KAKADU NATIONAL PARK
Kakadu National Park at a Glance…
Kakadu is more than a national park: it’s a vibrant, living acknowledgement of the elemental link between the Aboriginal people and the country they’ve nurtured for millennia. At almost 20,000 sq km, it’s a truly spectacular ecosystem, overrun with wildlife and dotted with waterfalls and mind-blowing ancient rock art.
It’s accessed from Darwin, Australia’s only tropical capital. Closer to Bali than Bondi, Darwin can certainly feel removed from the rest of the country – just the way the locals like it! More than 50 nationalities live here, clearly represented in the city’s wonderful markets.
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Kakadu in Two Days
Just two days in this glorious national park seems like an error in judgement. But if time is tight, do the essentials: wildlife spotting with Yellow Water Cruises, a hike to see the rock art at spectacular Nourlangie, and an Indigenous-led guided tour at Ubirr, with views from Nardab Lookout.
Kakadu in Four Days
Spend three days in Kakadu, ticking off the big-ticket sights then exploring some of the more remote locations such as Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls. Recover in Darwin with a visit to the Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and drinks and nocturnal shenanigans along Mitchell St.
Arriving in Kakadu
Many people access Kakadu on a tour from Darwin (253km to Jabiru), seeing the major sights with the minimum of hassles, but it’s just as easy with your own wheels. Note that some sights (eg Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls) are 4WD-access only.
Greyhound Australia runs buses from Darwin to Jabiru ($75, 3½ hours).
Darwin international airport has connections to all capital cities.
Sleeping
If you want to stay within Kakadu (as opposed to just day-tripping in from Darwin – not recommended!), Jabiru has the best choice of accommodation within the park, including a couple of good resorts. The resort at Cooinda and wilderness lodge near Ubirr are also worthwhile. Booking ahead is essential, especially from June to September.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Indigenous Rock Art
Kakadu is one of Australia’s richest, most accessible repositories of Aboriginal rock art. There are more than 5000 sites here, which date from 20,000 years to 10 years ago.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
Touring Ubirr with an Indigenous guide and hearing Dreaming stories.
8Need to Know
Kakadu’s climate is complex – more than just four seasons! The dry, un-humid April to August period allows best access.
5Take a Break
Little Border Store (Manbiyarra; 
%08-8979 2474; www.facebook.com/ubirrborderstore; mains $28; 
h8.30am-8pm May-Nov) near Ubirr has good coffee, cakes and awesome Thai food.
oTop Tip
The outstanding Nanguluwur Gallery sees fewer visitors than nearby Nourlangie: it’s a 3.5km return walk.
Significance & Preservation
For local Aboriginal people, Kakadu’s ancient rock-art sites are a major source of traditional archival knowledge. Some older paintings are believed by many Aboriginal people to have been painted by mimi spirits, connecting people with creation legends and the development of Aboriginal lore.
As the paintings are all rendered with natural, water-soluble ochres, they are very susceptible to water damage. Drip lines of clear silicon rubber have been laid on the rocks above the paintings to divert rain. As the most accessible sites receive up to 4000 visitors a week, boardwalks have been erected to keep the dust down and to keep people at a suitable distance from the paintings.
Ubirr
It’ll take a lot more than the busloads of visitors here to disturb Ubirr’s inherent majesty and grace. Layers of rock-art paintings, in various styles and from various centuries, command a mesmerising stillness. Part of the main gallery reads like a menu, with images of kangaroos, tortoises and fish painted in X-ray, the dominant style about 8000 years ago. Look for the yam-head figures, which date back around 15,000 years.
The magnificent Nardab Lookout is a 250m scramble from the main gallery. Surveying the billiard-table-green floodplain and watching the sun set and the moon rise, like they’re on an invisible set of scales, is glorious, to say the least. Ubirr (h8.30am-sunset Apr-Nov, 2pm-sunset Dec-Mar) is 39km north of the Arnhem Hwy via a sealed road.
Nourlangie
The sight of this looming outlier of the Arnhem Land escarpment makes it easy to understand its ancient importance to Aboriginal people. Its long red-sandstone bulk, striped in places with orange, white and black, slopes up from surrounding woodland to fall away at one end in stepped cliffs. Below is Kakadu’s best-known collection of rock art.
The 2km looped walking track (open 8am to sunset) takes you first to the Anbangbang Shelter, used for 20,000 years as a refuge and canvas. Next is the Anbangbang Gallery, featuring Dreaming characters repainted in the 1960s. Look for the virile Nabulwinjbulwinj, a dangerous spirit who likes to eat females after banging them on the head with a yam. From here it’s a short walk to Gunwarddehwarde Lookout, with views of the Arnhem Land escarpment.
TOP EXPERIENCE
Native Wildlife
Kakadu is home to 60 mammal species, 280-plus bird species, 120 species of reptile, 25 frog species, 55 freshwater fish species and at least 10,000 different kinds of insect.
Great For…
yDon’t Miss
The weird alien ‘cities’ formed by the cathedral termite mounds found right through Kakadu.
8Need to Know
Insects aside, most visitors see only a fraction of Kakadu’s creatures: many are shy and/or nocturnal.
5Take a Break
In between croc-spotting jaunts, the Jabiru Sports & Social Club (Jabiru Sports & Social Club; %08-8979 2326; www.jabirusportsandsocialclub.com.au; off Lakeside Dr; mains $26-31, pizza $12; hnoon-2pm & 6-9pm Tue-Sat) is a top spot for a beer.
oTop Tip
Dawn and dusk are the prime times for Kakadu wildlife spotting.
Birds
Abundant waterbirds are a Kakadu highlight. This is one of the chief refuges in Australia for several species, including the magpie goose, green pygmy goose and Burdekin duck. Other waterbirds include pelicans, brolgas and the jabiru – technically the black-necked stork, Australia’s only stork – with its distinctive red legs and long beak. Herons, egrets, cormorants, wedge-tailed eagles, whistling kites and black kites are common. Open woodlands harbour rainbow bee-eaters, kingfishers and the endangered bustard. Majestic white-breasted sea eagles are seen near inland waterways.
At night, you might hear barking owls calling − they sound just like dogs − or the plaintive wail of the bush stone curlew. The raucous call of the spectacular red-tailed black cockatoo is often considered the signature sound of Kakadu.
Mammals
Several types of kangaroo and wallaby inhabit the park; the shy black wallaroo is unique to Kakadu and Arnhem Land − look for them at Nourlangie Rock. At Ubirr, short-eared rock wallabies can be spotted in the early morning. You may see a sugar glider or a shy dingo in wooded areas in the daytime. Kakadu has 26 bat species, four of them endangered.
Reptiles
Twin Falls and Jim Jim Falls have resident freshwater crocodiles, which have narrow snouts and rarely exceed 3m, while the dangerous saltwater variety is found throughout the park.
Kakadu’s other reptiles include the frilled lizard, 11 species of goanna, and five freshwater turtle species, of which the most common is the northern snake-necked turtle. Kakadu has many snakes, though most are nocturnal and rarely encountered. The striking Oenpelli python was first recorded by non-Aboriginal people in 1976. The odd-looking file snake lives in billabongs and is much sought after as bush tucker. They have square heads, tiny eyes and saggy skin covered in tiny rough scales (hence ‘file’). They move very slowly, eating only once a month and breeding once every decade.
Fish
You can’t miss the silver barramundi, which creates a distinctive swirl near the water’s surface. Renowned sportfish, ‘barra’ can grow to more than 1m long.
Jabiru
It may seem surprising to find a town of Jabiru’s size and structure in the midst of a wilderness national park, but it exists solely because of the nearby Ranger uranium mine. With the closure of the mine slated for 2021, the town’s future appears uncertain and will be dependent upon the extent to which it can build on its other role as the national park’s major service centre. In this capacity, it has just about everything you’d need, with a bank, newsagent, medical centre, supermarket, bakery and service station, as well as some good accommodation and an improving culinary scene.
Jim Jim Falls & Twin Falls
Remote and spectacular, these two falls epitomise the rugged Top End. Jim Jim Falls, a sheer 215m drop, is awesome after rain (when it can only be seen from the air), but its waters shrink to a trickle by about June. Twin Falls flows year-round (no swimming), but half the fun is getting here, involving a little boat trip (adult/child $15/free; h7.30am-5pm, last boat 4pm) and an over-the-water boardwalk.
These two iconic waterfalls are reached via a 4WD-only track that turns south off the Kakadu Hwy between the Nourlangie and Cooinda turn-offs. Jim Jim Falls is about 56km from the turn-off (the last 1km on foot) and it’s a further five corrugated kilometres to Twin Falls. The track is open in the Dry only and can still be closed into late May; it’s off limits to most rental vehicles (check the fine print). A couple of tour companies make trips here in the Dry.
Cooinda & Yellow Water
Cooinda is one of the main tourism hubs in Kakadu. An all-purpose resort has grown up around the wetlands, which are known as Yellow Water, or to give its rather challenging Indigenous name, Ngurrungurrundjba. The cruises, preferably taken around sunrise or sunset, are undoubted highlights of any visit to Kakadu.
About 1km from the resort (an easy 15 minutes’ walk), the Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre (www.kakadutourism.com; Yellow Water Area; h9am-5pm) 
F depicts Creation stories and has an excellent permanent exhibition. You’ll be introduced to the moiety system (the law of interpersonal relationships), languages and skin names, and there’s a minitheatre with a huge selection of films from which to choose. A mesmeric soundtrack of chants and didgeridoos plays in the background.
The turn-off to the Cooinda accommodation complex and Yellow Water wetlands is 47km down the Kakadu Hwy from the Arnhem Hwy intersection.
Darwin
Australia’s only tropical capital city and gateway to the Top End, Darwin, on the traditional lands of the Larrakia, gazes out across the Timor Sea. It feels quite removed from the rest of the country, which is just how the locals like it.
Tables spill out of street-side restaurants and bars, innovative museums celebrate the city’s past, and galleries showcase the region’s rich Indigenous art. Nature is well and truly part of Darwin’s backyard: the national parks of Kakadu and Litchfield are only a few hours’ drive distant.
Central Darwin
1Sights
2Activities, Courses & Tours
5Eating
6Drinking & Nightlife
8Transport
1Sights
Crocosaurus CoveZoo
(map Google map; %08-8981 7522; www.crocosauruscove.com; 58 Mitchell St; adult/child/family $35/23/110; h9am-6pm, last admission 5pm)
If the tourists won’t go out to see the crocs, then bring the crocs to the tourists. Right in the middle of Mitchell St, Crocosaurus Cove is as close as you’ll ever want to get to these amazing creatures. Six of the largest crocs in captivity can be seen in state-of-the-art aquariums and pools, while you can be lowered right into a pool with the crocs in the transparent Cage of Death (one/two people $170/260).
Kakadu National Park Admission
Admission to the park (%08-8938 1120; www.parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu; adult/child/family Apr-Oct $40/20/100, Nov-Mar $25/12.50/65) is via a seven-day Park Pass. Passes can be bought online or at various places around the park, including Bowali Visitor Information Centre (%08-8938 1120; www.parksaustralia.gov.au/kakadu; Kakadu Hwy, Jabiru; h8am-5pm), where you can also pick up the excellent Visitor Guide booklet. Carry your pass with you at all times as rangers conduct spot checks – penalties apply for nonpayment.
Other places to purchase the pass include the following:
Cooinda Lodge & Campground (%1800 500 401; www.kakadutourism.com; powered/unpowered sites $50/38, budget/lodge r from $175/200; 
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Katherine Visitor Information Centre (%1800 653 142; www.visitkatherine.com.au; cnr Lindsay St & Stuart Hwy; h8.30am-5pm daily mid-Apr–Sep, 8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-2pm Sat & Sun Oct–mid-Apr)
Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern TerritoryMuseum
(map Google map; MAGNT; %08-8999 8264; www.magnt.net.au; 19 Conacher St, Fannie Bay; h10am-5pm) F
This superb museum and art gallery boasts beautifully presented galleries of Top End–centric exhibits. The Aboriginal art collection is a highlight, with carvings from the Tiwi Islands, bark paintings from Arnhem Land and dot paintings from the desert. An entire room is devoted to Cyclone Tracy, in a display that graphically illustrates life before and after the disaster. You can listen to the whirring sound of Tracy at full throttle − a sound you won’t forget in a hurry.
Royal Flying Doctor ServiceMuseum
(map Google map; %08-8983 5700; http://rfdsdarwin.com.au/; Stokes Hill Wharf; adult/child/family $28/16/70; h9.30am-6pm, last entry 5pm Jun-Sep, 9.30am-5pm, last entry 4pm Oct-May)
This outstanding museum on Stokes Hill Wharf is the way all museums should be. There’s a 55-seat hologram cinema, virtual-reality glasses that enable you to relive in vivid detail the 1942 Japanese bombing raid on Darwin Harbour, a decommissioned Pilatus PC-12 aircraft from the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS), a live map showing the current location of RFDS planes, and a series of touch screens that take you through the story of the RFDS and Darwin during WWII.
Territory Wildlife ParkZoo
(%08-8988 7200; www.territorywildlifepark.com.au; 960 Cox Peninsula Rd; adult/child/family $32/16/54.50; h9am-5pm)
This excellent park showcases the best of Top End Aussie wildlife. Pride of place must go to the aquarium, where a clear walk-through tunnel puts you among giant barramundi, stingrays, sawfish and saratogas, while a separate tank holds a 3.8m saltwater crocodile. The turn-off is 48km down the Stuart Hwy from Darwin; from here it’s 12km further down Cox Peninsula Rd to the park.
Litchfield National Park
It’s not as famous as Kakadu, but Litch-field (%08-8976 0282; www.nt.gov.au/leisure/parks-reserves) is one of the best places in the NT for walking, camping and swimming. Just 115km south of Darwin, it makes a brilliant day trip or tour: try Ethical Adventures.
The 1500-sq-km national park encloses much of the Tabletop Range, a wide sandstone plateau with waterfalls pouring off the edge, feeding crystal-clear, croc-free plunge pools.
Entering the park from Batchelor, the tombstones you see after 17km are, in fact, magnetic termite mounds.
Another 6km in is the turn-off to Buley Rockhole (2km), with a series of rock pools. This turn-off also takes you to Florence Falls (5km), accessed by a 15-minute, 135-step descent to a deep pool surrounded by forest. About 18km beyond the turn-off is another turn-off to spectacular Tolmer Falls. A 1.6km loop track affords beaut views.
It’s a further 7km along the main road to the turn-off for Litchfield’s big-ticket Wangi Falls (‘wong-guy’; 1.6km). The falls flow year-round, filling an enormous swimming hole bordered by rainforest. Bring your goggles!
2Activities
Wave & Recreation LagoonsWater Park
(map Google map; %08-8985 6588; www.waterfront.nt.gov.au; Wave Lagoon adult/child $7/5; hWave Lagoon 10am-6pm)
The hugely popular Wave Lagoon is a hit with locals and travellers alike. There are 10 different wave patterns produced, along with lifeguards, a kiosk and a strip of lawn to bask on. Adjacent is the Recreation Lagoon with a sandy beach, lifeguards and stinger-filtered seawater (although the nets and filters are not guaranteed to be 100% effective).
TTours
Darwin Harbour CruisesCruise
(map Google map; %08-8942 3131; www.darwinharbourcruises.com.au; Stokes Hill Rd; h6pm mid-Feb–mid-Dec)
Variety of cruises from Stokes Hill Wharf, including evening cruise options aboard the Charles Darwin, a tri-level catamaran. Possibilities include a 2½-hour sunset cruise (adult/child $58/35), or the same deal but with a buffet dinner ($102/68).
Darwin Walking ToursWalking
(map Google map; %08-8981 0227; 50 Mitchell St; adult/child $50/free) 
S
Two-hour guided heritage walks around the city, enlivened by local anecdotes from good local guides.
Ethical AdventuresTours
(%0488 442 269; www.ethicaladventures.com)
A cut above most of those offering day tours to Litchfield National Park from Darwin, Ethical Adventures runs sunrise-to-sunset tours that take in all of the main attractions, and provide excellent food (including barbecued crocodile and buffalo) and good guides. Its focus on small groups, cultural engagement and ethical practices is a highlight. Tours cover Kakadu, Litchfield and attractions around Darwin.
TKakadu Tours from Darwin
Northern Territory Indigenous ToursCultural Tour
(map Google map; %1300 921 188; www.ntitours.com.au; cnr Esplanade & Knuckey St, Lyons Cottage; day tours adult/child from $249/124)
Upmarket Indigenous-led tours to Litchfield National Park and Kakadu.
Sacred Earth SafarisAdventure
(%08-8536 2234; www.sacredearthsafaris.com.au; hMay-Oct)
Multiday, small-group 4WD camping tours around Kakadu, Katherine and the Kimberley. The three-day Kakadu tour starts at $1800, while the five-day Top End National Parks Safari is $3100.
Kakadu DreamsTours
(%1800 813 269; www.kakadudreams.com.au)
Backpacker day tours to Litchfield (adult/child $149/129), and boisterous two-/three-day trips to Kakadu ($445/665).
See here for more Kakadu tours.
Kakadu Tours
Yellow Water Cruises (%1800 500 401; www.kakadutourism.com; per person $72-99) Cruise the South Alligator River and Yellow Water Billabong spotting wildlife. Purchase tickets from Gagudju Lodge, Cooinda; a shuttle bus will take you from here to the tour’s departure point. The best ones are at sunrise and sunset, when the wildlife’s at its most active.
Kakadu Cultural Tours (KCT; %1800 525 238; www.kakaduculturaltours.com.au) Aboriginal-owned and -operated, the excellent Kakadu Cultural Tours covers northern Kakadu and Arnhem Land. The Arnhemlander Cultural & Heritage Tour (adult/child $273/218; hMay-Nov) is the best way to see western Arnhem Land and covers rock art, billabongs and the fabulous Injalak Arts. The Guluyambi Cultural Cruise (adult/child $79/52; h9am, 11am, 1pm & 3pm May-Nov) along the East Alligator River is similarly outstanding, with Indigenous stories and plenty of crocs.
Kakadu Animal Tracks (%0429 676 194; www.animaltracks.com.au; adult/child $220/55; h1pm May-Sep) Based at Cooinda, this outfit runs seven-hour tours with an Indigenous guide combining a wildlife safari and Aboriginal cultural tour. You’ll see thousands of birds and get to hunt, gather, prepare and consume bush tucker.
Kakadu Air (%1800 089 113, 08-8941 9611; www.kakaduair.com.au; 30min flights adult/child $150/120, 60min flights $250/200, 20/30min helicopter flights adult $245/345) Offers both fixed-wing and helicopter scenic flights – both are a wonderful way to get a sense of the sheer scale and beauty of Kakadu and Arnhem Land.
Ayal Aboriginal Tours (%0429 470 384; www.ayalkakadu.com.au; adult/child $220/99) Full-day Indigenous-run tours around Kakadu with former ranger and local Victor Cooper, shining a light on art, culture and wildlife.
7Shopping
Outstation GalleryArt
(map Google map; %08-8981 4822; www.outstation.com.au; 8 Parap Pl, Parap; h10am-1pm Tue, to 5pm Wed-Fri, to 2pm Sat)
One of Darwin’s best galleries of Indigenous art, Outstation presents the works of nine different Aboriginal art centres from across the NT, from Arnhem Land to the Western Desert.
Provenance ArtsArt
(map Google map; %08-6117 5515; www.provenancearts.com.au; Stuart Hwy, Stuart Park; h10am-5pm Tue-Fri, to 3pm Sat & Sun)
A fabulous initiative from Injalak Arts (%08-8979 0190; www.injalak.com; h8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-2pm Sat) F, an outstanding Indigenous art centre in Arnhem Land, Provenance Arts is a gallery with works from over 30 Aboriginal art centres from across the NT, WA and Queensland, but their ambitions run further – visitors can sometimes interact with the artists themselves and there are plans for an Indigenous cultural tourism information centre.
Parap Village MarketMarket
(map Google map; %0438 882 373; www.parapvillage.com.au; Parap Shopping Village, 3/3 Vickers St, Parap; h8am-2pm Sat)
This compact, crowded food-focused market is a local favourite. There’s the full gamut of Southeast Asian cuisine, as well as plenty of ingredients to cook up your own tropical storm. It’s open year-round.
5Eating
Frying NemoFish & Chips$
(map Google map; %08-8981 2281; www.fryingnemo.com.au; shop 10, 90 Frances Bay Dr, Stuart Park; mains from $12; h5pm-late Mon-Fri, 11.30am-9pm Sat & Sun)
They’ve won various awards here and are consistently ranked among Australia’s best fish and chips. Lightly battered, wild-caught NT fish are the mainstays, but the burgers (barra, croc, buffalo) are all worth considering too.
Parap Fine FoodsMarket$
(map Google map; %08-8981 8597; www.parapfinefoods.com; 40 Parap Rd, Parap; h8am-6.30pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat, 9am-1pm Sun)
A gourmet food hall in Parap shopping centre, stocking organic and health foods, deli items and fine wine − perfect for a picnic.
PM Eat & DrinkAustralian, International$$
(map Google map; %08-8941 3925; www.pmeatdrink.com; cnr Knuckey St & Austin Lane; lunch mains from $16, dinner mains $16-24; hnoon-late Tue-Sat)
This place buzzes with atmosphere, not to mention great food and excellent service – this is the pick for a casual city-centre meal if your time in town is limited. The tempura fish burger is outstanding, but the beef brisket soft tacos and Angus sirloin with cauliflower puree also have their fans.
Saffrron RestaurantIndian$$
(map Google map; %08-8981 2383; https://saffrron.com; 14/34 Parap Rd; mains lunch $20-41, dinner $17-28; h5.30-9pm Tue, Wed, Sat & Sun, 11am-2pm & 5.30-9pm Thu & Fri) S
At the forefront of Parap’s burgeoning culinary scene and one of Darwin’s best Indian restaurants, multi-award-winning Saffrron puts sustainability and local ingredients front and centre. The cooking is assured and the service attentive and knowledgeable. You could take your pick of the menu and leave happy, but the Barramundi masala and Kerala mussel curry are highly recommended.
Darwin Ski ClubAustralian$$
(map Google map; %08-8981 6630; www.darwinskiclub.com.au; Conacher St, Fannie Bay; mains $22-32; hnoon-10pm)
This place just keeps getting better. Already Darwin’s finest location for a sunset beer, it now does seriously good tucker too. The dishes are well prepared, and the menu is thoughtful and enticing. The red curry is particularly tasty. Highly recommended by locals.
Pee Wee’s at the PointAustralian$$$
(%08-8981 6868; www.peewees.com.au; Alec Fong Lim Dr, East Point Reserve; mains $41-55; hfrom 6.30pm)
CrustaceansSeafood$$$
(map Google map; %08-8981 8658; www.crustaceans.net.au; Stokes Hill Wharf; mains $19-45; h5.30-11pm, last order 8.30pm)
This casual, licensed restaurant features fresh fish, Moreton Bay bugs, lobster, oysters and even crocodile, as well as succulent steaks. It’s all about the location, perched right at the end of Stokes Hill Wharf with sunset views over Frances Bay. The cold beer and a first-rate wine list seal the deal.
Mindil Beach Market
Food is the main attraction at this market (www.mindil.com.au; off Gilruth Ave; h4-9pm Thu & Sun May-Oct; 
g4, 6)− from Thai, Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese and Malaysian to Brazilian, Greek, Portuguese and more. Don’t miss a flaming satay stick from Bobby’s brazier. Top it off with fresh fruit salad, decadent cakes or luscious crepes.
But that’s only half the fun! Arts and crafts stalls bulge with handmade jewellery, fabulous rainbow tie-dyed clothes, Aboriginal artefacts, and wares from Indonesia and Thailand.
Mindil Beach is about 2km from Darwin’s city centre; an easy walk or hop on buses 4 or 6 that go past the market area.
6Drinking & Nightlife
Darwin Ski ClubPub
(map Google map; %08-8981 6630; www.darwinskiclub.com.au; Conacher St, Fannie Bay; hnoon-late)
Leave Mitchell St behind and head for a sublime sunset at this laid-back waterski club on Vesteys Beach. The view through the palm trees from the beer garden is a winner, and there are often live bands. Hands down the best venue for a sunset beer in Darwin.
Darwin Sailing ClubSports Bar
(%08-8941 0580; www.dwnsail.com.au; Atkins Dr, Fannie Bay; hnoon-late Mon-Fri, 10.30am-late Sat & Sun)
More upmarket than the ski club, the sailing club is always filled with yachties enjoying a sunset beer overlooking the Timor Sea. Tunes on the sound system are surprisingly un-yacht club-like (no Christopher Cross or Rod Stewart). Sign in as a visitor at the door (bring some ID).
One Mile Brewing CompanyBrewery
(%0429 782 870; www.onemilebrewery.com.au; 8/111 Coonawarra Rd, Winnellie; h5-8pm Thu & Fri, noon-7.30pm Sat)
A good place to start your Darwin night out, this brewery’s tasting bar showcases some of the Top End’s tastiest beers. We like the 4:21, a beer cheekily named after the time Darwin’s civil servants famously finish work, but the Pink Lady Cider, too, has its devotees. Ask about a brewery tour if you’re a beer aficionado.
3Entertainment
Deckchair CinemaCinema
(map Google map; %08-8981 0700; www.deckchaircinema.com; Jervois Rd, Waterfront Precinct; adult/child $16/8; hbox office from 6.30pm Apr-Nov)
During the Dry, the Darwin Film Society runs this fabulous outdoor cinema below the southern end of the Esplanade. Watch a movie under the stars while reclining in a deckchair. There’s a licensed bar serving food or you can bring a picnic (no BYO alcohol). There are usually double features on Friday and Saturday nights (adult/child $26/13).
Happy YessLive Music
(map Google map; www.happyyess.tumblr.com; Brown’s Mart, 12 Smith St; h6pm-midnight Thu-Sat)
This venue is Darwin’s leading place for live music. A not-for-profit venue for musicians run by musicians, you won’t hear cover bands in here. Original, sometimes weird and always fun.
Where to Stay
You can stay in Kakadu itself – there are resorts, safari-tent lodges and lots of fab camping sites. If you’re booked on a tour, your accommodation will probably be included at one of these operators.
Back in Darwin, most accommodation is right in the city centre, close to all the restaurants and nightlife, or in quieter Larrakeyah just to the north of the CBD. Cullen Bay is another option, with lots of apartments and some good waterside eateries, though it’s not really walking distance to any of the action.
8INFORMATION
Royal Darwin Hospital (%08-8920 6011; www.health.nt.gov.au; 105 Rocklands Dr, Tiwi; h24hr)
Tourism Top End (%08-8980 6000, 1300 138 886; www.tourismtopend.com.au; cnr Smith & Bennett Sts; h8.30am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-3pm Sat & Sun) Helpful office with hundreds of brochures; books tours and accommodation for Darwin and beyond.
8GETTING THERE & AWAY
AIR
Darwin International Airport (%08-8920 1811; www.darwinairport.com.au; Henry Wrigley Dr, Marrara) is 12km north of the city centre, and handles both international and domestic flights. The following airlines operate from the airport and fly to all other capital cities: Jetstar (www.jetstar.com; Darwin Airport), Qantas (www.qantas.com.au; Darwin Airport) and Virgin Australia (www.virginaustralia.com; Darwin Airport).
BUS
Greyhound (map Google map; %1300 473 946; www.greyhound.com.au) runs at least one service per day up and down the Stuart Hwy, the only road in and out of Darwin. Buses depart from the rear of the Transit Centre (map Google map; www.enjoy-darwin.com; 69 Mitchell St).
For Kakadu, there’s a daily return service from Darwin to Jabiru ($79, 3¾ hours).
CAR & CAMPERVAN
Most car-rental companies offer only 100km free, which won’t get you far (you pay per kilometre beyond 100km). Rates start at around $40 per day for a small car with 100km per day. All the usual car-hire suspects operate here, or JJ’s Car Hire (%0427 214 229; www.jjscarhire.com.au; 7-9 Goyder Rd, Parap) is a good local operator.
There are also plenty of 4WD vehicles available in Darwin, but you have to book ahead and fees/deposits are higher than for 2WD vehicles.
TRAIN
The legendary Ghan (%08-8213 4401; www.greatsouthernrail.com.au; Berrimah Rd, East Arm, Darwin Train Station) train, operated by Great Southern Rail, runs weekly (twice weekly May to July) between Adelaide and Darwin via Alice Springs. The Darwin terminus is on Berrimah Rd, 15km/20 minutes from the city centre. A taxi fare into the centre is about $40, though there is a shuttle service to/from the Transit Centre.
8GETTING AROUND
TO/FROM THE AIRPORT
Darwin City Airport Shuttle Service (%08-8947 3979; www.darwincityairportshuttleservice.com.au; per person $18) is one of a number of private airport shuttle companies that will pick up or drop off almost anywhere in the centre. When leaving Darwin book a day before departure. A taxi fare into the centre is $40 to $45.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Darwinbus (map Google map; %08-8944 2444; www.nt.gov.au/driving/public-transport-cycling) runs a comprehensive bus network that departs from the Darwin Bus Terminus (map Google map; Harry Chan Ave), opposite Brown’s Mart. For timetables, check out the website at the Department of Transport (%08-8924 7666; https://nt.gov.au/driving/public-transport-cycling/public-bus-timetables-maps-darwin).
A $3 adult ticket gives unlimited travel on the bus network for three hours (validate your ticket when you first get on). Daily ($7) and weekly ($20) travel cards are also available from bus interchanges, newsagents and the visitor centre.
TAXI
Taxis wait along Knuckey St, diagonally opposite the north end of Smith St Mall, and are usually easy to flag down. Call Darwin Radio Taxis (%13 10 08; www.131008.com).