About NT Outback
Warm breezes, cascadeing waterfalls and spectacular sunsets
Content
Darwin is like no other place in Australia and offers you an unforgettable holiday. A place to relax and unwind, connect with yourself and with nature, experience our unique multiculturalism and tropical lifestyle, and go home having discovered something very special.
At Darwin Holiday Apartments, we’re passionate about Darwin and the Top End and passionate about helping make your stay here a memorable one. We have presented below a few snippets of what we think makes this place so special – if there’s something else you think we should add, please, let us know!
Litchfield National Park
Kakadu World Heritage Area
Tiwi Islands
Out and About
Mindil Beach Sunset Markets
Darwin With Kids
Climate
A brief history of Darwin
People and culture
Cyclone Tracy
Lifestyle
Litchfield National Park
Just outside Darwin, Litchfield National Park is one of the Top End’s hidden treasures. This unspoiled wilderness boasts monsoon rainforests, cascading waterfalls, diverse flora and fauna and impressive natural formations.
An easy hour and half drive on bitumen via the quaint little township of Batchelor sees you enter this national park, with your first stop being Buley Rockholes (cascade after cascade of crystal clear water…. you *must* try the natural massage of sitting on the rocks with the water pumelling your neck and shoulders).
For the more adventurous, take the back-road – turn off at Berry Springs then follow the signs. There’s about 45 kms of unsealed road that winds it’s way past old tin mines, fantastic anthills farms that look like kilometres of tombstones, and the majestic Finniss River (do *not* go swimming!!!!!). Then snake your way up the escarpment, first stop Walker Creek. Walk all the way up to the top pool – it’s well worth it.
For more info visit the NT Government Litchfield website or the Tourism NT Litchfield website.
Tiwi Islands
Tiwi Islands are home to one of the world’s oldest living cultures. Tiwi hosts welcome visitors, share stories of their tribal experience and beliefs, and give displays of traditional ceremonies and artwork.
The Tiwi Islands are part of Australia’s Northern Territory, 80 km north of Darwin where the Arafura Sea joins the Timor Sea. They comprise Melville Island and Bathurst Island, with a combined area of 8,320 square kilometres. Bathurst Island is the fifth-largest island of Australia,[1] and Melville Island is Australia’s largest island apart from the State of Tasmania.
They are inhabited by the Tiwi people, as they have been since before European settlement in Australia. The Tiwi are an Indigenous Australian people, culturally and linguistically distinct from those of Arnhem Land on the mainland just across the water. They number around 2500. Most residents speak Tiwi as their first language and English as a second language. Most of the population live in Nguiu (pronounced “nooyoo”) on Bathurst Island, and Pirlangimpi (also known as Garden Point) and Milikapiti (also known as Snake Bay) on Melville Island. There are other smaller settlements, including Wurankuwu (Ranku) Community on western Bathurst Island.
Dense rainforest, sandy beaches and rock pools combine to create the Tiwi Islands’ coastal landscape. Many Tiwi Islanders are prolific artists who produce distinctive and valuable art, pottery, sculptures and wooden carvings, and the area is renowned for its unique Aboriginal arts and crafts, love of Australian Rules Football or AFL, and blue-water fishing.
An easy day trip from Darwin or an overnight tour, visitors to Darwin can experience The Tiwi Islands as part of an organised Aboriginal tour or adventurous fishing expedition. Travel to the Tiwi Islands includes a 20-minute flight in a light aircraft from Darwin, or a ferry across the Timor Sea on a ferry to Bathurst Island (approx 2 hrs).
Visit Tourism NT for more info
Out and About
Darwin City is a launching pad to the Northern Territory’s vast array of extraordinary natural landscapes and ecosystems, from tropical coastlines to heritage wetlands, wildlife parks and escarpment vistas. Natural wonders such as World Heritage-listed Kakadu, Katherine Gorge (Nitmuluk), and Litchfield National Park are all within driving distance from the city.
Arnhem Land
These important Aboriginal-owned lands consists of diverse ecosystems including rainforests, savannah woodlands, extraordinary rock formations, majestic coastlines and deserted islands, as well as significant cultural sites.
Berry Springs Nature Park
Spread out around the Berry Creek catchment, nature-lovers will delight in the walks, bird watching, palm-fringed waterholes, natural waterslides and abundant marine life.
Howard Springs
Diverse habitats brimming with wildlife. Swim with barramundi and turtles, go bird watching, or check out the ibis and wallabies on the lawns.
Kakadu National Park
World Heritage-listed Kakadu is Australia’s largest national park with a wealth of natural and cultural wonders on display through the lush wetlands, rugged escarpments and sandstone galleries.
Litchfield National Park
This spectacular preserve comprises stunning sandstone escarpments, natural spring-fed waterfalls and tropical lagoons, along with the ‘Lost City’ of thousands of giant termite mounds.
Mary River
Barramundi thrive in this tranquil marine paradise, perfect for anglers and crocodiles alike. Extraordinary birdlife and grand vistas abound.
Territory Wildlife Park
With an impressive aquarium complete with crocodiles, a nocturnal house, bird walk, and monsoon rainforest it’s the perfect opportunity to get up close to the furriest and fiercest creatures down under.
Cyclone Tracy
No talk of Darwin would be complete without a mention of Cyclone Tracy. Christmas Eve, 1974, and my family of mum, dad, and the 7 children huddled in the dark and cold under the dining table in our flimsy elevated house, to the sounds of tearing steel and terrible thuds and a roaring wind that sounded like 100 jet engines. In the morning, with bits of houses and trees strewn all around, some ironically draped in shiny Christmas tinsel, the Darwin I grew up in and loved was, simply, gone. It has been replaced by a modern, thriving cosmopolitan city but, even after 35 years, the sound of the siren at the start of this video is still very hard to listen to.
