among the popular attractions is the Deckchair Cinema, operated by the Darwin Film Society. This open-air cinema features films seven days a week during the dry season. On hot days families can enjoy the Wave and Recreation Lagoon. 

Commemorating the bombing of Darwin in 1942 is the Darwin Military Museum. Here, multimedia presentations and firsthand accounts tell the story of Darwin’s role in WW II and explore the impact of the war on the city’s residents. The museum is located in a beautiful setting surrounded by tropical gardens near the sea in the East Point Nature Reserve. 

Visitors can see 19 aircraft at the Australian Aviation Heritage Center, among them Sabre jets, a Spitfire replica, and helicopters. There are videos on aviation and the bombing of Darwin. 

The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens stretch for 42 hectares. Here both estuary and marine plants grow naturally. These gardens were laid out in 1891 by Russian immigrant Maurice Holtze. There are many tropical plants including both native and exotic species. Among the highlights are palms, a miniature rainforest with a waterfall and pond, an orchid garden, and a collection of baobabs in the woodland section. Visitors can walk along a network of paths. An amphitheater gives live performances. 

Right in the heart of Darwin’s central business district is Crocosaurus Cove, with the largest display of Australian reptiles in the world. Those who love wildlife can come face to face with the formidable saltwater crocodile in the “Cage of Death”. Visitors can feed the crocs and check out the barramundi and sawfish in the aquarium. 

Darwin’s wide streets offer visitors lots to delight in such as lots of shops and galleries that sell everything from didgeridoos to leather goods and Aboriginal bark paintings. There are many modern buildings among some distinctive landmarks such as the Christchurch Cathedral which was damaged by Japanese bombing during WW II and destroyed by Cyclone Tracy. The cathedral is an octagonal building with a narrow porch and adjoining wall, which survived the cyclone. 

An impressive colonial-style white building is the Government House, built between 1870 and 1878. It stands 70 m above the sea with great views of the harbor. 

When it is high tide at the north end of the Esplanade at Doctor’s Gully tourists gather to hand-feed hundreds of friendly mullet, milkfish, batfish, barramundi, and bream. This has been happening since the 1950s and has become a popular tourist attraction known as Aquascene. Children particularly love feeding the fish.

When you want to see so much more and commune with nature, it’s time to get out into the great outdoors. The Olgas or Kata Tjuta, which to the Aboriginal people translates to “many heads” derives its name from the amazing group of 36 massive red rock outcrops making up this natural wonder. The highest of these outcrops is Mount Olga rising 546 meters above the desert floor. Visitors can take one-hour to five-hour walks through the gorges and around the outcrops. 

Some of the best 4 WD tracks in Australia can be found in The Simpson Desert. There are many undulating sand dunes and the desert is also home to some fantastic geological monuments, among them Chambers Pillar, Ewaninga Rock Carvings Conservation Reserve, and Rainbow Valley. These vast red plains and impressive natural landmarks had a deep significance to the local Arrernte people.

You’ll find the incredible Devil’s Marbles here. These are huge granite boulders scattered across a wide, shallow valley 100 kilometers south of Tennant Creek. They are located in the traditional country of the Warumungu, Kaytetye, Alyawarra, and Warlpiri people. These people call the Devil’s Marbles Karlu Karlu, which literally means “round boulders”. These were found by erosion millions of years ago and are made of granite. They vary in size from 50 cm up to six m across. A lot of these giant stones are precariously balanced, one atop the other. Today they continue to crack and erode. 

Exploring the Northern Territory

The Northern Territory has the most dramatic nature all around and you can find many places to explore and many things to see. The town of Katherine is the fourth largest town in the Northern Territory. The Katharine River flows through the town. This is a friendly environment and a fantastic place for families. It has a real small-town feel. 

Edith Falls is a part of the national park and is a popular place for both residents and visitors to have picnics and barbecues and to go hiking and swimming. 

The Katherine Museum offers photo displays that show the history of this region.

Just out of town is Springvale Homestead, the oldest original homestead in the Northern Territory. 

Nearby are the amazing Cutta Cutta Caves, a series of limestone crystal caverns and pillars dating back 500 million years. 

You’ll experience an amazing adventure at Nitmiluk National Park with its world-renowned gorge system. Here you can hike, swim, canoe, boat, or even fly. Visitors can take a walk over the sandstone plateau range offering impressive views of the gorge. There are many spectacular landscapes such as the monsoon rainforest, stone country, upland swamp, woodland, and river. Canoes are for hire at the gorge and there are helicopter flights available for bird’s eye views.

If you’re looking for some unusual adventure, take the 58-kilometer Jatbula Trail which features amazing scenery, waterfalls, and Jawoyn Aboriginal rock art. The trail is a four to five-day hike and is marked only in one direction from Katherine 

Take the time to explore the magnificent World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park. This is Australia’s biggest national park. It offers visitors rugged escarpments, lush rainforest, and rock art galleries that are up to 50,000 years old. You can learn about the Aboriginal culture from the traditional owners, the Bininj/Mungguy people. There are millions of migratory birds in the wetlands. You can see delicate water lillies, and prehistoric crocodiles, waterfalls, and sparkling water holes. 

Tennant Creek is the major service center for the Barkly Region and is also the regional service hub for the huge pastoral stations which produce premium beef cattle on vast grasslands. At one time people came here to search for gold. Today, mining companies still produce gold, copper, and manganese. 

For both residents and visitors, a popular place for swimming, barbecues, picnics, and bush walks is Mary Ann Dam. 

Visitors can go on a guided tour of the Nyinkka Nyunyu Art and Culture Center. Out in the gardens you can learn about bush tucker and traditional medicines. There is a place to get some coffee and at the shop, you can purchase local artwork, crafts, and books.

If you are a horse lover head on over to Kelly’s Ranch and saddle up. You can ride the Barkly Tablelands around Tennant Creek. 

Located in the Top End of the Northern Territory by the Arafura Sea is Nhulunbuy on the Gove Peninsula, southeast of Arnhem Land. This is a remote area. Its name means “honey man” in Yolngu language. It’s also known as Gove. Europeans named the Gove Peninsula after Pilot Officer William Gove who died in WW II.

Nhulunbuy is great for outdoor lovers. Here you can enjoy fishing, sailing, bird watching and 4-wheel drive outings. There are wonderful beaches and wilderness areas. The town has educational, health, social, sporting, cultural and shopping facilities.