Campervan Travel to Darwin

After a morning on the cattle station and then a picnic lunch in Newcastle Waters my husband Bruce gets behind the wheel of our campervan and our two kids, Derek and Jenny, hop into the backseat. Its about a 360 kilometre drive to Katherine, and it ends up taking just over four hours. Its an uneventful little drive, with not much to see other than the standard territory scenery, which by now we are well accustomed to! So getting the drive out of the way and rolling into Katherine was a relief.
We booked a spot in the Big 4 Katherine Low Level camping site, as we have always had good experiences with the Big 4 chain of sites. This one seemed to be no exception, with friendly staff and modern facilities. Its situated about five kilometres out of town, which is perfect for us because it is at the gateway to Katherine Gorge, which we intend on visiting.
Katherine is the third largest town in the Northern Territory, with a population of 6000 people. The town is built on the banks of the Katherine River, which is popular amongst fishermen who haul in large catches of barramundi and other fish, the prospect of which got my angling-mad son Derek salivating. The main reason anyone visits Katherine though is for the natural wonders that lie just a short distance away. Nitimiluk National Park, home to the Katherine Gorge, is just 30 kilometres away. In the park you can also find Edith Falls, a high waterfall with a pandanus fringed pool that is popular amongst swimmers. The Roper River Region and the Mataranka thermal pools are also popular amongst visitors to Katherine. Unfortunately we did not have the time to hang around and visit all of these special places, so we settled on just going to the Katherine Gorge.
This gorge is definitely one of our highlights so far, and its easy to see why it is one of the territories best known attractions. It consists of 13 natural gorges flanked by awesome, towering sandstone cliffs that in many places are adorned with ancient aboriginal artwork. You can explore the gorge yourself in a rental canoe, or there are a number of tours you can take. We opted for a four hire tour, which included a bit of walking and a boat ride. The walking was definitely worth it, because the views are absolutely magnificent! The park is easily accessed by a sealed road, and there is an excellent visitors centre and a cafe where you can sort and plan out your day. 200 000 visitors a year cant be wrong, and we have to agree that this is a tourist attraction that Australia can be proud of!

1. The Relaxed, Multicultural Atmosphere - Darwin is a melting pot of different races and faces, and as a result is a friendly and welcoming city.
2. Close to the National Parks - The living treasures of Kakadu and Litchfield are jsut a short drive away, and any trip to these is sure to leave you wanting more.
3. The Fishing - The waterways and the ocean are full of Barramundi and other species of fish that make great sport and even better eating.
4. The Crocodiles - Dangerous and foreboding yet still very appealing, seeing crocodiles in the wild and watching them jump out of the water is an amazing experience.
5. The Mindil Beach Markets - Taste the food of five different continents and search for souvenirs or gifts while talented buskers provide a soundtrack to your day.
6. A Sunset Cruise on the Harbour - watching the sun go down over the still waters of the Darwin Harbour with a drink in your hand is the ultimate end to the day.
7. Aquascene - When the tide comes in thousands of fish flock to the shallows to be fed by the waiting tourists. Its a surreal sight!
8. The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory - Experience some fantastic displays of indigenous art and relive the carnage of cyclone Tracy in the Museums amazing exhibits.
9. The George Brown Botanic Gardens - enjoy a picnic and a day in the shade of the expansive trees and shrubs that make up these well maintained gardens.
10. Cullen Bay - This beachside suburb is a great place to head out for dinner as it has a host of restaurants on its popular boardwalk.

We are now firmly working our way into the 'top end' of the Northern Territory, and the next leg of our journey takes us to the state capital, Darwin. Its a 320 kilometre run up the highway, and we don't anticipate any problems so no early start is required. It ends up taking about four hours in our motorhome, and we pull into the Shady Glen tourist park in the late afternoon. Shady Glen is just ten minutes drive out of town, and we found the lush green setting amongst the numerous trees very tranquil and relaxing.
Darwin is the Australian city that lies closest to the rest of the world, and from this it has developed a very cosmopolitan and multi cultural population base, with up to 60 different ethnic groups represented. We had been told people up here are very friendly, and that certainly seems to be the case, with everyone we bump into being very willing to lend a helping hand or impart some important information.
Our plan is to spend a couple of days exploring this friendly city, and then head off to Kakadu National Park, followed by a visit to Litchfield National Park. These two parks seem to compete to attract tourists from Darwin, so instead of choosing one we decided to do them both and therefore be able to give a balanced opinion on which is better!
The humidity and the heat at this time of year is a struggle in Darwin, but the occasional thunderstorm rolls through which cools everything down and is quite a spectacle at the same time, with towering black clouds and lashing hard rain. The clouds lend well to the incredible sunsets that Darwin is renowned for, and I managed to get some special photos.
The waterfront in Darwin is immensely popular. On Thursdays and Sundays there are outdoor markets here, selling everything from locally crafted curios to fresh produce. Every evening the bars and restaurants of the waterfront come alive with people, colour and the sounds of a good time. Its a festive and fun atmosphere that really helps to characterise the city!
For a relatively small city there is plenty to do in Darwin. We spent a day at the Crocodylus Park, which has some pretty intense crocodile shows on throughout the day. There are other animals here too such as buffalos and ostriches, making it a fun day out especially for the kids.
Our family isnt normally one for museums and the like, but I decided to drill a bit of culture into them and dragged them to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. I was pleasantly surprised at how much they appreciated the exhibits and displays, and they took the time to learn about the history of the area and the devastating Cyclone Tracey that hit here in the 70's. Its a diverse and interesting museum, and a great spot to pass some time.
As a holiday destination Darwin comes highly recommended. We are loving it here, and looking forward to our excursions out to the National Parks!