Getting out and about in (& around) Darwin

Darwin certainly has plenty to keep you and the family occupied! Come and explore what Darwin has to offer!

Local to Darwin

• Waterfront Precinct: the perfect place to relax & unwind. Located in close proximity to accommodation, restaurants, pubs & adjacent to the Convention Centre.

• Wave Lagoon: swim in either the recreation lagoon or the wave lagoon. Find the Wave Lagoon in the heart of the waterfront precinct surrounded by garden, restaurants & pubs.    

• Dawrin Harbour Cruises: several options for sunset cruises with or without dinner over the harbour. There are multiple companies to choose from so shop around to get exactly what you want.

• Deckchair Cinema: experience the open air cinema, voted best regional cinema 2017. Enjoy a mix of indie/arthouse & mainstream films while relaxing in deckchairs.

• Botanic Gardens: located 2km from Darwin City Centre, come and explore the George Brown Botanic Gardens and be captivated by the natural surroundings.

• Casuarina Beach: experience the unspoilt Casuarina Beach and take a stroll or ride along the beautiful tree-lined, paved bike path takes you along the foreshore past the Nightcliff pool.

• Hop on off bus tour of Darwin: hop on for a laid-back sightseeing adventure of the top end!

• Go Kart Racing at Hidden Valley: for those wanting something a little more fast pace, this is for you! From Go-Karts to Quad Bike Racing, there is something for all adrenaline seekers

• Outback Floatplanes: if you really want to cram as much adventure as possible into limited time, take a browse of celebrity Matt Wright's famous 'Outback Floatplanes'. Tours range from airboats, floatplanes and a billabong cruise down the pristine waters of Sweets Lagoon complete with breakfast or lunch. 

Animal Encounters

• Crocosaurus Cove: for those wanting to immerse themselves in a perspex tank next to a large salterwater crocodile, then the "tank of death" is for you!

• Crocodylus Park: Crocodylus Park is the best place in Australia to come face to face with the largest reptiles on the planet! However, they are more then just reptiles with a diverse array of other wildlife including big cats, primates and birds. 

• Territory Wildlife Park: if you are interested in Native Australian Animals this is for you. Get up close with the animals and expereince a once in a life time opportunity!

• Aquascene Fish Feeding: great fun for the entire family!

Local Markets 

• Parap Markets: offering the finest tropical flavours and truce Territory atmosphere, the Parap Village Markets are held every Saturday from 8am - 2pm (rain or shine) all year round.

• Nightcliff Markets: unwind and feel the ambience. Set in the Nightcliff Shopping Centre, the markets are an ideal place for a lazy Sunday Coffee. The Nightcliff Markets are held every Sunday from 8am - 2pm.

• Malak Marketpalce: experience Darwin's first local and organic farmers' market, an arts and crafts, community education and health hub all rolled into one! The Malak Marketplace is held from 4pm - 9pm every Saturday between April and October.

• Mindil Beach Markets: Mindil Beach Sunset Market is a modern day market in the heart of the tropics. Located on the iconic strip overlooking Mindil Beach, the market features over 300 stalls. The Mindil Beach Markets are held every Thursday & Sunday between 4pm - 9pm.  

Museums and Art Gallery's

• Museum and Art Gallery NT: The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the Northern Territory's premier cultural organisation. The MAGNT includes Cyclone Tracey exhibition & 'Sweetheart' the 5 metre crocodile responsible for chomping on men in the early 1970's.

• Darwin History and Wartime Experience Tour: go back in time and experience a journey back through time in a genuine WW2 army truck to discover, relive, learn and explore Darwins exciting and historic past.

• Oil Storage Tunnels: once used in WW2 made by Civil Construction Corps, this now very unique tourist attraction is beside Darwin Wharf Precinct on Kitchener Drive.

• Fannie Bay Gaol:  once Darwin's main prison for almost 100 years, now an important historic site that attracts thousands of visitors each year.

• 1934 Qantas Hangar: The Motor Vehicle Enthusiasts Club Inc (MVEC) was established in 1985 to provide a focus for the dedicated souls throughout the Territory who had an interest in not only salvaging and restoring elderly vehicles, but for anybody who had an interest in vehicles of any make, model or vintage.

• Stokes Hill Wharf (RFDS & Bombing of Darwin 3D Exhibitions): Relive the drama of the Bombingof Darwin Harbour that rocked Australia in 1942. The bombing of the harbour brought destruction to the city of Darwin, and many of the experiences and stories of what happened that day are learnt through the most modern and exciting technology.

Fishing Tours

There are loads of options to choose from if you’re keen on spending a half or whole day (or longer if you are super-enthusiastic) on the waterways attempting to snag a Barra. Below are some options.. but there are many more! 

Arafura Blue
Darwin Red Devil Charters
Dawrin Harbour Fishing Charters
Reel Screamin Barra Fishing
Barramundi Adventures Darwin 

Outside Darwin

• Litchfield National Park : if you are keen on getting out of town and exploring some of the NT’s famous National Parks, consider a day-trip (or longer) out to Litchfield. An hour and a half  drive from Darwin.

• Berry Springs: Berry Springs Nature Park is a picturesque area 47 kilometres south of  Dawrin. Cool off in one of Berry Creek's clear and shady pools, and if you've brought your goggles along, you should be able to spot native fish and other aquatic life.

• Mary River Wetlands: Similar country to Kakadu, but closer! Home to the largest concentration of crocodiles in the world. Fantastic for bird-watching too.. 
 
• Kakadu National Park: The world-heritage National Park is a 3 hour drive from Darwin, & is a living cultural landscape with exceptional natural and cultural values. Kakadu has been home to Aboriginal people for more than 50,000 years, and many of the park’s extensive rock art sites date back thousands of years. Kakadu’s rock art provides a window into human civilisation in the days before the last ice age. Detailed paintings reveal insights into hunting and gathering practices, social structure and ritual ceremonies of Indigenous people. The largest national park in Australia and one of the largest in the world’s tropics, Kakadu preserves the greatest variety of ecosystems on the Australian continent including extensive areas of savanna woodlands, open forest, floodplains, mangroves, tidal mudflats, coastal areas and monsoon forests. Its spectacular scenery includes landscapes of arresting beauty, with cascading waterfalls, rugged escarpments up to 330 metres high extending in a jagged and unbroken line for hundreds of kilometres. Kakadu has an abundance of bird-life, being home to more than 280 different types of birds (around a third of all bird species in Australia). 

• Kakadua Air: Kakadu is best explored over a 2+ day period, although there are charter flights from Darwin that cover many of the best aspects in a day.

• Katherine Region: Katherine (Nitmiluk) Gorge & Edith Falls: Just north of the town of Katherine (3 hours south of Darwin) is the stunning Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge; take a cruise or canoe down the 1st few gorges over a half or whole day. Plenty of accommodation available in Katherine, otherwise a gorgeous leafy camp site is available 50km north of the township at stunning Edith Falls; loads of swimming and hiking available there. Plenty to see and do around Katherine including Cutta Cutta Caves, thermal Bitter Springs, hiking the Jatbula Trail & Mataranka (think We of the Never Never) to name a few! 

*we recommend hiring a car (or 4WD depending on where you’re travelling; best to check with the car companies as several National Park Roads are off-limits to 2WD’s, & this is often strictly enforced by hire-car companies). Darwin itself is quite a spread-out city and to be able to visit many of these places you would be best having your own transport.