Darwin, Australia Top End Capital City

Darwin

Australia's Tropical Capital City

When I first visited Darwin in March 2008 I was really curious about this little town , because I had heard many controversial opinions about the capital city of Australia's Top End. Some people simply loved it,
some experienced Darwin as a mere gateway, they landed at the airport, slept at the hotel, hired a 4WD and headed for the popular destination in Northern Australia: the Kakadu !

Darwin is not a place you can appreciate in a couple of hours, although it is a small frontier town, you need at least 2-3 days to discover this city and fully enjoy the fascinating blend of its tropical, multicultural and historic landmarks. Darwin indeed has so much to offer! I spent 5 days there and was really enthusiastic!!

Darwin is located on a peninsula surrounded by the ocean on 3 sides. It has an international airport with excellent connection to different destinations of Asia and to all major Australian cities. Therefore it is the pefect place to start your travel to the Australian Outback in the Northern Territory as well as to start any Australian travel destination.

I would suggest this: if you are flying from Europe it can be a good way of reducing your long flight
journey of a few hours!! I am sure I will be starting my next trip to Australia from Darwin city again!

Darwin's tropical climate, with its beautiful beaches, the ocean makes for a relaxed outdoor lifestyle that you hardly find elsewhere! Moreover its vibrant city life makes for a lively atmosphere of entertainment and good fun!!

Among all places I have been to in Australia, I can say that Darwin is my favourite city! I would like to spend a longer time and could also think of living there one day :) Darwin has everything what I like most: a mixture of cosmopolitan and outback flair, a treasure of wild natural areas, gorgeous tropical climate, a multicultural background with over 50 different nationalities living together, all this coupled with very friendly people makes it for a great outdoor lifestyle !

What to do and what to see in Darwin ?

Let's have a look together what are the best places to visit in Darwin and what you can do there. The city centre is small and you do not need any kind of transportation, everything is within walking distance:

Darwin vibrant city centre: Along the Mitchell Street is where the action is! from irish pubs to aussie bars, trendy cafès, excellent venues for dining and entertainment. During the day you can shop here and at the Smith Street Mall where you can find a range of speciality shops from aboriginal art galleries to unique jewellery and fashion.
From Darwin City Mall you can take a walk to the Chinese Museum and Temple, that features a fascinating display of photos about the history of the bombing in Darwin. In this area there are a few historical building like the Browns' Mart and The Old Ruins, and the World War II Oil Storage Tunnels, which were built during the WWII to protect Darwin's oil tanks from bombardment, today has an excellent display of historic images of the World War activity in the Top End.
Bicentennial Park take a walk through this nice park along the Esplanade, here there are several lookouts, historical and memorial boards. The park is a great place to relax under a tree and enjoy the views of Darwin Harbour, (which, if you didn’t know, is twice the size of Sydney Harbour). At the end of the park you reach the Acquascene, one of the major attractions in Darwin, where ou can hand feed hundreds of fish at Doctor's Gully!
Visit the Marina with Cullen Bay and Fanny Bay, these 2 destinations feature seafood restaurants, where you can enjoy the local speciality fish: the barramundi blended with french, greek, thai cuisine. You cannot walk to these places, so either take a bus or a taxi, the best way is to hire a bike!
Mindil Beach Sunset Market This is a true institution in Darwin!! and definitely the biggest tourist attraction! Everyone knows about it!! If you think that it attracts about 10-15.000 people a week, you get the picture. It is open fromend of April to end of October, since I was there in March I missed it, unfourtunately. Even though it is so touristy you cannot not miss a visit to this outstanding market! There are over 200 stalls of arts and crats, of which 60 only of food, but mostly asian food offering great and affordable food!! Jut opposite the Mindil Beach there are the Botanic Gardens, a popular destination for a short walk through over 400 of amazing tropical plants !
The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, another place which is really worth a visit ! You will learn about the natural history and about new and ancient aboriginal art. There is also a very interesting exhibition about the Cyclone Tracy which destroyed the city in 1974 and the popular display of the "Sweetheart" Crocodile! Definitely a must see place!!
The East Point Reserve is my favourite place for a bike ride into a wild natural area of Darwin! You can start from the city centre, past the Marina, with Cullen Bay and Fanny Bay, proceed on the bike path along the coast, to reach East Point. Alternatively you can walk along the coast, on the main path or also through the bush, the landscape is very divese, from gorgeous sandy beach to cliffs, and mangroves.The whole area is popular with local families enjoying their walking and having their barbecues, over weekends.

Want to learn more about Darwin and the Top End ?

You may want to read more abou the Top End Area then click on this link and it will take you to another section of the website Top End Mini Guide

If you want to read something about Darwin you can download your FREE Pick & Mix Chatper directly form the Lonely Planet website. Or you can choose which individual chapter or travel guide you want to buy. Take a look at the Lonely Planet Website

If you want to ask any question or want to add your tips or personal experience to this mini guide about Darwin please feel free to contact me by e-mail and I will be pleased to add your comments.

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