what to do in Darwin

LUXO_8 · 02-01-2007, 05:10 PM

my nephew and i are flying to darwin tomorrow, for a couple of weeks..
just wondering whats to do there..

staying with my brother who lives in palmerston, i have access to his car to go pretty much wherever i like so i wont be couped up at his house, but yeah just wondering if any darwinites could make a few suggestions...

Dazza XLT · 02-01-2007, 05:30 PM

Drink and Fish

Keep out of the heat, stick to the A/C. Watch the storms roll in.
The Casino is always a nice spot to go for a feed/beer/bet. Nice Golf Course across the road too. Played there a few times.
Don't know if the charters are still running off the coast this time of year, but ring one of the 50,000 tackle shops, they will know.

Kakadu would be worth a visit, road conditions permitting.
If it's too wet, try Kakadu Air, would be tops to see it from the air this time of year with all the water about.
Same with Litchfield National Park, except the road into there is almost shut all wet season.

Not much else that I know of because I lived in Katherine, but Australia Day is generally a good day out if you are still up there then.

There are a few members from Darwin on here, so they may help more too.

Cheers

Darran

mcflux · 02-01-2007, 05:49 PM

Mindal Beach midnight market is awesome! What season is it in Darwin at the moment? If it's the wet season, scratch that idea.

Nightcliffe pool is good for escaping the heat, be it wet or dry season. There are some bigass waterslides nearby from memory.

Oh, and watch where you walk, you may trip over a drunk ;) Like I did.

Dazza XLT · 02-01-2007, 05:51 PM

Wet at the moment. Love that humidity!

outback_ute · 02-01-2007, 05:54 PM

I was up there just under a year ago, as Darran has said a lot of tourist stuff is shut but there are still tours on. I went down to Litchfield NP, the main bitumen road through the park was open and could get to the waterfalls etc. I also did a trip out to Kakadu including cruise on the Sth Alligator River and flight over the falls and along the escarpment - I would definitely recommend this! My attitude was to concentrate on the things you can only do in the wet season, I was only there a week though. A few other good things to see are the Aviation Museum with a B52 on display (only one outside US), the Military Museum at East Point, Wetlands display centre on the road to Kakadu, old Fannie Bay Gaol, old oil storage tunnels under the south end of the city, botanic gardens, the museum & art gallery - very extensive display on the Cyclone, and also walking around the city & parks. Watch out for afternoon thunder storms though!

mcflux · 02-01-2007, 06:04 PM

Mataranka was an awesome place too, but I've heard it may be infested with fruit bats now :(

I was only in my teens when I was up north last, but Mataranka was a blast! Swimming with freshies in the Waterhouse Creek all day, salties only 2km upstream in the Roper River, good music and great food (buffalo burgers = best burgers ever!)

Downside? The place is 100km north of Katherine, so you'd want to spend a weekend out there. There's a camping ground there though.

EDIT: Is the Fannie Bay Hot Spot still open, or whatever that's called?

LUXO_8 · 02-01-2007, 06:10 PM

some awesome ideas sofar...hopefully i'll be able to stretch expendature for one of those flights for us

keep them coming!

yeah.. ive been warned about the humidity........ hopefully i dont die lol

automann269 · 02-01-2007, 07:12 PM

Hey Madnc,

The humidity aint that bad, born in darwin and im still alive.
most of the comments said above is most of it. Game of golf at the
gardens golf course is nice.
Hope you injoy your stay.

Dazza XLT · 02-01-2007, 07:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghia5L

Mataranka was an awesome place too, but I've heard it may be infested with fruit bats now :(

Downside? The place is 100km north of Katherine, so you'd want to spend a weekend out there. There's a camping ground there though.

Thats 100klm south of Katherine

Fruit Bats have well and truly taken over now. Couldn't see the pathways for Bat Crap last time I Was there.

Cheers

mcflux · 02-01-2007, 07:56 PM

Oh, South! Bugger!

What a shame, that was such a great place :(

Psycho Chicken · 03-01-2007, 11:13 PM

Don't go Wayne. Wait til backpacker season.

LUXO_8 · 03-01-2007, 11:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

Don't go Wayne. Wait til backpacker season.

LOL!!!.....tickets...paid for and non refundable...kind of go or blow the $$...
ah well

CobraLeMans · 03-01-2007, 11:52 PM

Cheapest fun you'll have is buying a $4 bag of pilchards, take them to Howard Springs which is just near Palmerston, and hand feed the massive Barra living in there. Take your video camera!

Watch the turtles, they bite

sphell · 04-01-2007, 11:16 PM

haha Darwin, sucked in :P

TruBlu351 · 05-01-2007, 09:01 AM

I can't believe no one's told you to go to the Buzz Cafe at Cullen Bay marina to take a pi$$! One wall in the cafe is a massive mirror with tables right up to it. What's on the other side?..........it's the guys urinal. It's a one way mirror, so you take a pi$$ on the other side of the glass and it looks like everyone is watching ;)

Yeah, get out to the croc farms and national parks.....some great country up there. There's also a small yellow kebab, souvlaki van that sits on the main street after hours....they are a life saver.

If you go to the golf course and find some black Raybans.....could you let me know!

Those afternoon thunderies are awesome. Rain drops like golf balls.

You'll love it.

troppo · 05-01-2007, 09:09 AM

Fish feeding @ doctor's gully, croc farms @ berrimah and noonamah, WW2 oil storage tunnels @ wharf, botanic gardens @ gardens park, museum/art gallery @ fannie bay, fannie bay gaol @ fannie bay, military museum @ east point, aviation museum @ airport (opposite showgrounds). There's an open air tour bus that leaves from smith st mall every hour or 2 and takes you to most of these places. If you see this and feel like a beer with a local, shoot me a PM and we'll sort something out, I'm on holidays atm.

GreenMachine · 05-01-2007, 09:16 AM

Glad this thread came up - Since I posted my thread about going to Alice Springs, they've changed their minds and sent me to darwin for 9 weeks!

LUXO_8 · 05-01-2007, 11:09 PM

well......sitting here on my brothers pc......

can tell you that the humidity is a b1atch, but its bearable... kinda getting used to it

tell you what you're not wrong about the afternoon thunderstorms...... they're awesome....

didnt do much yesterday but will probably go for a bit of a hoon tomorrow, check out darwin itself, and the surrounds... eh ive got 15 days.....im sure i will find something to do

my bro said he's going to take us to katherine to check it all out...should be good

anyway... might tell some stories if i see anything interesting and chuck up some pics when i get back

Focussed · 05-01-2007, 11:23 PM

welcome to the topend mate! awesome storm today wasn't it! this isn't even the wet season so to speak. seems we are having a late one this year. im still waiting for the monsoon.
ok to do:
sunset cruise from cullen bay if the weather permits. go to buzz cafe before you leave.
saturday arvo, ducks nuts or shenanigans on mitchell street.
touristy stuff, crocodylus park, jumping crocs & territory wildlife park. if you can, a fishing cruise is also good.
advice:
drinks lots of water in between the lots of beer!
enjoy your stay!