Looking to come to Darwin for a week of fun and sunshine? Here are the things we’ve already checked out, so you know where to go!

My brother-in-law, Andrew, and his partner, Emily, came to Darwin for a quick one-week trip to catch up and check out the local sights. This was in June, which is the best time to visit as it is the dry season and the weather is 100% sunshine with low humidity.

Check out what they got up to on their trip!

Getting Around

My husband, Michael, was a brilliant tour guide, making sure they got around everywhere and managed to see everything. You can do these activities as a self-drive, book them as tours, or use the red hop-on-hop-off bus to get to the ones around town.

Hopefully this provides you some inspiration if you’re planning a trip to Darwin!

Day 1 Friday- Arrived in Darwin

Andrew and Emily’s flight arrived around lunchtime and we met them at the airport with my sister Lucy who happens to work there. This was a chilled out day to look around and get acquainted with the city. We had lunch at Stokes Hill Wharf then walked around the Waterfront Precinct and checked out the lagoon and wave pool.

Local tip: If you have time and need to cool off in some air con, check out the Flying Doctors Museum on Stokes Hill Wharf, I highly recommend it.

Lunch: Stokes Hill Wharf

Stokes Hill Wharf- the perfect waterfront setting for a casual lunch. There are several outdoor restaurants to choose from, including fish and chips, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Vietnamese, and a bar so you can grab a lunch time beer or wine and watch the boats roll past.

Local tip: Our favourite place is the Vietnamese restaurant at Stokes Wharf.

Evening- East Point Reserve

We went for a nature walk around East Point Reserve- There is a short mangrove walk and a longer loop walk where you can see the wild wallabies at the model airplane club.

Other things at East Point include the Darwin Military Museum, a wonderfully informative museum with beautiful tropical gardens full of military equipment you can explore. There is also Lake Alexander which has stinger free swimming all year around.

PDF Map of East Point

Dinner: The Sailing Club

The Darwin Sailing Club is a great local spot for a waterfront dinner and to watch the sunset directly over the ocean. Right next door to the Sailing Club is also the Trailer Boat Club, I prefer this to the Sailing Club because it has a huge menu with lots of Asian food options and great desserts.

After dinner, we went to the supermarket to get supplies for the week.

Local tip: If you’re going to the Sailing Club or Trailer Boat Club on a Friday night, get a local to book you a table in advance.

Day 2 Saturday- Territory Day

Territory Day (also known as cracker night) is once a year on the 1st of July and celebrates the day the NT was granted self governance from the Commonwealth Government in 1978. This is a great weekend to come to Darwin if you love fireworks. It is also the embodiment of pure chaos. Prepare for fireworks and wild fires in every direction.

Activity: Parap Market

Parap Market- An amazing market for food and local crafts. Check out some of the local tropical fruits, grab a crepe from Ken’s Crepes, or line up for a laksa from the famous Mary’s Laksa.

Local Tip- Get there around 8am if you want to miss the crowds and the heat of the day.

Activity: Mindil Beach and Botanic Gardens

Walk around Mindil beach waterfront and the Darwin Botanic Gardens.

Lunch: At home

Afternoon: Mindil Market

Trip down to the Territory day Mindil markets for some already made food for dinner. Preparing for cracker night.

Night: Cracker night party

It started with a fighter jet display right over our apartment. The jets flew so close to the building they shook the walls and when they banked upward right above us it sounded like a bomb going off it was so deafening. It got dark around 6.30pm and this is when the fireworks got started in every direction.

We had all the family over and watched as Darwin blew up for five hours of endless fireworks and enjoyed the epic Mindil beach fireworks display from the apartment balcony. The fireworks went non-stop from 6.30pm until 11pm, it’s a wonder anyone had any left!

Day 3 Sunday- Around Town

Checked out a few close attractions within the central Darwin area.

Morning: Coffee

Coffee: Coffee at the Boatshed Cafe. A perfect spot for brunch and a coffee down at Cullen Bay overlooking the marina.

Local tip: There is a bucket by the stairs full of bread so you can feed the fish.

Breakfast: Rapid Creek markets

Jenny’s favourite: Get the dumplings from the red dumpling food truck and a lime, mint, and ginger juice from any juice stall.

On Sunday you have the choice of Nightcliff or Rapid Creek for morning markets. My personal favourite is Rapid Creek for the range of authentic Asian food and local produce. But Nightcliff is great for crafts, second-hand books, and a wide range of foods. It’s a lovely setting under banyan trees and will usually have live music you can sit down to enjoy.

Activity: Crocosaurus Cove

Crocosaurus Cove is a quick attraction to get around and worth it if you want to see someone get in a glass cage in a croc tank. This isn’t the best attraction, so if you are going on a jumping croc’s tour or to Crocodylus park, you can probably give this one a miss.

Activity: The WW2 Oil Tunnels

The WW2 Oil Tunnels are a quick 30min-1 hour attraction that is worth checking out. The tunnels house an underground museum with a wealth of information about Darwin during WW2 and the bombing of Darwin on the 19 February 1942. On this day, 272 Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin in the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia.

Lunch: Bannsang: Korean restaurant at the waterfront

Activity: Aquascene fish feeding

Aquascene is my favourite Darwin attraction. Great for kids (ones that won’t fall in the water) as well as adults. You get to see a wide range of fish species up close and it is fully interactive. Feed bread to the friendly milk fish, mullet, and bat fish, or feed a sardine to the hungry barramundi.

Local Tip: Put some bread between your toes and dangle your feet off the steps to feed the fish. It’s okay, a staff member showed us and the fish won’t bite your toes off!

Day 4 Monday- Adelaide River

We drove out to the Adelaide river for a jumping crocs tour. This is a not to be missed activity when visiting Darwin. We also checked out Fogg Dam, a wildlife hotspot and is famous for bird watching.

Breakfast: Smoothies at home

Activity: The Original Jumping Crocodile Cruise

The Original Jumping Crocodile Cruise: This is the best jumping crocs tour around. We got up close with several crocs and even got to meet the monster croc named Norman!

Local Tip: Sit close to the front of the boat for Croc feeding for the best view. The boat driver is also the croc feeder.

Tip #2- There are several tours with similar names along the river. The one we like the best is ‘THE ORIGINAL JUMPING CROCODILE CRUISE.’

Activity: Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve

Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve: A self drive out to the lookout at the end of the dam wall. You can spot a wide range of bird species, including egrets, kingfishers, jabiru (black-necked stork), jacana, kites, whistling ducks, spoonbills, and magpie geese. Keep an eye out for the resident salt water croc from the lookout. Drive slow across the dam as freshwater crocs will often be lying on the road sunning themselves.

We did the Woodlands to waterlilies walk. An easy and relaxing walk through the bush and out on a boardwalk over the dam.

Local Tip: Bring insect repellent for the waterlilies walk.

Fogg Dam Fact Sheet and Maps- PDF by the Northern Territory Government

Lunch: Howard Springs Tavern

Afternoon Activity: A visit to my mum’s house in Palmerston on the way home to say hello. There was a small bushfire at the end of her street—an everyday part of life during the dry season in the Northern Territory, but an interesting sight for our visitors.

Dinner: Picnic at Mindil markets. Hawaiian nachos, croc burger.

Local Tip: Bring a picnic blanket and sit in the shade under the trees to eat.

Day 5 Tuesday- Litchfield National Park

Activity: Litchfield National Park

A day trip out to Litchfield National Park. This is a beautiful national park about an hour and a half from Darwin city on good roads where you can see waterfalls, epic views, giant termite mounds, and lots of wildlife.

What to see:

Magnetic termite mounds
Buley rockhole
Florence Falls
Tomer Falls

Litchfield Fact Sheet and Map- PDF by the Northern Territory Government

Lunch: Berry Springs Tavern

Day 6 Wednesday- Territory Wildlife Park

Activity: Territory Wildlife Park

Territory Wildlife Park is about fifty minutes from Darwin city and well worth the trip. It is set on natural park lands where you can walk around on the bush tracks, or take the train the circles the park every thirty minutes and can drop you at any attraction.

We managed to catch a few shows, but the day just flew by and it’s hard to get around the whole park in one visit.

Hand feeding wallabies
Pelican feeding
Birds of prey show

Lunch: The Territory Wildlife Park cafe.

Aquarium
Whip ray feeding

Afternoon: Drive back to Darwin

Evening Drinks: The Tap Bar- got a fish bowl cocktail.

Dinner: Moorish- North African Tapas

Day 7- Thursday- Around Darwin

Activity: Casurina Mall

If you need to do something in air conditioning for a change, a trip to Casurina mall is great if you need to go to big stores like Big W or KMart. There is also a movie theatre there and many clothes shops if you want to do a spot of shopping and get out of the heat.

Lunch: Casurina Foodcourt

Activity: Crocodylus Park

We turned up just in time for the croc feeding show and Emily got to dangle food for the crocodiles. Make sure you check out the cassowaries, wallabies, dingoes, and emus for some native wildlife. There are lions, capybaras, marmosets, and cotton top tamarins for the more exotic animals. Take a close look at the cotton top tamarins as they often have teeny tiny babies clinging to their backs.

Interactive: You can hold a snake, a baby crocodile, and if your lucky, feed some crocs. The staff are very knowledgeable and you can ask them anything about the wildlife.

Dinner: Mindil Markets again.

Farewell

After a whirlwind week of activities we said farewell to Andrew and Emily at the airport for a late night departure. They had a blast in Darwin and we loved having them here. Hopefully their trip gives you some ideas for your own Darwin adventure in the future!