Top End Attractions, Northern Territory
Darwin and its surrounds are studded with a range of things to see and do. Visit the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, Australian Pearling Exhibition, Crocodylus Park or Charles Darwin National Park. Enjoy the view from Cullen Bay Marina and Darwin Wharf Precinct or marvel at the Indo Pacific Marine display. Go back in time at Fannie Bay Gaol or visit the Museum & Art Gallery of NT. See the NT Parliament House and WWII Oil Storage Tunnels or shop at Mindil Beach Sunset Market and Parap Village Markets.
No visit to the Top End would be complete without experiencing the magnificence of Kakadu National Park. Renowned for its supreme beauty and sacred Aboriginal history, the World Heritage listed park is 260 km east of Darwin and covers 19,000 square km. The Bowali Visitor Centre is an excellent starting point to orient yourself with the wide range of natural wonders including Jabiru, Jim Jim Falls, Maguk, Mamukala, Nourlangie Rock, Twin Falls, Ubirr and the Warradjan Aboriginal Centre.
An excellent introduction to the flora and fauna of NT, the Territory Wildlife Park is just 60 km south of Darwin and covers 400 hectares of natural bushland. With 6 km of walking trails, this multi-award winning park features an aquarium, aviaries, a nocturnal house featuring unique Australian animals, a birds of prey display as well as free roaming kangaroos. The Territory Wildlife Park also boasts a natural lagoon and Monsoon Forest Walk teeming with birds and wildlife.
Arnhem Land is 94,000 square km of Aboriginal territory at the top of the Top End with only 2 areas accessible to visitors. The Cobourg Peninsula to the west is renowned as one of the best fishing spots in Australia, mostly made up of Gurig National Park and is surrounded by Cobourg Marine Park. The Gove Peninsula to the east is a major bauxite mining area and is a major centre for Aboriginal art and craft. Fishing here is also excellent as is snorkelling, scuba diving, reef walking, scenic flights and sunset cruises.
Litchfield National Park is an unspoilt wilderness featuring monsoon rainforest, large groves of cycads, the impressive Tabletop Range and a network of creeks and waterfalls. You can drive from Darwin into the western corner of the park in 2 hours however most waterfalls will require a short hike to access. The park offers some of the Top End's most lush and sought after attractions including Wangi Falls, Buley Rockholes, Florence Falls, The Lost City, Tjaynera Falls, Sandy Creek, Tolmer Falls, the Magnetic Termite Mounds and Batchelor.
Katherine is a land of gorges, plateaus and small rivers that cut through this wide brown land. You can take to the skies with a scenic helicopter flight or see ancient Aboriginal rock art of the distant ancestors of the Jawoyn people. There are also a range of attractions including Nitmiluk Visitor Centre, Nitmiluk National Park Leilyn, Cutta Cutta Caves, Katherine Hot Springs, Katherine Museum, Katherine Barra Farm, Katherine School of the Air and Manyallaluk (an opportunity to learn about Aboriginal culture).
