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Darwin - The City and Beyond
Darwin is a city on the edge, writes Megan Czisz.
It's on the edge of a continent and feels like it's at the end of the world. From the air it’s an incongruity, appearing suddenly from nowhere, just as you think you're leaving the wide brown land behind. It's a cluster of buildings at the remotest tip, a final outpost jutting out into the Arafura Sea. And it's at the edge of cool without even trying - Lonely Planet named it as a hot tip for travel in 2012, and someone is in the know because in the same year the number of Australian travellers visiting the Northern Territory increased by more than 10%.
But why not fly right over, all the way to Bali? It's no secret that Australians are flocking overseas in record numbers and the tourism industry is struggling to entice people into their own backyards. “I guess I should try and see more of my own country” is a common refrain when you meet Australian backpackers overseas. They lament that they've visited countries with names they can't even pronounce but have never made it further north than the Gold Coast casinos.
Above all else, Darwin feels different. A tour guide tells me that the population is transient, fluctuating with the wet and dry seasons. “It's the only place in the country”, he says, “where corporates wear stubbies and thongs”. A thousand kilometres from anywhere, the faces are diverse - it could almost be Asia. In fact, it's closer to Asia than Sydney or Melbourne could ever hope to be. It’s this diversity and its geographical and spiritual remove from the rest of Australia that means travellers visit, intending to stay a few days and end up staying longer than their visas could possibly allow.
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An alternative to Gallipoli
It’s an oft-forgotten fact that the Northern Territory was Australia’s front line during World War II, when the Japanese bombed Darwin in the 1940s in an attempt to keep Australian forces busy while the war raged in Europe. Today you can follow the trail of the Top End’s military history at sites in and around Darwin.
Adelaide River War Cemetery
Rather than go all the way to Turkey, Singapore or France to pay your respects at one of the many Australian war cemeteries overseas, pay a visit to the Adelaide River War Cemetery, just outside of Darwin, the final resting place of those killed in the bombing raids on the city.
Charles Darwin National Park
Remnants of reinforced concrete bunkers can still be seen in this National Park that overlooks the city. Used to store munitions during wartime, they’re a stark reminder of the dark days of the 1940s and a fascinating relic for history buffs. Watch out for the mosquitoes – when the sign says they bite, they bite!
Other points of interest include the Defence of Darwin Experience, the Darwin Military Museum and other locations around the harbour. For more information on Darwin’s military heritage sites, visit defenceofdarwin.nt.gov.au -
Top 5 top end shots
1. Crocodiles
Whether they’re jumping for food on the Adelaide River, gliding silently through the wetlands at Yellow Water Billabong or snapping their jaws at kayakers who get a little too close at Katherine Gorge, a croc is the money shot.
2. Mindil Beach at sunset
There’s something about sunset over the Arafura Sea that draws people down to the beach every night to watch the colours change over the ocean. Unmissable.
3. A road train
The Northern Territory is home to some of the longest trucks in the world – and some of the longest, straightest stretches of road to match.
4. Outback roadhouse
No longer a common feature of road trips in the southern states thanks to progress and bypasses, the Territory’s remaining roadhouses are a place to get a hot meal, some petrol, a beer and a day old newspaper. The characters are as quirky as the decorations (stuffed buffalo, anyone?).
5. Fireworks
But only if it’s Territory Day. In the days leading up to 1 July, you’ll marvel at the number of fireworks stalls popping up all over the NT. It’s the only day of the year in the Territory when fireworks are permitted, and everyone gets into the spirit of things once the sun sets.
But why?
For the food
Darwin has its fair share of backpacker pubs with $5 chicken parmis and a burgeoning bar and restaurant scene but it’s at the city’s markets where the proximity to Asia is at its most palpable. At the Mindil Beach Sunset markets the crowd heaves with visitors and locals alike. There are buskers – fire twirlers, bongo players, a trio of Peruvians playing flutes and the air smells of spice and barbeque smoke.
That’s the food. Pad thai, bahn mi, laksa - not words that are missing from the foodie lexicon of the southern cities. Nor are they in Darwin, where the food is authentic and the market stalls are manned by people from all over – Sri Lanka, Malaysia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, East Timor, Vietnam and more are represented. Business is only quiet when the sun begins to set and the crowds rush down to the sand to watch.
For the scenery
Darwin and its surrounds are a photographer’s dream. An early morning cruise on Yellow Water Billabong in Kakadu National Park, where the landscape is so serene it’s difficult to imagine killer crocs lurking below the water until one surfaces beside your boat and glides along the waterway after you, is unforgettable.
At Gunlom Falls, the reward for a hot and sweaty climb to the top of the waterfall is a swim in a natural infinity pool – it might not have cocktail waitresses like the one at Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, but with views that stretch further than a cityscape ever could, who cares?
For the history
In Europe, you never forget that you’re walking on cobblestones that might have been there 500 years. History in the top end goes deeper than that – you just need to look a little closer – and know what you’re looking at. Nourlangie Rock Art site in Kakadu National Park, 200 kilometres from Darwin, is home to the Anbangbang rock shelter, a refuge for Indigenous people for 20,000 years. The only visible sign of habitation is an overhanging rock and smoothed stone. Some of the ochre drawings that cover the walls in what is now known as the main gallery have been there just as long.
Take that, Mona Lisa.
Where To Stay
Darwin YHA – Melaleuca on Mitchell is located in the heart of Darwin's nightlife hub, Mitchell St, with not one but two pools, a licensed bar, and a massive sundeck.
Darwin YHA – Melaleuca on Mitchell
Email: darwin@yha.com.au
Phone: 1300 723 437
YHA is a member of Hostelling International