Five Free Things to do in Darwin
Sightseeing Activities for an Enjoyable Trip to Darwin Australia
Oct 7, 2009
Darwin Australia is a vibrant cosmopolitan city surrounded on three sides by the Arafura and Timor seas. Locals brag about its laid-back lifestyle and abundance of outdoor activities. When you’re here, it’s tempting to spend the day lounging pool-side, but these 5 free activities will get you out touring the city and enjoying the waterfront views.
Historical Displays and Aboriginal Art in the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT
Learn how the explorers discovered Darwin, how the city was rebuilt after Cyclone Tracy in 1974 and what the landscape means to the Larrakia Aboriginal people at the Museum and art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Permanent exhibits include those on Aboriginal art and culture, Southeast Asian and Oceanic art, maritime archaeology, Northern Territory history and natural sciences.
Browse through Darwin’s Aboriginal Art Galleries
Downtown Darwin has plenty of art galleries to explore over the course of an afternoon. Highlights include the NT Supreme Court Art Collection, Karen Brown Gallery, Maningrida Art Centre and Mbantua Gallery. The main feature of the foyer entrance of the Supreme Court building is a floor mosaic based on Yuendumu artist Nora Napaljarri Nelson’s “Milky Way Dreaming.”
In the suburbs surrounding Darwin Nomad Art and Raft Artspace feature exhibits of northern Australian Aboriginal and South East Asian art. Also in Parap, 24hr Art is the Northern Territory Center for Contemporary Art, promoting experimentation in contemporary visual art
Relax at Darwin’s Mindil Beach Sunset Markets
The popular Mindil Beach Sunset Markets are open Thursday and Sunday nights from May to October. Visitors can enjoy a beach sunset and a sampling of delicacies from around the globe. With more than 60 food stalls, market patrons can choose from a variety of cuisines including Greek, Italian, Thai, Indian, Japanese and Australian.
There are also 200 or more local artisan and craft stalls featuring emu oil lotions, digeridoos, original watercolour paintings, and crocodile-skin products. Children will be awe-struck by the fire-twirling, juggling and local musicians.
Darwin’s George Brown Botanic Gardens
Established in 1866 at its current location two kilometers north of Darwin CBD, the George Brown Botanic Gardens has had a tumultuous history and been used for a variety of activities. The Gardens were established to experiment with native and introduced plants and the area has been used for market gardening, crop farming, cattle grazing and held an anti-aircraft battery during World War II.
Currently the Gardens feature approximately 450 species of palm tree, a collection of baobab species from Madagascar and a natural mangrove forest walk, among others. Visitors can explore the 42 hectares of natural landscape on a collection of managed pathways.
Australia’s Youngest Parliament House
The Northern Territory Parliament House is a testament to modern tropical architecture and the first permanent location for the Northern Territory Legislature. Opened on 18 August 1944, the building features a decorative façade that defuses 80% of direct sunlight from the interior.
Visitors can join a guided tour of the building, enjoy a coffee in the Speaker’s Corner Cafe while looking out across the harbor and sift through Territory’s documentary heritage in the Northern Territory Library.
 |
 |
 |
 |
