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Darwin

by Veronica Matheson | 09 Jan 2014

Perched right up at the top of the country, Darwin is full of surprises: laid-back locals live among snapping crocs and a country town vibe morphs within a few blocks into a cosmopolitan street scene.

In the city

The laid-back lifestyle, balmy weather and cosmopolitan vibe make this remote capital of northern Australia the perfect place to bask in the great outdoors. There is a sophisticated side to tropical Darwin, but most visitors travel here to soak up the friendly small town atmosphere – the city’s population is around 130,000. The latest eclectic hangout is the Waterfront Precinct, where a wave pool and swimming lagoon are surrounded by chilled-out cafes, bars, shops and restaurants.

Nearby Mitchell Street is also alive with new bars and eateries that are reinventing the local streetscape. Here it is worth searching out Hot Tamale for Mexican fare, Antiquity for Greek food and The Precinct, a trendy pub and microbrewery.

Night at the movies

The Deckchair Outdoor Cinema has been a Darwin institution since the 1920s and it should not be missed in the dry season from April to November.

Patrons relax on a deckchair on a starry night perfumed by sweet-smelling frangipani to watch the movies. Before the screening they marvel at Darwin

Harbour’s tropical sunset and snack on food, including ice cream from the cinema’s arty bar, where wine and beer is also available.

A different movie plays every night and proceeds from Thursday evenings go to a local charity – the charity changes each week, with volunteers often setting up a stall of home-made goodies for sale.

To market

Discover a melting pot of vibrant cultures and exotic foods at Darwin’s open-air markets, where the colourful mix of stalls and entertainment draws in the crowds.

Head to Mindil Beach Market at sunset on Thursday and Sunday evenings, and imagine being transported to Asia, just across the horizon, while you stroll under swaying palms and inhale a plethora of spicy food aromas.

There are dozens of food stalls with tantalising tastes from more than 20 countries, while other stalls sell diverse wares, including tropical plants, flowers and fruit. Indigenous performers on didgeridoos and local bands with amplified sound keep it lively.

Exotic produce, local wares and friendly faces also imbue lively fresh food markets at Parap Village (Saturday mornings), Nightcliff (Sunday mornings) and Rapid Creek (Friday evenings/Sunday mornings).

Live like a local

Darwin residents rarely take themselves too seriously and give enthusiastic support to the annual Beer Can Regatta and Fridge Festival, as well as the Blues Festival and Darwin Festival, which draw international stars and top Australian performers. Locals often keep fi t by exercising along the expansive city foreshore at dusk as the sky paints a stunning blood-orange sunset.

Taste the outback

World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park is a three-hour drive from Darwin. Buffalo roam, birdlife abounds and prized ancient rock art can be found. It is a landscape of soaring anthill pillars and expansive wetlands.

West of Kakadu in the Mary River region, travellers take in the sights and sound of the bush by camping rough or in luxury safari-style accommodation at Bamurru Plains or Wildman Wilderness Lodge.

Bamurru Plains is on Swim Creek Station where guests often wake to a chorus of several thousand magpie geese at dawn as buffalo splash across the floodplains. At Wildman Lodge, near Point Stuart, wallabies, wallaroo, wild pigs, buffalo and estuarine crocodiles are sighted on airboat safari rides.

Serious fishermen have the chance to catch barramundi along the Mary River. Others prefer to charter a boat out of Darwin Harbour, where the fish are known to be great biters.