darwin and surrounds 7 days

seven daysdarwin and surrounds

With a week in Darwin, you have time to find out why Lonely Planet named it

one of the worlds top ten cities to visit in 2012. Plus, youll get to head out on

daytrips into the Top Ends nearby natural beauty. With this itinerary, well be

introducing you to Darwins Aboriginal art, WWII history and great dining, as

well as taking you to sit in a waterfall in Litchfield National Park, to explore

wetlands, and on a short flight to the nearby Tiwi Islands.

Order your first coffee for the day at one of

the many cafes in the city or watch the

passing yachts from the Boardwalk Cafe

Boatshed Coffee House on the marina.

See Aboriginal art from around the

Northern Territory, and talk to expert

dealers at commercial art galleries in the

city and nearby suburb Parap.

The Museum and Art Gallery of the

Northern Territory is a good place to find

out more about Aboriginal art and to see

local crocodile celebrity, Sweetheart. The

5-metre, 780-kilogram taxidermied

saltwater crocodile is on permanent display

in the museum.

Take a walk through the shady George

Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens to see flora

of northern Australia and other tropical

habitats. Wander through mangroves and

open woodlands, and see 450 species of

palms and plantings from the Tiwi Islands

and Arnhem Land.

day 1.

Litchfield National Park is a great place for a

day trip. Make the easy 90-minute drive on

sealed roads to see its lush wilderness of

monsoon rainforests, cascading waterfalls,

and diverse flora and fauna.

Follow the boardwalk past the magnetic

termite mounds, cool off with a swim in the

plunge pool below the spring-fed Florence

Falls, wade through the rocky pools at Buley

Rockhole, and visit Wangi and Tolmer falls.

Or, join a tour departing from Darwin led by

an Aboriginal guide who explains the

regions traditions and significance to its

traditional owners as well as bush foods and

medicines.

At the days end find a seat to unwind and

take in a flick at Deckchair Cinema, an

outdoor cinema on the Darwin Waterfront

A popular place for fish and chips, Stokes

Hill Wharf is a great place to finish the day

and watch the sun set over the harbour.

day 2.

Exploring a new place on foot is the best

way to find out what makes it tick. Follow

Robbie Mills, a Larrakia man, on a Batji

Tours 90-minute cultural walking tour along

the Esplanade.

Or find out about Darwins wartime history.

Visit the new Defence of Darwin Experience

and historical sites including the WWII Oil

Storage Tunnels and the cenotaph at

Bicentennial Park a memorial to those lost

in WWII which overlooks Darwin Harbour.

For an adrenalin rush and a closer look at

living, breathing saltwater crocodiles, head

into Darwins Crocosaurus Cove and dive

among them in the Cage of Death.

that screens Australian, popular, family,

foreign and classic films during the Dry

(AprilNovember). Relax under the stars and

enjoy their onsite bar and food stall.

day 3.

HERO IMAGE

IMAGE


. . . find out why Lonely Planet

named it one of the worlds top

ten cities to visit in 2012.

As the daylight hours start to wane, head

back to the waterfront to board a cruise on

an historic pearling lugger for a drink or

dinner and to watch a magnificent tropical

sunset from the water.

The Tiwi Islands are famous for Aboriginal

arts and crafts, a passion for Australian

Rules Football (AFL), and fishing.

From Darwin the Tiwi Islands are accessible

as part of an organised Aboriginal tour or

fishing expedition. To get there take a

30-minute flight in a light aircraft from

Darwin.

Art is part of everyday life on the islands.

Make sure your visit includes a stop at an

art centre where you can see artists at work

and purchase craft and artworks. See

traditional art and depictions of the Tiwi

creation stories on display at the Tiwi

Museum, and wander through the unique

Tiwi-style Catholic Church in the Early

Mission Precinct.

Back in Darwin, book ahead to secure a

table at one of the citys gastronomic

must-dos: Hanuman. It combines Asian-style

decor and alfresco dining with a distinctive

menu of Thai, Indian and Nonya cuisine.

Chef Jimmy Shus trumpet mushrooms and

Hanuman oysters come highly

recommended.

day 4.

Treat yourself to breakfast with a view:

make your way to Cullen Bay Marina and

grab a table at Buzz Cafe.

For some R&R, head to Berry Springs Nature

Park. A recreation camp for armed forces

personnel during the war, today it is a

popular spot for a barbecue and a dip in the

freshwater pools. Remains of wartime huts

and weirs are still visible around the main

pool.

Get close to the local wildlife at the nearby

Territory Wildlife Park. Wander through

treetop aviaries, around a natural lagoon

and through the aquarium to see animals,

including saltwater crocodiles, in their

natural habitats.

Darwins popular Mindil Beach Sunset

Markets are held every Thursday and

Sunday evening between May and October.

The region's incredible multicultural mix is

well represented at the market's arts and

crafts and food stalls, so go with an

appetite. Enjoy free entertainment by

magicians and buskers, or take your pick

from the food stalls and picnic on the beach

for sunset.

day 5.

Cruising Top End wetlands teeming with

wildlife should be on everyones bucket list.

A one-hour wildlife cruise on Corroboree

Billabong (a 90-minute drive from Darwin) is

a great way to see, photograph and find out

more about the local wildlife. Expect to see

wetland birds, including the jabiru and

brolga, magpie geese and many others, as

well as crocodiles the billabong is said to

have the highest concentration of saltwater

crocodiles in the world.

To learn about the Northern Territorys

wetlands stop at Window on the Wetlands

where interactive displays explain the

history and ecology, seasonal changes and

abundant wildlife of the northern coastal

wetlands.

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve is one of

the few wetland systems that is accessible

year-round. Here, boardwalks take you

day 6.

The Northern Territory is a famous

year-round fishing destination. There is a

wide range of fishing options close to

Darwin, and species ranging from mud crabs

to queenfish. Join a blue water charter or

hire your own dinghy for the day to explore

the coastlines many natural and artificial

reefs.

Cool off at Darwins Wave Lagoon a

stinger- and crocodile-free wave and

swimming lagoon on Darwins waterfront.

Paddle, swim, bodysurf or play in this

man-made lagoon, which is like a beach with

no sand, with man-made waves of up to 1.7

metres generated at regular intervals.

Toast a great Darwin day at one of the many

bars and pubs on the citys main

entertainment strip, Mitchell Street. Choose

from traditional pubs with beer gardens,

popular live music venues, terrace bars with

street-side dining, casual backpacker joints,

swanky cocktail bars and night clubs.

through different landscapes and to

observation platforms to view the large

numbers of resident wading birds.

After a busy day in the field, retire to Char

Restaurant to dine on fresh local produce in

the beautiful heritage-listed Admiralty

House.

day 7.


Boardwalk Cafe Boatshed Coffee

House

5456 Marina Boulevard, Cullen Bay

Darwin

Northern Territory 0820

T: +61 (8) 8981 0200

W: www.boardwalkcafe.com.au

1 Parap Shopping Village

Parap Place, Parap

Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8952 1700

W: www.parapvillage.com.au

2

2

Museum and Art Gallery of the

Northern Territory

Conacher Street, Fannie Bay

Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8999 8264

W: www.magnt.nt.gov.au

3

3

George Brown Darwin Botanic

Gardens

Gardens Road, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8981 1958

W: www.nretas.nt.gov.au

4 Stokes Hill Wharf

Darwin Wharf Precinct, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8942 1453

F: +61 (8) 8941 5375

W: www.darwinport.nt.gov.au

5

5

Litchfield National Park

Litchfield Park Road via Batchelor


T: +61 (8) 8999 4555


6

Northern Territory Indigenous Tours

Lyons Cottage, 74 The Esplanade

Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8983 1434

Toll Free: 1300 921 188 (Australia)

W: www.ntindigenoustours.com/

7

7

Deckchair Cinema

Jervois Road off Kitchener Drive

Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8981 0700

W: www.deckchaircinema.com/

8 Batji Tours

By the fountain. Corner of Daly Street

and The Esplanade

Darwin



W: www.batji.com

9

Defence of Darwin Experience

5434 Alec Fong Lim Drive

East Point, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8981 9702

W: www.defenceofdarwin.nt.gov.au

10 WWII Oil Storage Tunnels

Kitchener Drives, Darwin Wharf

Precinct, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8985 6333

F: +61 (8) 8985 6366

W: www.darwintours.com.au

11 Bicentennial Park

The Esplanade, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8930 0300

W: www.darwin.nt.gov.au

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20

Crocosaurus Cove

58 Mitchell Street, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8981 7522

W: www.crocosauruscove.com.au

13 Darwin Waterfront Precinct

Kitchener Drive, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8999 5155

W: www.waterfront.nt.gov.au

14 Tiwi Islands

Nguiu, Bathurst Island


T: +61 (8) 8923 6523


W: www.tiwi-islands.com.au

Hanuman Restaurant Darwin

Holiday Inn Esplanade Darwin Complex

93 Mitchell Street, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8941 3500

W: www.hanuman.com.au

16 Buzz Cafe

48 Marina Boulevard

Cullen Bay, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8941 1141

W: www.buzzcafe.com.au

17 Berry Springs Nature Park

57 kilometres south-west of Darwin

Cox Peninsula Road

Berry Springs


T: +61 (8) 8999 4555


18

Territory Wildlife Park

Cox Peninsula Road

Berry Springs


T: +61 (8) 8988 7200

www.territorywildlifepark.com.au

19 Mindil Beach Sunset Markets

Maria Liveris Drive

Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8981 3454

W: www.mindil.com.au

20 Wetland Cruises

69 Mitchell Street

Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8985 5855

W: www.wetlandcruises.com.au

21

Window on the Wetlands

Beatrice Hill, Arnhem Highway

Humpty Doo


T: +61 (8) 8988 8188


22

Darwin Wave Lagoon

Darwin Waterfront Precinct

Kitchener Drive, Darwin


W: www.waterfront.nt.gov.au

25

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve

Fogg Dam Road, Humpty Doo


T: +61 (8) 8999 4555


23 Char Restaurant at Admiralty

70 The Esplanade, Darwin


T: +61 (8) 8981 4544

W: www.chardarwin.com.au

24


Call Territory Discoveries to talk to an NT specialist: 13 31 01

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darwin and surrounds 7 days

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