FROM BOTTOM TO TOP: Darwin

War and cyclone memorials and waterfront delights are among the gems of this quirky capital city

As much as we love the Aussie Outback and world famous national parks, there comes a time when you start to crave a decent coffee, mobile phone reception and other luxuries of civilization…

So after three weeks of ‘roughing it’ in Stuart Highway stop-offs and national parks, we’ve hit the ‘big smoke’ of Darwin, Australia’s smallest but arguably most interesting capital city.

Our accommodation for the now decidedly dusty New Age Gecko and LandCruiser is the enormous BIG4 Howard Springs holiday park; an easy 15 minute drive from the city centre and most notable for its super-shady powered sites and other excellent facilities including possibly Australia’s only ‘Porta Potti Palace’ dump point!

It’s fair to say most overseas visitors to the Northern Territory Top End would bypass Darwin city for the natural wonders of Litchfield and Kakadu National parks. But there are plenty of gems to discover in and around the Darwin CBD, if you've got some spare time, and most are within easy walking distance of each other…

Since European settlement around the mid-18th century, Darwin’s two biggest historical ‘moments’ have been the Japanese bombings during WWII and the disastrous Cyclone Tracy of Chrismas 1974.

Aside from a visit to the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, which houses a B-52 bomber among other artifacts, a great way to learn about the war times is a tour of the World War II Oil Storage Tunnels. These impressive underground tunnels (so big you could drive a caravan through them!) were dug by hand to protect the oil reserves and are now open to the public as a fascinating, self-guided tour.

A stroll through the leafy Bicentennial Park overlooking the Timor Sea also reveals memorial plaques, and a large gun taken from one of the war ships sunk in the harbor. While down there, we visit another popular attraction in the daily fish-feeding at Aquascene, where we hand feed some of the hundreds of wild fish that gather at high tide.

Another great spot for the kids (and adults) is along the Wharf Precinct, where 'oldies' can while away a few hours swimming in the protected lagoon and snoozing on the shady grass, while the kids surf the Wave Lagoon and bounce off the Big Buoy inflatable play equipment.

It's also a good place to grab a gelato or a bite at one of the many seaside restaurants. We enjoy a tasty pizza and local One Mile brew one night at the il lido restaurant, while watching the sun drop over the water.

A cheaper and even more entertaining way to get a good feed is at one of Darwin’s famous night markets. We join the hordes at the Mindil Beach Sunset Market on a balmy Sunday evening to wander among the stalls, watch the street theatre, and chomp on tasty Asian street food before heading to the beach for yet another famous NT sunset.

To get an idea of the devastation of Cyclone Tracy, we head to the excellent Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Apart from impressive natural history and Aboriginal art displays, the Cyclone exhibit includes an eery sound chamber which plays an audio recording from the eye of the storm while surrounded by complete darkness!

Having already seen plenty of 5m-plus long salties (dead and alive), we skip the popular Crocosaurus Cove and its pricey ‘Cage of Death’ experience, instead enjoying a tour of Indo Pacific Marine. This ‘man-made’ aquarium of colourful living coral is a lot safer than donning a snorkel and viewing similar coral in nearby Darwin Harbour among the sharks and crocs!

We also stroll around the pedestrian-friendly CBD, where there are a few interesting things like the impressive ‘Tree of Knowledge’ in the old Chinatown. This big, old tree was a popular meeting spot for Aboriginal people as well as the Chinese settlers and has survived all sorts of man-made and natural horrors to stand tall today - a bit like the rest of this laid-back, tropical city…

FROM BOTTOM TO TOP: Darwin

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