 |
 |
Extended Description:
Darwin is a beautiful, fascinating tropical city - situated on the edge of a harbour bigger than Sydney's. It can be described as a melting pot of people and cultures that prides itself in its unique and friendly laid-back lifestyle. It is also a city steeped in history - enduring many hardships on its way to establishing itself as the gateway to Asia.
However Darwin is still a sophisticated, modern city in its own right, with its world-class natural and cultural attractions and thriving tourism, nightlife and retail industries. Darwin has a tropical climate, closer to that experienced in Singapore, with very distinct wet and dry seasons - there is no summer or winter. It is also the perfect base from which to explore the natural treasures of World Heritage-listed Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks..
For your Darwin accommodation please follow the links.
Activity Info:
Getting around
By road, Darwin tourism is big business for the many coaches that operate the route. Car hire is also an option but do remember to get a GPS included with the car. Ferries operate trips to many island locations like the Tiwi Island.
Darwin Sights and Activities
Visit The Esplanade. Bicentennial Park is the length of Darwin's waterfront and Lameroo Beach. It's shaded by tropical trees, making the park an excellent place to stroll and enjoy the sea air. At the Herbet Street end of The Esplanade, a cenotaph commemorating war-time service, including that made by Aboriginal men and women, is a wonderful match with hand-painted tiles dedicated to many pioneers, publicans and pastoralists.
See the splendour of the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, which is located 2km north of the Darwin CBD and covers 42 hectares of Australian and tropical plant species. This was originally a site where plants of economic importance were tested for suitability in the tropics. Some of the examples include mangroves, monsoon vine thicket, Tiwi Island wet forest and samples from Arnhem Land. In addition you'll see a marvellous collection of native and introduced tropical plants palms, gingers, heliconias and much more.
Darwin has some world class theatre and music facilities. The Darwin Symphony Orchestra and the Darwin Theatre Company provide fantastic performances. The Darwin Entertainment Centre hosts theatre and orchestral performances, and the Darwin Convention Centre will open mid 2008 as part of the billion dollar Darwin Waterfront project.
If you'd like to see some crocodiles, but don't want to risk becoming a reptilian dessert then Crocodylus Park is a great place to visit. Crocodylus Park has hundreds of crocodiles for you to view from a safe vantage point. It also has big cats, monkeys and flightless birds.
Visit Darwin's Indo-Pacific Marine and Australian Pearling Exhibition, a fantastic display complete with living coral displays and sea life. Originally established as a research facility, most of the displays are self-supporting and don't require feeding or filtration. However, some of the fish are hand fed to stop them eating the other exhibits. There's a coral at night show many people recommend, which also includes a seafood dinner.
The Darwin Museum was partially destroyed by Cyclone Tracey in 1974 . A new museum was built in the suburb of Fannie Bay and was officially named the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory in 1993. The museum features over 30,000 items from Southeast Asia and Pacific culture, maritime history, natural sciences, Indigenous culture and contemporary art.
You can also visit Litchfield National Park, just 130 km south west of Darwin for the most incredible rain forest experience. In the dry season you can get to most of the waterfalls that plunge into refreshing pools. There are no fees for admission to the park, but you may want to camp overnight or stay at the nearby resort.
Darwin Events and Festivals
Darwin has a vibrant arts scene and the Darwin Festival is an annual event enjoyed by many visitors and locals. The Darwin Festival includes comedy, theatre, dance, film and music. The Northern Territory Indigenous Music Awards are a part of this festival.
On the 1st of July Territory Day is celebrated and fireworks are a popular part of the celebration. Also on the agenda is the Greek community festival Glenti and Indian festival Mindil. Chinese New Year is also celebrated in Darwin.
The Speargrass Festival is held the week before July's first full moon and celebrates alternative lifestyle. Activities include music, locally produced films, screen printing, basket weaving, water slides, human pyramid, frisbee golf, spear throwing, communal organic cooking, morning yoga, meditation, and healing circles.
The Darwin Beer Can Regatta is held each year in August and celebrates Darwin's love affair with beer. Contestants race in homemade boats made of beer cans.
The Goldrush Festival kicks off with an art exhibition at the Old Station Master's House and the highlight is the gold-panning Championships. Gold is not the only attraction, festivities include live music, food and bar stalls and more. Another attraction is the Didgeridoo Festival. See performances from some of the finest Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal didgeridoo players. There are free didgeridoo lessons if you'd like to try.
The Darwin Game Fishing Club hosts its Barra Classic at Banyan Farm, on the Daly River. The Barramundi Classic has grown with fisherman travelling thousands of kilometres to compete. The Barramundi Classic is invitation-only but there's plenty of attractions for people wanting to watch the action.
Darwin Restaurants - Where to Eat
The Ducks Nuts is located on Mitchell Street in the heart of Darwin's restaurant precinct. It's a stylish setting with quality service. Lewinsky's Restaurant was the winner of "Best New Venue" in Darwin in 2004. Seafood is a common dish at Lewinsky's and something like a seafood platter for one will cost $49.
You can experience the exotic flavours of the Northern Territory at Essence Restaurant with local ingredients like kangaroo, buffalo, crocodile and barramundi with a great selection of fresh salads. Mains prices are at the very reasonable $20 - 30 mark.
Weather Info:
Darwin's climate is tropical and closer to that experienced in Singapore compared to other Australian cities. It has very distinct wet and dry seasons. The dry season is from May to September, and nearly every day is warm and sunny with temperatures averaging around 33 degrees. The coolest months are June and July where night temperatures are around 18-20 degrees, however during the day the temperature averages around 30-31 degrees.
The wet season brings tropical cyclones and monsoon rains and should be avoided. Thunderstorms are very common as is high humidity. The hottest month is usually November with December to March bringing the most rain.
|
|
|
|
|
Brief Description:
Darwin
Travel Info:
Rail: The Alice Springs to Darwin rail line was completed in 2003 linking Darwin to Adelaide. The Ghan passenger train, which travels from Adelaide via Alice Springs and Katherine, runs two or three times each week.
Air: Darwin International Airport has flights to Singapore via Tiger Airways and Jetstar, Bali through Garuda, Brunei through Royal Brunei and East Timor with Air North. Qantas services domestic airline needs between Alice Springs, Gove, Cairns, Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and Perth. Virgin Blue operates flights to Brisbane and Tiger flys to and from Melbourne.
|
|
