Darwin and Surrounds - My island home

Waterfalls on your doorstep

Litchfield National Park is an easy journey (an 1.5 hour drive) from Darwin and offers refreshing waterfalls, cascading waterholes amongst lush tropical forests. The park covers 1,500 square kilometres and you can visit for a day or more adventurous travellers can stay two to three days. The park's traditional owners are the Wagait Aboriginal people, many of whom live in the area. The park contains several types of typical Top End habitats including lush monsoon forests, termite mounds, unusual rock formations, waterfalls and cascades. During the monsoon season, from October to May, the waterfalls thunder from the cliffs to tropical rock pools many metres below. During the rest of the year the waterfalls flow more gently and the waterholes perfect spots for a cool dip. Litchfield National Park's main attractions are permanent spring-fed waterfalls, including Florence Falls and Wangi Falls for swimming and Tolmer for viewing only. The beautiful cascades at Buley Rockhole are nature's spa and perfect for a refreshing dip. Wangi Falls is the one of the park's best swimming and picnicking spots. Its campground is complete with hot showers, toilets, barbecues, a kiosk and serves as a good base from which to explore the park. You can swim between May to October and watch the thundering waterfalls during the monsoon period. Camping is available at Wangi Falls, Walker Creek, Buley Rockhole and Florence Falls. Basic camp sites at Tjaynera Falls, Surprise Creek Falls and downstream from Florence Falls from May to October can be accessed by four-wheel drive. A range of caravan parks, motels and station stays are available within an hour's drive of the park. Just outside the park's entrance is the small township of Batchelor, which serves as a gateway to Litchfield National Park. Travellers can stay overnight here in budget accommodation and caravan parks. Day-trippers can refuel, grab a meal and inspect a number of interesting attractions, including the Batchelor Butterfly and Petting Farm and the Coomalie Cultural Centre. more

Your gateway to paradise

Darwin is the tropical capital city of Australia's Northern Territory. Darwin has a relaxed outdoor lifestyle and enjoys warm weather all year round. Perched on a peninsula with sea on three sides, Darwin is an excellent base to explore the natural attractions of World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park and Nitmiluk National Park, the Tiwi Islands and Arnhem Land. Darwin was founded as Australia's most northerly harbour port in 1869, and its population rapidly expanded after the discovery of gold at nearby Pine Creek in 1871. World War II put Darwin on the map as a major allied military base for troops fighting the Japanese in the Pacific. Today travellers can see evidence of Darwin's World War II history at a variety of preserved sites including ammunition bunkers, airstrips and oil tunnels in and around the city. Darwin again made world news when the city was rebuilt in the wake of Cyclone Tracy in 1974 - an event well documented at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Its colourful history has contributed to Darwin's cultural diversity - more than 50 nationalities make up its 106,000 population, including the area's traditional landowners, the Larrakia Aboriginal people. The cultural and culinary benefits of such a melting pot are best experienced at Darwin's weekly markets, variety of restaurants and through the annual calendar of festivals and other Darwin events. The annual Darwin Festival, held every August, takes place in venues stretching from Darwin's Botanic Gardens to the foreshore of its harbour and lively entertainment district and showcases an eclectic mix of South-East Asian, multicultural and indigenous music, dance and performance. For something a little more irreverent, the Darwin Beer Can Regatta is a free-for-all race of boats built entirely of beer and soft drink cans held every July. more