Darwin

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The Top End in 5 days

An August 2003 trip to Darwin by beachs

Before the Yellow Water CruiseMore Photos

This was a quick visit to Darwin and Kakadu in the Northern Territory of Australia (and it's HOT up here). See the best of wetlands scenery and aboriginal art site and of course the crocs (sans Steve Erwin).

  • 6 reviews
  • 1 photo

The Top End in 5 daysBest of IgoUgo

Overview

The best things to do in Darwin are go see Mindil Markets, have dinner at the wharf precinct (it's cheap and the view is fantastic), feed the fish at Doctors Gully, visit the Cyclone Tracey exhibit at the Museum and don't miss the highlight: spend a few days at Kakadu National Park.

Quick Tips:

We got a dead cheap flight to Darwin with Virgin Blue around AU. Stay in town because it's too hot and too far to walk to reach the attractions if you don't.

Best Way To Get Around:

Spend the first day walking around town and surrounds to get a feel for this lovely tropical city and then hire a car to go and see the places further out. Taxis are quite expensive.

Aurora KakaduBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

While this was a nice place to stay, the accommodation was pretty average for AU$149. Leftover from the '70s decor! However, the bed was firm, the TV worked, and the air-conditioner was functional but noisy.

We booked though quickbeds.com.au and got a discount on dinner and breakfast. The dinner was a choice of either hot or cold buffet and the food was very, very good. With the 50% discount, we paid AU$12.50 for a hot or cold buffet. Unbelievable value and great tiramisu!

The other astonishing thing was the friendliness of the staff.

On the downside, the hotel is at least 30 minutes from most attractions in Kakadu and this is a big disadvantage.

  • Member Rating 2 out of 5 by beachs on August 18, 2003

Aurora Kakadu
Arnhem Highway Darwin, Australia
(08) 8979-0166

Aurora Frontier Hotel DarwinBest of IgoUgo

Hotel

We stayed in rooms 101 and 601 and the rooms on the top floors are much better. We even got better towels!!! Basically, this is a room with an air-conditioner, a large TV, and a good sized fridge. I couldn't fault the actual accommodation,but it was about a 10 minute walk to town. In the Darwin heat,that could be a problem. We booked though QuickBeds.com.au and got the room for AU$109 (normally $149).
  • Member Rating 3 out of 5 by beachs on August 18, 2003

Aurora Frontier Hotel Darwin
3 Buffalo Court Darwin, Australia

The JettyBest of IgoUgo

Restaurant

This is a brand new restaurant at the Wharf precinct. We had the hot and cold seafood buffet (including prawns, oysters, sushi, BBQ and steaks done to perfection) for AU$22. Imagine yourself dining on the sea (cystal clear, green) with the sun setting as you sip champagne and eat prawns (very cheaply) . . . then the Jetty is for you!! Run, don't walk there, before everyone else finds out about this place.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by beachs on August 19, 2003

The Jetty
Stokes Hill Wharf Darwin, Australia
8981-8658

Kakadu National ParkBest of IgoUgo

Attraction

Before the Yellow Water Cruise
Kakadu National Park is World Heritage listed located an easy 250 km scenic drive from Darwin. It covers 19,000 sq km and is a habitat for more than 270 species of bird, 1600 different types of plants, and quite spectacular landscapes.

Adventure programmes in Kakadu incorporate the unique landscapes, flora and fauna but also include the aboriginal experience. The Kakadu escarpment contains some of the oldest aboriginal rock art galleries.

  • Member Rating 4 out of 5 by beachs on August 10, 2003

Kakadu National Park
South Alligator, Northern Territory Darwin, Australia

Aquascene (fish feeding)Best of IgoUgo

Attraction

Fish feeding is at high tide each day. You will see huge, fat, diamond-scaled mullets, milkfish, catfish, green-backed mullets, bream, teira batfish, shovel-nosed rays, and blue-spotted fantail rays. Click here for pictures.
  • Member Rating 5 out of 5 by beachs on August 19, 2003

Aquascene (fish feeding)
Doctors Gully Darwin, Australia

About the Writer

beachs
beachs
Balmoral, Australia

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