Darwin's tropical summer, from December to early March, is considered by many to be the region's most beautiful time of year.
Alive with natural beauty
Darwin has many parks and reserves that form its cityscape, giving the town a tropical feel. Its wide streets are lined with lush foliage and its many suburban parks are dotted with enormous banyan trees, used by local children as cubby houses, and red flowered poinciana trees. Bicycle tracks and boardwalks wind through the coastline's mangroves that fringe the city, and areas like the Gorge Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, East Point Reserve and Casuarina Coastal Reserve are popular spots for early morning joggers, afternoon cyclists and sunset barbecues. Travelling just beyond the city limits unlocks all types of accessible nature experiences. Nature and wildlife parks, like Howard Springs Nature Reserve (only half hours drive) and Berry Springs Nature Reserve (only 1.5 hour drive) from the city centre, offer the chance to swim with barramundi, relax in cascades, bird watch, bushwalk and enjoy a barbecue in manicured park lands. Darwin is also the gateway to some of Australia's best-known national parks and tropical outback landscapes. Litchfield National Park, Mary River National Park and the World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park are all located within a few hours drive of the city, making camping trips and fishing expeditions a natural part of the Darwin travel experience. While Litchfield National Park and Mary River National Park can both be enjoyed on day trips, both offer enough to fill a couple of days. At least three days is recommended to get the most out of Kakadu, Australia's largest national park. Some opt to self-tour, with a car or for more remote areas four-wheel drive. However, organised tours can be booked at the visitor information centre and are also recommended for the holiday maker. more
