Things to Do in Darwin

Facing the sea, Lyon's Cottage was - at the time of its building - the first stone house built in Darwin for 30 years and is the only surviving example of colonial bungalow architecture in the city. It's made from locally quarried stone and now houses a museum.

It was built in 1925 from the same porcellanite stone used to construct many of Darwin's major public buildings, including Fanny Bay Gaol and Government House. The architecture of the house is similar to many that the British built in other colonies such as Singapore and Malaysia. It came through the bombing of Darwin without damage, although it was occupied by the US army. Ironically, Cyclone Tracy saved its life. It had been sold and scheduled for redevelopment, but after the cyclone it was repaired and became today's museum, featuring local and early European history.

The Myilly Point Historic Precinct is a small group of houses built in the 1930s by the architect B.C.G. Burnett. They are the only remaining examples of this particular pre-war housing style. The houses are light and breezy in feel, with pale colors. They're raised for ventilation and represent a European aesthetic sunnily adapted to their tropical climate.

The houses were created for top-level civil servants. Burnett House is the pick of the bunch, and is an unusual type of house called a 'Type K.' It took some hits during WWII and Cyclone Tracy, but has since been restored and functions as a museum. It sits in a heavenly tropical garden. Take a stroll through the house, chat to the volunteers and (on a Sunday) take high tea, complete with scones, on the veranda.

It's amazing what a few scraps of bread flung to a mullet can start. That's what a resident of Doctors Gully did in the 1950s, and it didn't take long for the local fish to realize they were onto a good thing. The number of fish turning up for a free meal grew and grew, the word got around, and these days it's turned into Aquascene, a healthy tourist attraction.

Every day at high tide (the tides vary, naturally, so you'll have to check the local paper or contact Aquascene for exact feeding times) a deluge of fish flood into the shallow bay, napkins on, as it were. The original mullet population have been joined by a host of other species including catfish, milkfish and bream.

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.

Protecting some of Darwin’s most cultural and historically significant wetlands, Charles Darwin National Park is the home of mangroves and wildlife visible by walking, cycling, or simply sitting at one of the park’s many overlooks. A complex system of bays, waterways, and small islands, 31 of the 50 or so species of mangrove of the Northern Territory can be found here. Historically the Larrakia people called this area home with evidence suggesting the Aboriginals had inhabited here for thousands of years. Now it’s a wonderful place to take in views of Darwin city, the harbor, and the surrounding landscape.

The park is also home to concrete bunkers and shelters from World War II, which tell the story of Australia’s soldiers and are open to visitors. There is an impressive display of war memorabilia here, where ammunition was once stored and military tests were run. The park’s many paths can be used for both walking and cycling to take it all in.

Australia’s Top End is home to one-of-a-kind landscapes and ecosystems, and nowhere is it easier to witness this splendor than at the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens. The gardens were designed around a huge collection of flora native to the region, from the lush Arnhem Land to the Tiwi Islands, and visitors can feast their eyes on replicas of displays of various local habitats – monsoon forests, coastal fore-dunes, wetlands, mangroves and woodlands. More than 450 plant species can be found here, at one of the only botanical gardens in the world that successfully hosts natural displays of both marine and estuary plants.

Other plants of note include the stunning Desert Rose tree, bromeliads and orchids. There’s also a rainforest gully that contains many of the gardens’ palm and cycad species alongside ponds and a waterfall. In addition to showcasing the local ecosystems, the gardens also allow visitors to gain insight into the area’s Aboriginal culture.

The Tiwi Islands sit about 50 miles off the north coast of Darwin in Australia’s Northern Territory, and the chain is made up of 11 individual isles. The largest are Melville – the second largest island in Australia behind Tasmania – and Bathurst, the fifth largest of Australia’s islands.

It is believed that this string of islands has been inhabited for the past 7,000 years by the Tiwi people, which led to them being named an Aboriginal Reserve in 1912. Like at Arnhem Land, another Aboriginal Reserve, visiting these islands requires an invitation or an escort, as well as a permit. The islands are governed mostly by the Tiwi Aboriginal Land Trust and the Tiwi Land Council. The island communities are renowned for their art, particularly for their wood carvings of birds. Fabric creations are also common and made in a similar fashion to Indonesian batik prints.

Located in Nitmiluk National Park in the Top End of the Northern Territory, Edith Falls offer gorgeous views over the river, tiers of rock pools and waterfalls that cascade through the gully. All that, along with the area's wildlife, makes Edith Falls one of Australia's most picturesque -- not to mention underrated -- natural attractions.

The falls are full of water year-round, but the clear, dry season between May and September is the best time to visit. Even so, the area surrounding the falls is especially lush and green during the intense rains earlier in the year, so visitors are in for a treat no matter when they go. A visit to the falls typically involves swimming, and Sweetwater Pool, as well as both the upper and lower pools, are all particularly suited for the activity. Visitors to the falls during the wet season, however, may find that swimming is off-limits due to potentially dangerous conditions.

Renowned for its spectacular scenery, monsoonal rainforests, spring-fed streams and waterfalls, Litchfield National Park is perhaps best known for its magnetic termite mounds, immense sculptural cairns built by termites and aligned perfectly from north to south. They make quite the landscape feature - like miniature alien skyscrapers.

But it's the waterfalls, cascading from a sandstone plateau called the Tabletop Range, which draw the crowds. Some of the most popular are Wangi Falls, a deliciously deep swimming spot fringed with rainforest; Florence Falls, surrounded by monsoonal forest; and Buley Rockhole, where you can lounge in rock pools as if in a cool jacuzzi. You can't swim in Tolmer Falls, but they're well worth a look.

It's worth devoting at least a few days to Litchfield. Come here to camp, take a few hikes up to get views of the valley, go on a ranger-guided walk to find out about the magnetic termite mounds.

Across fields in northern Australia stand these tall magnetic termite mounds standing up to two meters high. As a habitat created by termites, they’re strategically built to face away from the hot sun and keep temperatures cool. Inside are complex and fascinating architecture and networks of arches, tunnels, chimneys, and various chambers. Thousands of termites live in a single mound and are known to last anywhere from fifty to one hundred years — which can also be the lifespan of one termite queen. Looking at the mounds it’s hard to believe such a small insect could create such a large, elaborate dwelling for itself. There are several types of termite mounds, and in this case ‘magnetic’ refers to the way they are aligned (in conjunction with the earth’s magnetic field.) How the termites are able to consistently determine the north-south orientation to avoid the heat is unknown, and these structures remain a bit of a natural phenomenon.

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 beautiful landscapes provided by the area’s diverse ecosystems include rugged coastlines, rivers, remote islands, a rainforest, woodlands and bluffs. Arnhem Land is home to both saltwater crocodiles and gentle dugongs, for which this area works as an important conversation habitat. Visitors drawn to Arnhem Land for its culture won’t be disappointed. Gunbalanya (also known as Oenpelli) is home to the Injalak Art and Craft Centre, where artists work and their wares are available for purchase. Tours often take travelers into the nearby bush to learn about the Aboriginal rock art, Dreamtime myths and bush tucker, the foods native to Australia.