Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Indo-Pacific Marine Exhibition
AQUARIUM
(
www.indopacificmarine.com.au
; 29 Stokes Hill Rd; adult/child $22/10; 10am-4pm)
This excel-
lent marine aquarium at the Waterfront Precinct gives you a close encounter with the
denizens at the bottom of Darwin Harbour. Each small tank is a complete ecosystem,
with only the occasional extra fish introduced as food for some of the predators, such as
stonefish or the bizarre angler fish.
Also recommended here is the
Coral Reef by Night
(adult/child $110/55; 7pm Wed,
Fri & Sun)
, which consists of a tour of the aquarium, seafood dinner (on biodegradable
plates, no less!) and an impressive show of fluorescing animals.
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Fannie Bay
o
Museum & Art Gallery of the
Northern Territory
MUSEUM
(MAGNT;
www.magnt.nt.gov.au
;
Conacher St, Fannie Bay; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, 10am-5pm Sat &
Sun)
F
This superb museum and gallery boasts beautifully presented galleries of Top
End-centric exhibits. The
Aboriginal art collection
is a highlight, with carvings from
the Tiwi Islands, bark paintings from Arnhem Land and dot paintings from the desert.
An entire room is devoted to Cyclone Tracy, in a display that graphically illustrates
life before and after the disaster. You can stand in a darkened room and listen to the
whirring sound of Tracy at full throttle − a sound you won't forget in a hurry.
The cavernous
Maritime Gallery
houses an assortment of weird and wonderful crafts
from the nearby islands and Indonesia, as well as a pearling lugger and a Vietnamese
refugee boat.
Pride of place among the stuffed animals undoubtedly goes to
Sweetheart
: a 5m-
long, 780kg saltwater crocodile. It became a Top End personality after attacking several
fishing dinghies on the Finniss River.
The museum has a good bookshop, and the Cornucopia Cafe is a great lunch spot with
views over the sea.
LOCAL KNOWLEDGE
