Go Back  Fodor's Travel Talk Forums > Destinations > Australia & the Pacific
Reload this Page >

HOW DO I GET THE MOST OUT OF MY 13 DAYS IN DARWIN AND SURROUNDS?

HOW DO I GET THE MOST OUT OF MY 13 DAYS IN DARWIN AND SURROUNDS?

Old Jun 8th, 2011, 08:56 PM
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
HOW DO I GET THE MOST OUT OF MY 13 DAYS IN DARWIN AND SURROUNDS?

My flights are now booked.

Thanks to all that helped me draft an initial itinerary, now I want to fine tune our plans.

We leave Adelaide, on a 10.15pm Jetstar flight, on the 4th of July and arrive at Darwin airport at 1.55am.

We have booked a 5 berth campervan with Britz that we can only collect at 7.30am, so my first question is....Would it be better to catch a cab straight in to Darwin and kill time, or, is there a comfortable place at the Airport to stretch out and let the kids try and get some sleep?

After collecting our mobile home for the next 12 nights, my plan is to have our first night booked at a Darwin caravan park, for the kids to enjoy some relaxing and for us to organise supplies, before setting out to the National Parks. Which tourist park would you choose for this purpose? We only need a powered site as we have full facilities on board. A nice pleasant atmosphere and pool is all we want.

The best break up for the next 11 nights and recommendations on the best places to stay and must-see attractions is what I am now searching for assistance on.

I am leaning towards....1 night Litchfield....4 nights Kakadu....3 nights Katherine..3 nights Darwin. How does this sound? Is it the order that you would use on a similar trip?

Your thoughts and ideas would be highly appreciated.
shanek is offline  
Old Jun 8th, 2011, 11:41 PM
  #2  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi, shanek. My husband and I will be in Darwin, etc from 16 - 30 July. We are hiring a car for that time and plan to do the following:
4 nights / 3 1/2 days in Darwin
2 days around Batchelor - Adelaide River military places, 1 day at Litchfield National Park with Indigenous Tours of Darwin
3 days at Kakadu National Park
1 night in Katherine then two days travelling / exploring as far down as Daly Waters
2 further days in Katherine

Our itinerary is pretty full, and we are in our 60s but hopefully this will give you some ideas. I can elaborate further if you need further inspirations.

Dot
dotty is offline  
Old Jun 9th, 2011, 02:07 AM
  #3  
 
Join Date: Dec 2010
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I would recommend you consider a another day in Litchfield rather than so many in Katherine.

http://www.latitude1308.com.au/litch...tineraries.htm

There are some good itineraries at that link
Paula_Morgan is offline  
Old Jun 9th, 2011, 08:50 PM
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Thanks dotty and Paula,

Some very useful information.

The reason that I have only allowed 1 night for Litchfield is that we intend to depart very early from Katherine, so we have a full day there and then spend most of the next day there as well. We could also go back there from Darwin for another half day if we feel like we had missed something.

We would like to do an early Gorge cruise at Katherine and do a night Croc adventure without having to do them on the same day, hence the 2 full day/3 night plan. Does that make sense?

Dot, elaborate all you like....I would love to know your full itinerary and take advantage of all your planning. I normally research well in advance but we have booked this trip at the last minute. We had originally decided to only do short breaks, close to home this year, as we spent 5 weeks in the USA last year and want to do Europe next year. The lure of someplace warm became too great, in the face of single digit temperatures in Mildura, and I decided that it was about time that we explored the Top End.

Thanks for that great link, Paula. Here is another very useful website that I have come across....http://en.travelnt.com/experience/dr...tures-way.aspx ...heaps of great stuff for anyone else planning a trip to the NT.
shanek is offline  
Old Jun 9th, 2011, 09:36 PM
  #5  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi again, shanek

I have copied / pasted our itinerary. Obviously we are aware we may not be able to do everything but we are hopeful! We do get up early to take advantage of less crowds, where possible. We have booked all our accommodation and the Litchfield Park tour,and the Yellow River & Katherine Gorge cruises.
I hope this gives you some more ideas.

Dot

Sunday 17 July: AquaScene Fish Feeding (28 Doctors Gully Road); Sun 17 Jul 2011 0800 - 1000 times
Museum and Art Gallery of the NT - Cyclone Tracy Exhibit; Burnett House / Myilly Point Heritage Precinct – high tea @1530?; Mindil Markets 1600 – 2100;

Monday 18: The Heritage Walk - includes The tree of knowledge / Beagle Bells; Christ Church Cathedral; Brown’s Mart; Old Courthouse & Police Station; Government House; NT Parliament House and NT Library; The Cenotaph / War Memorial; USS Peary Memorial / USAAF Memorial; Lyons Cottage; Old Admiralty House; Victoria Hotel – the Vic; Commercial Bank; Star Village; Chinese Temple and Museum; WWII Oil Storage Tunnels; Survivors’ Lookout; Darwin Wharf Precinct, (abut 3 hours – guided tour takes 2 hours) George Brown Botanic Gardens; Fannie Bay - Gaol; Harbour cruise?

Tuesday 19: Military / WWII day – Strauss Airstrip (45 km south of Darwin Stuart Highway), Australian Aviation Heritage Centre, Charles Darwin National Park, Darwin Military Museum, East Point Reserve, - later in the day as it is a good place to watch the sunset and see wallabies

Wednesday 20: Drive to Humpty Doo (approx 40 km from Darwin), Fogg Dam Conservation area, Windows on the Wetlands, then back to Stuart Highway, Crazy Acres for fruit & veges (Farm address: 70 Reedbeds Rd, Berry Springs NT phone +61 (8) 8988 6227 ) and Adelaide River –AR War Cemetery, AR Railway Heritage Precinct, Robin Falls – if time

Thursday 21: Litchfield Park - tour with Indigenous Tours

Friday 22: Early departure back up Stuart Highway to Kakadu turnoff, and then to Jabiru.
On the way stop at Mary River Crossing, Leaning Tree Lagoon Nature Park (90 kilometres east of Darwin, Arnhem Highway, via Humpty Doo); Bird Billabong (Mary River National Park (proposed), 150 kilometres east of Darwin, Mary River ( Arnhem Highway); Mamukala Wetlands, Bowali Visitor Centre,

Saturday 23: Ranger Mine Tour (Ted); Warradjan Aboriginal Cultural Centre ; Lunch at Kakadu Bakery?; Nourlangie art; Nanguluwur Gallery (1 ½ hrs easy walk); Anbangbang Billabong, Gallery and Walk (45 minutes easy walk); Gunwarddehwarde Lookout; Nawurlandja Lookout (30 min medium walk); Ubirr drawings for sunset? Dinner at Sunny’s kitchen? (Jabiru Sports and Social Club)

Sunday 24: 0645 Yellow River Sunrise Cruise; Gunlom Falls, (catch up any plans from day before if needed)

Monday 25 July: Early departure to Pine Creek – breakfast at Maysee’s; Edith Falls – hike to upper Falls Pool?;
90 km to Katherine

Tuesday 26 July: Katherine Gorge Cruise 4 hr 0900 - 1300; Nitmulik Visitors Centre; Cycad Gardens; Knotts Crossing; The Katherine Icon

Wednesday 27 July: Cutta Cutta Caves – 0900 tour; to Daly Waters; National Trust Aviation Hangar; Look at Hi-Way Inn; most remote traffic light; Stuart’s Tree;
Stay at: Daly Waters Pub in cabin

Daly Waters Pub, Stuart St Daly Waters NT 0852
Phone 08 89759927
Fax 08 89759982
Email [email protected]

Thursday 28 July: Larrimah – Inn, Gorrie Airfield, old Police Station Museum contains Fran’s Devonshire Tea House ( go for brekky), Stuart’s Tree; to Mataranka
From Mataranka, 74.36kms S (75.7kms, 56mins driving)
From Daly Waters, 77.06kms N (92.8kms, 1hr 13mins driving)

Stay at: Mataranka Territory Manor Motel and Caravan Park
51 Martin Road Mataranka NT 0852
(08) 8975 4516
www.matarankamotel.com

Friday 29 July: Explore Mataranka, back to Katherine; catch up any activities if needed and possible

Saturday 30 July: Return rental car by 12:00pm
Railway Station Museum; Ghan to Alice Springs 4:45pm
dotty is offline  
Old Jun 9th, 2011, 10:10 PM
  #6  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Great Itinerary Dot!!! I may have a stab of trying to fit all of that in apart from the "High Tea" unless I can find someone to leave the kids with!!! Thanks for taking the time to post it all for my benefit.

Your first day is our last, so if I find any "hidden gems" that I think you may like, and are not on your list, I will let you know.

I see that you are skipping the "jumping croc" cruise and "crocodilysis(sp?) park"? I presume they are "cheesy" tourist traps but I am pretty sure they will be perfect for 9 and 12 year old boys. Does anyone have any first hand knowledge of these?
shanek is offline  
Old Jun 9th, 2011, 11:14 PM
  #7  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,009
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Dot, I found a link to the Guided Heritage Walk that you may have based part of your itinerary.

I see that they also do bike tours that sound like fun. I think I may book one of these.

Here is the link if anyone else is interested.....http://www.darwinwalkingtours.com/tours.html#explore
shanek is offline  
Old Jun 10th, 2011, 03:02 PM
  #8  
 
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 424
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi, shanek,

We 'crocodiled' in Singapore, the Daintree River, Green Island and a couple of other places around Rockhampton/Yeppoon (?sp) and Alice Springs way, hence the lack of crocodile priority for this trip! Our children were fascinated with the crocodiles in Singapore (at that stage 10 and 12, now 25 years older!) One of our teachers, in her late 20s, did the jumping crocs trip and found it cheesy but interesting at the same time.
Have you been on to the following links?

http://www.gagudju-dreaming.com/

http://www.environment.gov.au/parks/...itor-guide.pdf

www.tourismtopend.com.au

www.visitkatherine.com.au

I will have my laptop with me so will be in touch with the world while away!

Obviously this year our July school hols are not in sync as they usually are, probably because of the World Rugby Cup!

Dot
dotty is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
capecod73
United States
3
Aug 24th, 2017 01:16 PM
karens
United States
4
Nov 23rd, 2013 02:42 PM
aby
Africa & the Middle East
4
Aug 17th, 2011 03:54 AM
GregY2
Australia & the Pacific
5
May 31st, 2011 03:25 AM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Trackbacks are Off
Pingbacks are Off
Refbacks are On


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information -