There are so many “don’t miss” things to do in Darwin and surrounds. It’s a really hot place. Darwin boasts 32 -34 degree temperatures generally throughout the year. But, from a tourism perspective, Darwin is equally a hot travel destination.
This is a modern city with so much on offer. For instance, why not dine at the great waterfront precinct; watch stunning sunsets; visit WWII historical sites; snap some pics of crocodiles; or enjoy the natural wonders of Kakadu and Litchfield National Park? And, these are just the beginning of the many tourist attractions to enjoy in Darwin and surrounds.
As we continue our road trip travelling around Australia we rolled into Darwin in May 2017. We were met with city slogans such as “Welcome to the Dry” The “dry” means dry weather and is between May and September. This period is Darwin’s peak tourist season.
After all our travels throughout the rest of the Northern Territory we were so happy to be in a Darwin. While we have adored our outback travels, time in a city was a very nice change.
Travelling through the Northern Territory we realised we were not the only grey nomads heading to Darwin. The majority of people we spoke to were people over 50, most were retired, and everyone seemed to be heading to Darwin.
Retirees from the southern states are aiming to escape the winter in Darwin. In fact, by June and July each year, the number of retirees enjoying travel in Darwin will be huge, and very big business. If you travel to Darwin during this period, it is recommended you book accommodation and tours well ahead. Luckily, we were ahead of the crowd and didn’t need to pre-book anything.
We have met large numbers of young back packers and international travellers wherever we have travelled in the Northern Territory. Many people fly in and out of Darwin. So, really Darwin is a city for all ages.
We were very impressed by the range of Darwin tourist attractions. Check out these highlights:
Darwin Waterfont Precinct
For a start, Darwin is a beautiful city. The Darwin Waterfront Precinct is a good example of the beauty within the city. The Darwin Waterfront Precinct area boasts many cafes, restaurants and bars. There is also lovely parkland, with picnic areas, a free saltwater recreation lagoon, and man made beach.
People were sunbathing and picnicking on the surrounding shady lawns.
Then, there is a Wave Lagoon with swells up to 1.7m. The kids were loving it.
It’s only about a ten minute walk to the city centre.
The Darwin Waterfront Precinct is a really picturesque area to visit. We visited on a Saturday and were surprised to find the area fairly quiet. Our local friend told us this area is popular with tourists, particularly retirees travelling Australia. The area can become very busy at the height of the tourist season. We understand why, as we thought the area was great.
SUNSETS
Darwin is renowned for it’s beautiful sunsets. We were lucky to enjoy two viewings of the sun setting over the ocean. Both were equally special.
DARWIN SAILING CLUB
Greg contacted a friend who lives in Darwin. We decided to meet for a meal at the Darwin Sailing Club.
The Darwin sailing Club’s motto is ” Where Sailing, Socialising and Sunsets come together”. This was exactly our experience. We enjoyed food from the waterfront bistro, chatting with friends, watching the all the sailing boats, and the sun setting. Just perfect.
Our dining table was right on the waters edge. Before the sun went down it was a little hot. We opted for the waterfront view, as we didn’t want to risk any obstruction of the fabulous scenery.
We enjoyed watching all the sailing boats being launched, and then sail out in front of us.
The boats looked fabulous as silhouettes, with the sun setting behind them.
MINDIL BEACH SUNSET MARKETS
The Mindil Beach Sunset Markets are held every Thursday & Sunday during the dry season (May – October)
We visited on a Sunday night and were amazed at the huge crowd. The markets were not huge, but there was a good range of stalls to enjoy. Perhaps you may want to buy something special, like a crocodile handbag or a Barramundi wallet?
The food vans, with a broad range of international cuisine, were really popular. People were either picnicking on the grass areas, or enjoying their food down on the beach.
The crowd was entertained by singers, fire jugglers, and a beach volley ball net.
As the sun was going down the crowd moved onto the beach. It was a beautiful warm night.
The crowd was a vibrant mix of people. As we looked around the crowd we could see these sunset markets were popular with other retirees enjoying travel. The other travel group were young international back packers. There were obviously many locals in attendance as well. The common demoninater for us all was the great vibe. Everyone seemed to be having a great time. And of course, everyone was there to see the sunset over the water.
AQUASCENE
A local recommended we visit Aquascene, and we were so glad we did.
At high tide hundreds of fish swim in from the sea to be hand fed in the shallows at Aquascene. Apparently this all started by the home owner feeding the fish daily. Now it is a busy business. Entry fee applies.
It was great fun feeding the swarm of fish.
A staff member provided a commentary and pointed out the many different species of fish that came in to be fed. This attraction is suited to families, and anyone interested in fishing.
WWII HISTORY
Explore Darwin’s WWII historical attractions, sites and museums:
- Darwin Military Museum
- WWII Oil Storage Tunnels
- Aviation Heritage Centre
- Darwin Cenotaph, overlooking Darwin Harbour
- Visit ammunition bunkers at Charles Darwin National Park
- Visit Berry Springs – site of a military rest camp
- The Royal Flying Doctor Service Tourist Facility
Did you know there were over 200 air raids launched by the Japanese over Northern Australia? We certainly didn’t. We knew about the first air raid on the 19th February 1942. Yet, we didn’t know that the Japanese air raids continued until November 1943.
We were amazed by the war history in Darwin, and the ongoing military presence in the Northern Territory.
We decided to visit the WWII Oil Storage Tunnels.
WWII OIL STORAGE TUNNELS
We are retirees enjoying travel, and we are keen history lovers. Wherever we go, we love to check out the history of the local area.
The WWII Oil Storage Tunnels were constructed in 1943 to protect Darwin’s oil supplies.
Photographic displays, with storyboards, told us the history of the tunnels. The displays also paid tribute to the men and women who served in Darwin during WWII.
Tours are available or you can choose a self guided tour
Fortunately, the tunnels were never used for their intended purpose, due to the war ending.
ROYAL FLYING DOCTOR SERVICE (RFDS) DARWIN TOURIST FACILITY
The RFDS Darwin Tourist Facility is located at the historic Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin. This is just across from the Darwin Waterfront Precinct. This is such a picturesque area to walk around.
The facility offers exhibits on the Royal Flying Doctor Service and history about the bombing of Darwin in WWII.
We relived the drama of the bombing of Darwin Harbour in 1942, by a virtual reality tour. This was fascinating. Via the virtual reality tour we saw a recreation of Japanese planes coming into the harbour, dropping bombs, and all the devastation that unfolded as a consequence of the bombings. Despite us both experiencing very slight motion sickness we really enjoyed the experience.
Videos, touch screens and storyboards tell of the WWII and RFDS history.
We also enjoyed a holographic display of the founder of the Royal Flying Doctor Service – John Flynn.
The exhibition includes a decommissioned RFDS aircraft.
MUSEUM AND ART GALLERY OF THE NORTHERN TERRITORY
Retirees we met travelling in the Northern Territory recommended we visit we visit the museum. We inspected the region’s art, natural science, history and cultural exhibits. In particular, we were really enjoyed the Cylone Tracy exhibit.
Admission if free.
LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK
From Darwin, we travelled onto Litchfield National Park, as we continued on our road trip travelling Australia.
Litchfield National Park is only one and a half hours drive from Darwin. From Darwin there are day tours out to Litchfield National Park. We saw many tourist buses as we travelled around Lithchfield.
We spent two days in Litchfield. In this time we saw beautiful waterfalls, plunge pools surrounded by monsoon rainforest, spring fed streams with lovely rockholes, and rugged sandstone escarpments. There is no entry fee to the natural attractions within Litchfield.
The great thing about visiting the major attractions in Litchfield is that they are very accessible via good sealed roads, with parking close by most attractions, and broad walking paths. We saw many over 60 plus tour groups enjoying the sights in Litchfield.
Litchfield also offers great bush walking and 4WD trails.
Magnetic Termnite Mounds
As we drove into Litchfield one of the first things we came across was the viewing area to see hundreds of magnetic termnite mounds. These magnetic termnite mounds are all about two metres high and are built so the thin edges of the mounds point north – south. This is to minimise the impact of the sun on the mound and to help keep the thermnites cool. How clever are those little termnites?
Across the road there were a couple of cathedral termnite mounds. These are a completely different type of termnite mound, built on different soil, in a different way, by different a type of termnite. The cathedral termnite mounds can be ……………….
Tolmer Falls Lookout.
The first waterfall we visited at Litchfield was the Tolmer Falls. From a viewing platform we enjoyed watching the water cascade over the high escarpment and fall into the plunge pool below. This was the highest waterfall we saw in the Litchfield National Park. Access to the base of this waterfall is prohibited
Tourists can visit the Tolmar Falls all year.
Wangi Falls
We camped at Wangi Falls. Camp fees apply. We could hear the waterfall from our caravan. What a great experience. From the campground it is an easy walk to the Wangi Falls. And, what a sight to behold – twin falls into a deep plunge pool. There are two viewing platforms, with board walks, so people get a good view of the waterfalls. The plunge pool is surrounded by monsoon rainforest. The whole area is so stunningly beautiful.
When we visited Wangi Falls swimming was prohibited due to the risk posed by Saltwater Crocodiles. Yet, we didn’t see a crocodile while in Litchfield. However, if there is a sign warning of crocodiles we assume they are there.
Wangi Falls is Litchfield’s most popular attraction. We saw lots of tour buses visiting the falls. Again, there were good footpaths which make it easily accessible.
The Wangi Falls Centre is a cafe. When we visited it was open for limited hours in the middle of the day.
Wangi Falls is open all year, but is subject to seasonal closure. Entry is free.
Buley Waterhole
Buley Waterhole is a series of beautiful waterfalls and rock pools.
In the Top End of the Northern Territory, around waterways, crocodiles are a major hazard. Swim only in areas that are signposted as safe for swimming. Fortunately we were able to swim in both Buley Waterhole and Florence Waterfalls.
We began swimming at the first rock pool at the top of Buley Waterhole (pictured below). The water was so clear our perception about the depth of the water was at times distorted.
There is a series of waterfalls and rock pools. We were in and out of the various rock pools.Getting in was easy. But the rocks were rather slippery. So, for us retirees, getting out of the pools was a little tricky. However,it wasn’t that hard, and the effort was so worth it.
On the day there was quite a number of people swimming in the rock pools and waterfall.
We returned from Florence Falls to the car park via the Florence Creek Walk. This is an easy 6 km walk. This is such a beautiful walk along by the creek, which is surrounded by monsoon forest.
Florence Falls
Florence Falls is another spectacular twin waterfall, cascading 25 metres into a large plunge pool.
From a viewing platform we gained a stunning view of the twin falls.
From the viewing platform we walked down 160 steps to a large plunge pool. Despite Florence Falls being a very busy area, it was just a stunning place to be. It was a magic experience swimming out to the waterfalls.
As you can see from the picture above, there was a tremendous flow of water over the waterfalls.
To view both waterfalls from ground level you need to either stand on the lower steps, or get into the water.
JUMPING CROCODILE CRUISE
We went on the original, famous Jumping Crocodile Cruise on the Adelaide River. This cruise is 64 km out from Darwin, on the Arnheim Hwy. So, we did this cruise as we travelled from Kakadu towards Darwin.
There are day trips from Darwin to the Jumping Crocodile Cruise. The cruise is for one hour.
Many travelling retirees recommended the tour to us. And we weren’t disappointed. Indeed, it was one of our favourite tours in the Top End of the Northern Territory.
Crocodiles are protected animals in Australia. It is estimated there are over 80,000 crocodiles living in the Northern Territory. The crocodiles we saw on the Adelaide River are wild and free to swim wherever they choose.
Below is a picture of the largest male crocodile we saw during our one hour tour. The tour guide encouraged this male crocodile to get up on the bank so we could see how large he was. When the crocodile is swimming a lot of his body is submerged.
I can tell you there many exciting moments as the crocodiles jumped close by the boat.
While there were squeals from some passengers, yet we felt safe within the boat.
Where to stay?
We stayed in our caravan at Discovery Holiday Park. We enjoyed our time at this park with it’s nice pool and clean amenities. It is relatively close to the city of Darwin. However, there is an airport close by, and it operates during the night. This didn’t bother us, but if you are a light sleeper this may not suit you.
Darwin has a broad range of accommodation options.
We so very much enjoyed our week in Darwin. We found Darwin to be clean, modern, and easy to get around. For a small city we found there was a lot to enjoy. The waterfront areas are beautiful, the famous sunsets are truly stunning, and the WWII history is amazing. If you visit Darwin a visit to the Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks is a must. And there is far more to do in Darwin than listed in this blog post.
And yes, Darwin is hot. The trick is to do any outdoor activity early in the day. Then relax in a pool, or rest in air conditioned comfort during the mid afternoon. Of course, the evenings are perfect for out door dining.
Darwin is a destination we totally recommend. We now understand why all the other retirees we met along the way were heading to Darwin. We enjoyed Darwin so much we have said we may return one day. Do yourself a favour and put Darwin on your travel bucket list.
Safe travels from Estelle and Greg – Retirees Enjoying Travel