Darwin is a daring city where you can experience some of Australia’s genuinely epic environments mixed with culinary and cultural delights. Enjoy the hottest winter arts festival this August, with outdoor festivities and a vibrant program of events at the Darwin FestivalOpens external site in a new window running from 4 to 22 August 2022.
What lengths will you go to to spy a crocodile? At Crocosaurus Cove, in the city, you’ll find two options - watching them from the stands or seeing their smiles up close in a cage swim. If you’d prefer to see these calculating creatures in their natural habit, take a 40-minute drive to the Mary River where one of the three tour companies can take you out onto the water to see crocs jump for their supper.
If you want your crocs coupled with culture, Guluyambi Cultural Cruise is owned and operated by local aboriginals and provides a unique tour along Kakadu’s scenically spectacular East Alligator River as well as an insight into the culture of the Traditional Owners of the land. For a croc-free spot to cool off, visit the pristine swimming holes, mini waterfalls and lush green surrounds of Berry Springs which, unlike many of the region’s other glorious swimming holes, is only 40 minutes from the city.
Once you’re done with the waterholes, make a day out of exploring the wetlands. Corroboree Billabong Wetland Cruise offers incredible bird sightings along the Mary River Wetlands while Ayal Aboriginal Tours provide an exclusive tour of a rarely seen area of Kakadu where you can learn about the fascinating history of buffalo hunting and their special ancestral connection to this country.