Darwin & Top End

Just 80kms north of Darwin lie Bathurst and Melville Islands, known collectively as the Tiwi Islands. Europeans first made contact with the Tiwi people in 1705 and 119 years later, the British established a settlement which was the first in Northern Australia.

You can visit the Tiwi Islands on a guided tour and experience life in a modern day Indigenous community learning about the rich and fascinating history and culture of the Tiwi people. Visitors either board a small plane in Darwin for the short flight to the islands, or cruise the Timor Sea for around two hours on a ferry.

Here, you will find exotic fabrics, pottery, sculptures, and carvings, as well as several historic art galleries of the Tiwi people. You will also find heaps of sporting events like footy, amazing modern indigenous food (while still remaining true to the tradition). Also, the best part is that you will find many species not recorded elsewhere in the world due to the islands’ isolation and high rainfall.

With Ancient rock art, cascading waterfalls, and red filled horizons, you’d be forgiven for thinking that Simba was just about to come into view. There’s no lions, but this place certainly has stories to tell.

Hire a 4×4, or grab a tour, and get ready to roll out that swag under the stars. Marvel at Jim Jim Falls, bathe at the natural infinity pools at Gunlom and be mesmerized by 20,000 year old indigenous native rock arts. A place of ancient culture, unspoilt wilderness, and a journey deep into the soul, Kakadu is a must.

Easily accessible from Darwin, you can enjoy this place for a day, a night, or even a week. With swimming holes and waterfalls galore, this place will have you cooling off in no time at all. Some of our favourites would have to be Florence Falls and Bully Rock Hole, as well as the infamous termite mounds.

The truth is that Darwin has an interesting charm to it. It isn’t a beautiful city with skyscrapers and the Opera House. Instead, it’s quite dangerous to swim in the ocean and gets hotter than 30 degrees celsius almost every single day. As the capital city of the NT, Darwin often gets forgotten about by tourists, but it shouldn’t. Darwin is the gateway to the NT’s outdoors, waterfalls, beautiful sunsets, exotic wildlife, culture, and of course, an ice cold beer, which you will share in common with many of the Territorians.

Many believe the vast wetlands of the Mary River are the most beautiful in the Top End, home to a vast variety of birdlife, some of the biggest barramundi, and the largest concentration of saltwater crocodiles in the world. Exploring the region by 2WD is a breeze, even on the unsealed roads, but during the wet season, a 4WD offers greater freedom to harder to reach places.

Mary River National Park incorporates many destinations worthy of exploring including; Rockhole, Couzens Lookout, Brian Creek Monsoon Forest Walk, Jimmy Creek Monsoon Forrest, Point Stuart Coastal Reserve, Shady Camp, Mistake Creek, Corroboree Billabong, and Hardies Four Wheel Drive Track.