Things to do in Darwin?

[Wil Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wil]

I am going to be in darwin next week for a few days. Do any of the Darwin locals have anything to suggest that we put on our must do list?

We will have a rental car so any activities need to be "Getz" friendly.

Cheers,

Wil

[bevwone Member Find all posts View Profile Close bevwone]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

This is a copy of an email I sent to a friend last year.

DARWIN

Wharf Precinct (On edge of city)
Lunch on the wharf is worth it, there is a lot of eateries but it can get busy. You can also have dinner there but it does get very busy in the dry season, on calm nights they illuminated the water and you can see the milk fish come swimming below. (June-Sept)
There is a couple of good seafood restaurants there as well (Jetty is a buffet style and Crustaceans which is more expensive).
This area has opened since we were there so the hotels, wave pool etc are all open now.
Open air cinema is down there as well, worth seeing what's on at the time. (Dry Season only)
There are oil tunnels drilled into the ground for WW2 and tours are conducted if you are interested in Military History.

City
The esplanade has a lovely walk between the water and the city
The Administrators (Governor) house overlooks all this near Parliament House is worth a drive passed.
Parliament House is nice and open Saturday mornings for tours.
Behind Parliament House and near the tourist information office (at Southern end of mall) is assorted buildings that were bombed in Darwin in 1942, interesting walk around.
Tourist information centre
Mall - mostly touristy - worth a walk down but that's about it.
Mitchell St - Main drag - Lots of pubs and restaurants plus a crocodile enclosure (opened since we left). Thailicious is upstairs on this street, best Thai we have ever had.
Lizards bar at the end of Mitchell Street (cnr of Stuart Hwy) was our favourite bar and worth a drink at in the afternoon/evening.
There is fish feeding in a place just on the edge of the city and it quite interesting.
If you want to splash out on a meat/seafood meal, On the esplanade is an old house converted to a modern restaurant call Char. Beautiful but expensive. Bookings essential.

Cullen Bay/Fannie Bay (There is a Dick Ward Drive in Fannie Bay - the kids thought this was hilarious)
Sunset cruise from Cullen Bay - We did ours on a pearl lugger called Annikki and it was excellent. Used in the movie 'Australia'.
Good little restaurant/bar called 'Buzz' Its a bit quirky. Would recommend for lunch over dinner as can get very busy.
From Cullen Bay you can go outside the lock and there is a jetty where ferries go to Mandorah.
Burnett House. This is an old house that does High Tea on Sundays I believe. Don't have lunch and go there, wonderful.
Casino, beautiful pool with cocktail bar. Worth watching the sunset and having a drink.
Mindil Beach Market - Thurs and Sunday. Thursday is bigger than Sunday. Get there are 5pm, have a look around, then sit down on a rug and enjoy bottle of wine and watch the sunset on the beach. (Dry Season only)
Museum is in Fannie Bay, well worth a look especially the Cyclone Tracy exhibit. The bishop of Darwin hid in a closet and recorded the sounds of the cyclone. This is played on a loop in a darkened room and is eerie. There is a stuffed croc there called sweetheart who is amazing to see the size of.
Across the road from the Museum is the Darwin Ski Club. This was our favourite place in Darwin. We would walk the dogs down there and sit outside and enjoy the view and have a drink. There is nothing pretty about the place except the view, and is away from most tourist (they go further up the beach to the trailer boat club)
Trailer Boat Club/Sailing Club - Further up the beach, much nicer looking but more tourist go there so it can get busy. Just more places to have a drink/meal and watch the sunset.
East Point Reserve is further up the beach. It is a lovely reserve with a military museum and gun placements. Very easy to drive around if you just want to look.
Parap markets on a Saturday morning. Get there the earlier the better because it gets very busy (Opens at 6). We used to try get there at 7.30 or so. Have a tropical fruit juice, wonderful.

OUT OF DARWIN

Litchfield
Well worth taking a day to drive around here. In particular Termite mounds, Buelly Rock pools, Florence Falls, Wambi Falls. TAKE YOUR BATHERS and swim

Berry Springs park and swimming hole, (about 50 km out of Darwin). Lovely warm springs. Bathers required. Go to the top pool.
This is next door to the Territory Wildlife reserve. Great if you are into this. Good bird of prey shows etc. This can be an all day thing.

On way to Kakadu
Humpty Doo Pub. Pop in for a drink/lunch etc. Just to say you have. Typical NT pub. (All the trees around here are Mango Trees)
On your way to Kakadu thing about popping into Fogg Dam, it is a conservation reserve and drive to the end. It will take about 30 minutes. Keep an eye out for crocs (only small ones there and they wont hurt you unless you corner/taunt them).
On the way to Fogg Dam off the Jabiru Hwy is a croc feeding tour worth doing. There are several of these at Mary River but there is one passed Fogg Dam that only runs in the dry season, this is apparently the best, but you will have to book. Info will be at the tourist centre.

Kakadu.
Sunset (or at least go to) Ubiir, climb to top of escarpment - unbelievable.
Jabiru is not much, mining town.
Overnight at Cooinda, first in best dressed at the caravan park. It is on the other side of Kakadu though. Book the 'sunrise' yellow river cruise. Cannot recommend this highly enough.
There is a great walk around a rock that I cannot remember the name of. It is near Cooinda and has a lot of Ab'l paintings, This was good, but can get hot. About a 40 minute walk.
Just out of Cooinda is a Ab'l type of museum, this is quite good as well.

There are a lot of other things as well, this is just off the top of my head.

The most important thing is relax, enjoy a few drinks looking at wonderful sunsets.

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

Mindil Beach Market - Thurs and Sunday. Thursday is bigger than Sunday. Get there are 5pm, have a look around, then sit down on a rug and enjoy bottle of wine and watch the sunset on the beach. (Dry Season only)

Hmm, maybe not dry season

I went to the market there back in about 96 and it was really good then. Can only imagine it's better now. The sunsets in Darwon are truley amazing. Never seen anything like that anywhere else in Australia.

[bevwone Member Find all posts View Profile Close bevwone]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

It was dry season when I sent the email - this was just a copy of the body of the email. I added the (dry season only) I wanted to leave it in for someone who reads it and wants ideas for Darwin in the dry season. I left the open air cinema in for the same reason.

[Schaffer Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close Schaffer]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

It was dry season when I sent the email - this was just a copy of the body of the email. I added the (dry season only) I wanted to leave it in for someone who reads it and wants ideas for Darwin in the dry season. I left the open air cinema in for the same reason.

Mine was more a joke. Dry season BUT settle down and watch the sunset with a bottle of wine. Just my odd sense of humor. Go down to Glenelg and you see all of the signs up saying it's a Dry Area and you will be fined for bringing alcohol onto the beach.

[adam's prado Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close adam's prado]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

If you are here for the weekend Saturday 23rd the mud racing starts back up great night out $15 entry BYO chair and BYO loaded esky (no glass) great cheap night out. Or there is a B&S ball out at corroboree always alot of fun if that's your thing. Crocosaurus cove right in the middle of town really good hold baby crocs or even go in the cage of DEATH. Drop a line in to any of the swollen rivers (becareful of crocs tho ). Or do a pub crawl that will take a few day's to complete. All in all there is an abundance of stuff to do here it's hard to get board.
If you go to the Humpty Doo pub you will definatly get an experiance of a life time word of caution don't dress like a tourist Tank top, shorts, footwear (thongs optional), is more than enough but it does have really cold beer.
I just read in one of your previous posts that your liver and kidney's are just getting back to normal a trip Darwin will surley fix that :wink:
Adam

[bevwone Member Find all posts View Profile Close bevwone]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

Mine was more a joke. Dry season BUT settle down and watch the sunset with a bottle of wine

That one slipped through to the keeper - I didn't catch the double entendre.

Mud Racing - that is a great night and a unique experience.

[ntp Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close ntp]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

There's heaps to do and see.

Around Darwin

What's on in Darwin

Tourism Top End

Darwin eGuide

[Wil Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Wil]

Re: Things to do in Darwin?

Thanks guys - I appreciate the input. Unfortunatly I won't have time to do it all.

Wil