Travel to Darwin, Australia
Cyclones, two litre beers, Aquascene, East Point Reserve and more
The tropical capital of the Northern Territory offers, fish-feeding, World War II oil tunnels, Fannie Bay Gaol, the Museum and Art Gallery, Mitchell Street & more.
Darwin, Australia,it has to be said, comes across as something as a surprise. For a place that has been knocked down by earthquakes, Japanese bombs and cyclones in its brief history, it is remarkably pretty.
Despite what wrecking balls nature and the Imperial Army could throw at it, Darwin has always rebuilt itself and got on with life. It’s the sort of thing you learn to expect in a place where the standard beer measurement, they would have you believe, is two litres.
For years, Darwin has battled just about everything – and isolation from the rest of the world has proved just as big a challenge as the big disasters.
It was only recently, for example, that the Northern Territory capital got a rail link with the rest of Australia, which is astonishing for a major city in the 21st century.
Faced with all of this, you could understand if Darwin was an absolute dive, but it most certainly isn’t. On the one hand, it is fairly bustling. There are shops, bars and cafes to rival anywhere of a decent size, and in parts, it is extraordinarily pretty too.
Whilst you can take a tour bus round, rent a bike or a scooter, the best way to go exploring is on foot. Stick a pair of shorts on and, if it’s a hot day, expect to sweat like Pavarotti in a sauna, but you can really get a feel for the place walking round.
As good a place as any to start is around the Wharf. Do a loop and you can take in the fish feeding at Aquascene (08 8981 7837/ www.aquascene.com.au), the NT parliament buildings and the WWII oil tunnels (08 8985 6333), as well as topping up the tan along the way.
If you’re feeling energetic, you could also amble up to the East Point Reserve, which is a prime spot at sunset. It’s got 200 hectares of mangroves, and is arguably the most beautiful spot in the city. On the way up there, you can also take in the botanic gardens, the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (which is exceptionally good), the Military Museum and the Old Fannie Bay Gaol.
Once the sightseeing is over and done with, don’t worry – Darwin doesn’t go to sleep after dark. Around Mitchell Street and in the city centre, there are plenty of bars that range from the good spot for a feed to dancing on tables, pawing some random Scandinavian type.
