Things to Do in Darwin

Arnhem Land, one of Australia’s wildest and most sacred areas, lies at the lush northern tip of the continent. It was declared an Aboriginal Reserve in 1931 and remains a place of strong tradition with a distinctive culture and famous artwork, while also staying largely untouched by European colonization.

The Defence of Darwin Experience chronicles the Northern Territory’s role in World War II through a number of powerful exhibits that educate visitors on how the war deeply affected the region and its residents. This multimedia museum offers fascinating insight into the fateful events leading up to and on Feb. 19, 1942, when the Bombing of Darwin took place, killing over 250 people, sinking 10 ships, and kicking off a period of nearly two years of bombings in the Northern Territory. Guests can view historic equipment and artifacts from the war and listen to somber stories of locals’ whose lives were changed forever, as well as firsthand accounts of those who went off to war to avenge the lives that were lost.

Boasting dozens of aircrafts, engines and plane crash remnants, the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre is the best place in Darwin for anyone with their head in the clouds. The enormous museum prides itself on its coverage of the fateful bombing of Darwin in 1942 and many other air battles of World War II. Its North American B-25 Mitchell Bomber is especially notable, as it is one of the last in the world and only one of two on display outside of the United States.

Cullen Bay is about 10 minutes outside of Darwin. Its drawcard is a big sleek marina packed with yachts. In an uncertain tropical climate like Darwin's, this marina offers yachting traffic the security of a man-made environment with a locked waterway and sea walls that close. This means it's accessible in the low Spring tides and a registered cyclone haven - hence its popularity.

For the landlubber, Cullen Bay is an equally sleek oasis of shops, restaurants, bars and day spas. It's a popular place for visitors to stay, as its serviced apartments are so close to all these amenities - and water views. It's also close to the ferry terminal, so you can take off on trips to Mandorah and Tiwi islands.

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory has a fine collection, but what is its most popular attraction by far? That's right - a preserved saltwater crocodile called 'Sweetheart.'

Sweetheart, a 50 year-old male, was menacing boats on the Finnis River, so he was captured by rangers. They intended to give him to a croc farm for breeding. Sadly, during the capture, the drugged crocodile drowned and could not be resuscitated. His body was given to the museum.

If you can drag yourself away from Sweetheart, there's a fine natural history collection and plenty of indigenous art. You'll also get a good grounding in the Territory's history, including Cyclone Tracy (there's a room that simulates the cyclone) and visits by Indonesian sailors back in the day. The museum looks beyond the mainland to focus on Southeast Asian and Pacific culture.  

Nitmiluk (also called Katherine Gorge) is the deep path cut through the sandstone by the Katherine River, and the Nitmiluk Katherine Gorge National Park is where you can go to lap up the luscious experience of the Gorge, whether that be swimming in it (sometimes with harmless freshwater crocodiles), canoeing in it, hiking around it, gazing it from an observation deck, flying over it on a helicopter...or any combination of the above.

The park is run by the traditional owners, the Jawoyn, in conjunction with the Australian government. It's a well-appointed place with lots of visitor facilities (and lots of visitors, especially in the dry season). You can choose your level of activity, from lounging around at your campsite or the visitor center café to strenuous canoeing trips or hikes. But make sure you take at least one long hike, perhaps to see the Aboriginal rock art, or at least to get sticky enough to make cooling off in the river a delight.

Formed by millions of years of erosion and precariously perched in the desert, Karlu Karlu (or “the Devil’s Marbles”) is one of the most famous geologic sites in Australia’s desert interior. Located on the lonely stretch of highway between Alice Springs and Darwin, Karlu Karlu is a sacred stretch of rock strewn Australian landscape. A few of these rounded, eroded “marbles” are upwards of 20 feet wide, and are delicately perched on top of each other in ways that barely seem real. The slightest breath of wind, it seems, would topple the rocks and send them crashing to the dusty red earth below. These rocks, however, have stood in this spot for millions of years, and form parts of sacred creation tales for the area’s original inhabitants. There are no official trails in the park—just informal, well-worn paths—and the desert landscape’s epic silence improves with each step from the road. In the peak of the day, the boulders appear flat, completely lifeless, and really not all that special, though all of that changes in the hour before sunset in the light of the soft desert glow. A primitive campground allows travelers to camp amidst the towering rocks, and catch the afternoon light performance before all the stars come out. And, while it’s easy to photograph the famous marbles without even leaving the parking lot, the best way to experience the park is to walk amidst the landscape—where boulders seem to have gotten stuck after raining down from the sky.  

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park is a massive Northern Territory nature reserve, clocking in at 4.2 million acres (1.7 million hectares). With sandstone escarpments, secret waterholes, billabongs, and lily-strewn waterways, Kakadu is an introduction to wild Australia. Read on to learn what to see and do in the country’s largest national park.

The Basics

On Kakadu National Park tours and Top End adventures, you’ll find opportunities to encounter exotic animals such as dingoes, wallabies, dugongs, and saltwater crocodiles, and also discover Aboriginal culture, from ancient aboriginal rock art at Ubirr and Nourlangie to the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Cooinda, where visitors pore over traditional bush food and didgeridoos. Ubirr is uniquely beautiful, located at the foot of a food plain, with prominent rock formations standing as guardians of the Arnhem Land. If visiting without a tour guide, be sure to stop into the Bowali Visitor Centre to plan your trip with the center’s staff; this rugged outback environment can be hazardous for the unprepared.

Ways to Visit Kakadu National Park

You can take in Kakadu on a guided tour from Darwin, or, if you have your own car, visit the park independently from much farther areas such as Kimberley and Broome in Western Australia. Most day tours depart from Darwin, about 93 miles (150 km) away, and last upwards of 12 hours, including round-trip transportation by a WiFi-equipped coach. Kakadu National Park can be reached in about 1.5 hours from Darwin by road, and travelers can choose from a variety of options, including small-group tours, private tours, and adventure tours. For a longer excursion, multi-day options offer accommodations or camping experiences that can be combined with a visit to Litchfield National Park, Nitmiluk National Park, or Katherine Gorge, other must-see spots in the Top End.

Top Sights to Experience Kakadu’s Natural Beauty

Cruising along the Mary River wetlands or the East Alligator River (Guluyambi) will allow you to spot native birds and possibly catch a glimpse of a crocodile from a safe distance. Travelers also enjoy cruising Yellow Water Billabong near Cooinda and bush camping in Koolpln Gorge, although it’s recommended that this adventure is taken with a guide unless you’re an experienced outback camper, as permits are required and the terrain is rough. The park’s most prominent water features are Jim Jim Falls and the nearby Twin Falls, but they flow mostly in the quiet wet season. The best way to see these falls is on a scenic flight, which allows for spectacular aerial photo ops.

Even though it’s located in the middle of the city, Darwin’s Crocosaurus Cove lets you feel like you’ve wandered out into the Top End of Northern Australia's wilderness, where turtles, saltwater crocodiles, and barramundi fish reside in their natural habitat. You can visit the sanctuary full of yellow-faced turtles or observe the fish swimming around in the aquarium, where you can also catch a glimpse of a whipray—the freshwater cousin of stingrays. Throughout the day there are staff-led talks and chances to view trainer-led crocodile feedings.

While Viator tours do not include these activities, visitors have the opportunity to observe crocodiles from an underwater glass enclosure or to hold a baby crocodile under careful staff supervision for an additional fee starting from $120.