Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
(closed Christmas and Good Friday). Admission is A$10 (US$6.50) adults, A$9
(US$5.85) seniors, A$5 (US$3.25) children, and A$28 (US$18) family.
Even if you are not a military or aircraft buff you may still enjoy the excellent
Australian Aviation Heritage Centre
, 557 Stuart Hwy., Winnellie (
&
08/
8947 2145
). A B-52 bomber on loan from the United States is the prized
exhibit, but the center also boasts a B-25 Mitchell bomber, Mirage and Sabre jet
fighters, rare Japanese Zero fighter wreckage, and funny, sad, and heart-warming
(and heart-wrenching) displays on World War II and Vietnam. Hours are daily
from 9am to 5pm (closed Christmas and Good Friday). Admission is A$11
(US$7.15) for adults, A$8 (US$5.20) for seniors and students, A$6 (US$3.90)
for children 6 to 12, and A$28 (US$18) for a family. Guided tours are at 10am,
2pm and 4pm. The Centre is 10 minutes from town; take the no. 5 or 8 bus.
Empty
World War II oil storage tunnels
(
&
08/8985 6333
) on Kitchener
Drive in the Wharf precinct, house a collection of black-and-white photographs
of the war in Darwin, each lit up in the dark. It's a simple but haunting attrac-
tion worth a visit. Admission is A$4.50 (US$2.90) per person. The tunnels are
closed December 10 to 27. They open from 9am to 5pm daily May through
September; October through April, hours are Tuesday through Friday from
10am to 2pm, weekends and holidays from 10am to 4pm.
On the Esplanade stands a monument to the destroyer
USS
Robert E. Peary,
which went down in Darwin Harbour, with a loss of 88 lives.
Despite all this destruction, some of Darwin's historic buildings—or at least
parts of them—have survived, and you can see them around the city center.
For an insight into Darwin's pearling industry, visit the
Australian Pearling
Exhibition
(
&
08/8999 6573
) on Kitchener Drive near the Wharf Precinct. It
has displays following the industry from the days of the lugger and hard-hat div-
ing to modern farming and culture techniques. It's open from 10am to 5pm
daily, except Good Friday, Christmas, Boxing Day (Dec 26) and New Year's Day.
Tickets cost A$6.60 (US$4.30) adults, A$3.30 (US$2.15) children, and A$17
(US$11) family of five. And if you've got an evening free, get out on the harbor
with
Darwin Pearl Lugger Cruises
(
&
08/8942 3131
). For A$46 (US$30)
adults (kids half price), you can spent about 3 hours aboard the lugger
Kim,
built in 1953 and now restored to take up to 30 guests on sunset cruises, which
leave Cullen Bay Marina daily at 5:15pm. They even throw in a free glass of
bubbly and some nibbles, and you can buy more drinks.
The Top End's wetlands and warm oceans are
fishing heaven
. The big prey
is barramundi. Loads of charter boats conduct jaunts of up to 10 days in the
river and wetland systems around Darwin, Kakadu National Park, and into
remote Arnhemland. The same company that runs Darwin's Tour Tub bus also
runs the
Northern Territory Fishing Office
(
&
08/8985 6333;
www.ntfishing
office.com.au), a booking agent for a number of fishing charter boats offering
barramundi day trips and extended wetland safaris, reef fishing, light tackle
sportfishing, fly fishing, and estuary fishing. A day's barra fishing on wetlands
near Darwin will cost you around A$250 (US$163) per person; for an extended
barra safari, budget about A$420 (US$273) per person per day. If you simply
want to cast a line in Darwin Harbour for trevally, queenfish, and barra, they
will take you out for A$75 (US$49) per person for a half day, or A$135 (US$88)
per person for a full day. They also rent skipper-yourself fishing boats and tackle.
Check out
www.fishingtheterritory.com
for detailed information on fishing
tours, guides and everything you need to know to make your arms ache from
reeling 'em in!
