Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
places—even the swankiest official state invitations stipulate dress as “Territory
Rig,” meaning long pants and a short-sleeved open-neck shirt for men.
Darwin is most commonly used as a gateway to Kakadu National Park, Kather-
ine Gorge, and the Kimberley, and many Australians have never bothered to visit
it—or at least not for long. And that's a real shame, because it is an attractive and
interesting place. Give yourself a day or two to wander the pleasant streets and
parklands, visit the wildlife attractions, and discover some of the city's rich his-
tory. Then take time for some wetlands fishing in outlying regions, or shop for
Aboriginal art and the Top End's South Sea pearls. An easy day trip is Litchfield
National Park , one of the Territory's best-kept secrets, boasting the kind of
beautiful waterfalls to swim under that you only see on holiday brochures.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Qantas ( & 13 13 13 in Australia; www.qantas.com)
serves Darwin daily from most state capitals; flights either are direct or connect
in Alice Springs. Qantas also flies direct from Cairns. Virgin Blue ( & 13 67 89
in Australia; www.virginblue.com) flies to Darwin from Brisbane, with connec-
tions from Townsville, Sydney, and Melbourne. Airnorth ( & 1800/627 474 in
Australia, or 08/8920 4001) flies from Alice Springs via Tennant Creek and
Katherine, as well as from Broome in Western Australia and Cairns in Queens-
land. There are also direct flights to Darwin from Asia.
Darwin Airport Shuttle Services ( & 1800/358 945 in the Northern Terri-
tory, or 08/8981 5066) meets every flight and delivers to any hotel between the
airport and city (including The Summer House and the MGM Grand) for
A$7.50 (US$4.90) one-way or A$13 (US$8.45) round-trip. Children 6 to 13 pay
A$4.50 (US$2.90), or A$8 (US$5.20) round-trip. Bookings aren't essential. A
cab to the city is around A$25 (US$16). Avis, Budget, Hertz, and Thrifty have
airport desks (see “Getting Around,” below, for telephone numbers).
Greyhound Pioneer ( & 13 20 30 in Australia) and McCafferty's ( & 13 14
99 in Australia) both make a daily coach run from Alice Springs. The trip takes
around 20 hours, and the fare is A$194 (US$126). Greyhound also has daily serv-
ice from Broome via Kununurra and Katherine; this trip takes around 24 hours
and costs A$226 (US$147). Both companies run from Cairns via Townsville
and Tennant Creek, a 40-hour trip costing A$265 (US$172).
From early 2004, the opening of the long-awaited Alice Springs-Darwin rail-
way line will give the Top End its first rail link. Great Southern Railway's The
Ghan ( & 13 21 47 in Australia; www.trainways.com.au) will run one weekly
return journey between the two cities, leaving Alice Springs on Mondays at 4pm
and arriving in Darwin about 24 hours later. The return trip leaves Darwin on
Wednesdays at 10am. The adult one-way fare is A$480 (US$312) for a “day-
nighter” seat, A$1,390 (US$904) for a sleeper, or A$1,760 (US$1,144) for a
first-class sleeper.
Darwin is at the end of the Stuart Highway. Allow at least 2 long days, 3 to be
comfortable, to drive from Alice. The nearest road from the east is the long and
dull Barkly Highway, which connects with the Stuart Highway at Tennant Creek,
922km (572 miles) south. The nearest road from the west is Victoria Highway,
which joins the Stuart Highway at Katherine, 314km (195 miles) to the south.
VISITOR INFORMATION The official visitor center is run by Tourism Top
End, Knuckey Street at Mitchell Street, Darwin, NT 0800 ( & 08/8936 2488;
www.tourismtopend.com.au). It is the place to go for maps, bookings, national
park notes, and information on Darwin and other regions throughout the
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