Darwin
The picturesque Darwin Harbour has a history dating back before white settlement and is twice the size of Sydney Harbour. It sports sandy beaches, cultured pearl farms, mangrove tidal areas and sunken ships from WWII.
The award winning Territory Wildlife Park, with 400 hectares of open plan natural bush habitats, is home to familiar and unusual Territory animals such as the Bilby. Ride the open motorised train, or stroll along the walking trails.
Take a cruise aboard one of the air- conditioned river boats and see crocodiles feeding just a few feet away. Or, if you prefer, Darwin Crocodile Farm is another entertaining way of getting up close and personal with these reptiles at feeding time. But if the live variety is a little too daunting for you, there is always Crocodylus Park, a world class attraction, which reveals the secret lives of crocodiles through the latest scientific research.
Just outside of Darwin is some of Australia's most amazing pristine wilderness, Kakadu National Park and Arnhemland. Kakadu itself has a big wet season, which is great to visit if you like big green displays of thriving nature, but some sites will be inaccessible and the wildlife fairly dispersed. Arnhemland is much more difficult to access, and you will probably be only able to organise a trip with tour operators.
You may be in Darwin intending to throw yourself into an overland odyssey, from the territory's capital all the way down to Alice Springs. Let’s not fool around. One of the draw card attractions of the Northern Territory is that big red lump of a rock out in the middle of an infinite stretch of desert. Uluru, a geological oddity that has the ability to induce a religious fervour with its presence.
Along the way, one of the obligatory stops would be the Katherine Gorge and the spectacular Nitmiluk National Park. You then step on the gas for 670kms to end up in Tennant Creek so you can go check out the eerie Devil’s Marbles just south of the town.
Odds on, you're going to need a car to get you around, no matter what you're planning on doing or seeing. If you don't have a car on hand, why not visit Carhire.com.au which will sort you out a great car rental Darwin deal. Carhire has negotiated special deals with Australia's most popular car hire companies and it's here you'll be able to directly compare the specials on offer from Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz and Thrifty.
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