It seem as though it’s been a lifetime since I left Australia, and though I had an earlier version of this post on an earlier version of this blog, I can’t help but want to share it again. Australia’s Northern Territory, Uluru, Kakadu National Park and Red Centre were some of the coolest and eye opening experiences of my life, and I recommend anyone heading to the land down under to get there. This is the first of two posts about my experience in the Northern Territory and my journey to Australia’s red centre.
I need to start this off by saying that the Northern Territory is different from the rest of Australia. Living in Sydney I had gotten used to the hustle and bustle of a big city with spectacular beaches, immaculate culture and the resounding feeling of safety. The Northern territory is beautiful, wild and free!
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Getting to Darwin and the Northern Territory! The Tip-top of Australia!
Darwin is a hard place to get to, especially on a budget. I boarded a plane from Sydney to Brisbane, and a few days later I flew to Darwin. This saved me hundreds of dollars compared to flying directly there. Upon arrival I walked outside into the sticky warm thick air, where the palm trees took stark still. Flights arrive at night, so you begin your Australian Northern Territory journey in the dark of the wee hours of the morning. This shouldn’t scare you, but it might anyways, I am always weary of leaving or arriving in new destinations by myself in the middle of the night. Safety right?
After arriving, a shuttle bus from the airport took me to my accommodation, a hostel complete with bar and swimming pool and a room with a tiny spinning fan. I was desperate for a shower and then to shut my eyes. I stayed in one of Darwin’s “party hostel”. When you book any of the hostels in Darwin you can book a shuttle with it too, this makes your life SOOO much easier!
What To Do In Darwin, Not Going To Lie There Isn’t Much
If I could sum up what there is to do in Darwin in one word it would be: drinking.
The local bar culture in Darwin is drinking. Just drinking. There is a mix of locals, backpackers and military personal that are posted in Darwin, or their ships are passing through. Therefore, at night that was the only thing to do. Darwin is one of the places where I met the coolest array of people from vastly different walks of life! Since you can’t go swimming in the ocean, you spend your days enjoying the pool, and trying desperately to cure the hangover that you’ve self-inflicted. Now you might be thinking – you can’t go swimming because of sharks – but sharks aren’t the problem. Crocs are!
Travelling to Kakadu National Park
I decided to sign up for a 4WD adventure into Kakadu national park, it was 3 days, 2 nights, and I was excited to see how much adventure I could pack into the time I was out in the wild. To get to the entrance to Kakadu National Park it take around two and a half hours.
Exploring Jabiru and the Aboriginal Heritage Area
Jabiru was one of the first places that we explored. It was filled with walking trails, and aboriginal history.
Swimming in Kakadu
There are plenty of places to swim in Kakadu National Park, and there are a lot of places that you shouldn’t swim! You have to be super careful, and only get in the water where your tour guides say so. This is because the waters are teaming with crocs! They will actually kill you.
The Wildlife and Bugs of the Northern Territory
There are plenty of bugs and animals in the Northern Territory, especially in the National parks! You can get up and close, especially with the ants that taste like lemon and lime!!
Overall Kakadu was an amazing place to explore and I definitely recommend! Stay tuned for part 2 of this series to learn all about my adventure at Uluru!
Have you been? What did you think?
