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As the Radiance of the Seas pulled into the port of Darwin, I really didn’t know what to expect from this tropical capital of the Northern Territories. The key things to do in Darwin Australia when you are just here for a day include a boat tour to see jumping crocodiles, a discovery of the untamed countryside of Litchfield Park, an interactive eco-adventure harbour cruise tour, or the Darwin Explorer hop on hop off bus.

We opted for the Explorer bus, as we couldn’t decide what to do in Darwin, and this would give us a good sample and enough time to explore a few options in more details. The Big Bus, as it’s also called, stops just outside the cruise ship terminal (stop 11), making it an ideal option for anyone not wanting to take a ship’s excursion. The bus makes 11 stops around the city and offers fascinating commentary as we travel. With one bus every 20-25 minutes, we can hop off at any stop, stay as long as we want, and then board another bus to continue the loop.

⇒ Check Prices and Get Your Tickets for the Darwin Explorer Hop-on Hop-off Bus

OR

⇒ Check out the Darwin Attraction Pass that Includes the Explorer Bus plus three attractions

Darwin City Center – Stop One on the Darwin Explorer Bus

We could have easily walked to this spot from the ship, rather than waiting in a queue with other cruise passengers at stop 11.

Once in the city centre (stop 1), we found plenty of things to do in Darwin. Our first stop was for some people watching as we enjoyed a coffee in the mall (a modern outdoor shopping area). Next, followed a self-guided Darwin city heritage walk that we picked up at the Parliament House, and finally, we enjoyed the music of a talented street performer.

One of our highlights was the Christ Church Cathedral. Built in 1902, it was devastated by Cyclone Tracy. Now it is a mix of the old and modern. Cyclone Tracey destroying more than 70% of Darwin’s buildings on Christmas day 1974.

Christ Church Cathedral in Darwin Australia
Christ Church Cathedral.
The Old Town Hall are pre Cyclone Tracey ruins.
The Old Town Hall are pre-Cyclone Tracey ruins.

Crocosaurus Cove

Crocosaurus Cove is at Stop 2 and has an additional fee for entry. We opted to skip this venue as we have seen crocodiles many times. Had we not seen them before, I am pretty sure this would have done so today.

⇒ Check Prices and Get Your Tickets for Crocosaurus Cove

OR

⇒ Check Darwin Attraction Pass: Explorer Bus, Crocosaurus Cove plus two more attractions

If you really want Darwin adventures, consider a Darwin crocodile tour. It typically takes about 90 minutes to drive from Darwin to Litchfield Park.

Bicentennial Park

Radiance of the Seas as seen from the Bicentennial Park in Darwin Australia
Radiance of the Seas as seen from the Bicentennial Park.

Darwin Botanic Gardens

George Brown Botanic Gardens in Darwin Australia
Some of the interesting trees we saw at the Botanic Gardens. It was a charming place founded in 1886. We also stopped in at Eva’s Botanic Garden Cafe for a refreshing organic smoothy.

Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory

Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory in Darwin Australia
Aboriginal art in the Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory.

Nature

Lorikeet near Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory
Lorikeet eating berries that hubby spotted in a tree near the museum.
On Darwin Explorer Bus on way to East Point Milatary Museum, Darwin Australia
Looking out the front window from the upper deck of the Darwin Explorer Bus on the way to East Point Military Museum.


East Point Reserve

Lake Alexander is a safe to swim in manmade lake in Darwin Australia
Lake Alexander is a man-made lake that is safe for swimming. It is located in the East Point reserve, which is home to 600 wallabies, plus bandicoots, brushtail possums, and 35 species of butterflies.  (Seen from the bus between stops 7 and 8.)

Frances Bay Mooring Basin

Frances Bay mooring basin - Part of the Darwin Australia Images collection
Frances Bay mooring basin, a marina mostly used for commercial fishing, is accessed through a lock.

Waterfront Precinct

View from pedestrian bridge to Darwin Waterfront.
View from a pedestrian bridge to Darwin Waterfront Precinct.
Wave Lagoon and recreation lagoon. in Darwin Australia
Wave Lagoon in the Waterfront Precinct.

Darwin Sunset

Sunset in Darwin Australia
A perfect end to our day in Darwin.

The Darwin Explorer Hop-On Hop-Off Bus

Darwin Bus - Explorer bus on Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin Australia
Explorer bus on Stokes Hill Wharf in Darwin Australia.

⇒ Check Prices and Get Your Tickets for the Darwin Explorer Hop-on Hop-off Bus

OR

⇒ Check out the Darwin Attraction Pass that Includes the Explorer Bus plus three attractions

The Darwin Explorer makes a 90-minute loop stopping at:

  1. City Centre and Darwin Tourist Information Centre
  2. Crocosaurus Cove
  3. Doctor’s Gully Aquascene Fish Feeding
  4. Cullen Bay Jetty
  5. Cullen Bay Apts
  6. Casino and Botanic Gardens
  7. Museum and Art Gallery of Northern Territory and then on to East Point Reserve
  8. Parap Parap Markets (open only on Saturday)
  9. Stokes Hill Wharf and Military Museum
  10. Waterfront Precinct
  11. Fort Hill Wharf (Cruise Terminal)

We opted to board and then completed one loop so we could hear all of the history and options. We then did a second lap and got off at the various stops. I think a better option would be to get off at each location of interest, therefore completing only one lap of the bus route.

Interesting Facts About Darwin Australia

  • During much of the year, swimming from Darwin Australia beaches is not recommended due to crocodiles, box jellies, and Irukandji.
  • Cullen Bay is a registered cyclone haven for small to medium sized ships.
  • Darwin was bombed in WWII on 19 February 1942 by the same planes that bombed Pearl Harbor.
  • Darwin’s population of only 142, 300 is half of the population of the Northern Territory.
  • The Northern Territory is equivalent to the size of France, Spain, and Italy combined.
  • Darwin is situated on the Timor Sea in the Indian Ocean. It has two seasons, dry season (May 1 to October 1) and the wet season.
  • Darwin is a former frontier outpost and the gateway to Kakadu National Park.

Cruising into Darwin

**We are currently cruising on Royal Caribbean’s Radiance of the Seas. She is a lovely ship that is taking us around the top side of Australia from Sydney to Perth, with four port stops in Australia plus our next stop which is the exotic port of Bali Indonesia. We are enjoying the cruise and have a few cruising tips to share.

Which are your favourite things to do in Darwin Austarlia? Will you take the Darwin Explorer Bus when you visit?

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Sunset in Darwin Australia, a perfect end to a busy day.
Disclaimer: We were provided with a complimentary Darwin Explorer tour for the purpose of this review. In addition, Royal Caribbean has provided VIP treatment onboard the Radiance of the Seas as well as many complimentary extras. The opinions expressed here are strictly my own.

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Comments

  1. Darwin, Australia looks amazing! I’d love to visit Australia someday and looking at your pictures has me desiring it even more! I love the shot of the sunset and Lorikeet! So colorful! And, of course, the image from Bicentennial Park had me clicking through to read this post instead of the one above it. No one can resist beautiful water shots! 🙂

    Reply

  2. Hi, Rhonda. Darwin is an interesting looking city. Love that blue sky! The hop-on/hop-off bus seems like a good option. I did that in Porto last year and wasn’t that impressed. However, I think it depends on your driver!

    Reply

    • The port stops on a cruise ship are typically for five to ten hours. You can see a lot if you research the port a bit and plan out what you want to do. An excursion from the ship does the planning and scheduling for you.

      Reply

  5. you know, it has never occurred to me to cruise around Australia, but there is so much territory to cover that it makes sense. I’d love to see a post on your while itinerary. I’m interested in how long the cruise, all the places it stopped, how long you had in each place and between destinations. The church is really interesting! Here in NY we have added modern fronts to old buildings. Adding a modern building to an old front is different. they both stop you in your tracks but I can appreciate what they are doing and why.

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  7. I would love to read more about your time on the cruise ship too! The budget, what you do on board and so on! With your weekly posts, you are tempting me to hop on one of them aswell! Darwin looks beautiful and as always, your photographs are spot on! Loving the facts you added in the end! Especially the one about the bombing in !942 by the same planes that bombed Pearl Harbor!

    Reply

  8. I have been to Darwin a few years ago and enjoyed my stay very much. We went out to Adelaide River to see the jumping crocs and also to Litchfield National Park which was awesome. Darwin itself is an interesting city to explore. So much history and so much turmoil.

    Reply

  9. Such a fabulous idea, to have a bus tour that takes you to a city’s highlights to make it easier for tourists to become aquainted with the area! Thank you for sharing, i hope i can get to see it myself someday.

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  10. You just gave me a great idea, Rhonda. I thing the best way to visit Australia would be to take a cruise. I could get an idea about this continent and then go back to visit the places I found the most interesting. I’d love to do that.

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  12. Since the city is so picturesque, it makes sense to explore on an open top bus. I would like to explore the natural nearby attractions. #wkendtravelinspiration

    Reply

  15. I’ve always wanted to go to Darwin. I’ve heard it’s super – muggy. Is that true? I also don’t mind taking hop on/off buses…sometimes. I’m glad you enjoyed it.

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  17. That Cycone Tracy must have been huge if it knocked down buildings. It must have been very scary for the people in houses. I love all the greenery in the pictures. But where were the jumping alligators?? Those sound really cool. lol

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  20. Darwin looks like it has changed a lot since I was last there, a few years after Cyclone Tracy. I have been trying to get David to add it to our travel wishlist without much success so far. I’ll show him this post and see if it helps. I love your photo of the lorikeet.

    Reply

  25. Hi Rhonda – what a great way to see the city and surroundings … and be able to get out and about too … looks a great city. Thanks for the photos – the wave lagoon must be fun … but seeing the museum and the ruins from the pre cyclone Tracey days … wonderful .. thanks for sharing – cheers Hilary

    Reply

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