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Darwin Harbour
Twice the
size of Sydney’s harbour and bordered by picturesque
beaches, the best way to discover it is by cruise ship.
There are also sunken ships from WWII, pearl farms,
mangrove swamps inside the Charles Darwin National Park
and a prestigious marina to explore.
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Mindil Beach Market
Darwin’s
most famous market, popular with both the locals and
the visitors, vibrantly reflects the city’s multicultural,
multiethnic mix as the foods and products on display
range from the quintessentially Australian to the exotically
Asian and from even further afield.
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Beaches
Darwin is
known for its beautiful beaches. Popular beaches include
Mindil and Vestey's. In north Darwin there's a stinger
net protecting part of Nightcliff Beach. Further east,
a stretch of Casuarina Beach is officially designated
for nudies. A word of caution, however: the wet season
brings out the deadly box jellyfish, also known as stingers,
and swimmers are strongly advised to check with the
lifeguards first.
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Aquascene
Repeatedly
voted ‘most popular attraction’ in tourism surveys of
Darwin, Aquascene brings visitors very close to nature
indeed, as hundreds of fish come to shore each day at
high tide to be fed by hand. Milkfish, mullet, catfish,
bream, barramundi and many other fish can be seen close
at hand as they compete with each other for food taken
straight from your fingers.
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Wharf Precinct
The Wharf
area is Darwin’s historical nucleus, and many of the
buildings still standing hark back to Darwin’s colonial
beginnings and its trials during World War II. Today,
the Precinct also has many modern attractions to interest
the visitor including restaurants, seaplane flights,
and fishing tours.
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Northern
Territory Parliament House
Australia’s
newest parliament building is probably the grandest
piece of architecture in the Northern Territory. Reflecting
the skills and crafts of hundreds of Territorians, it
was opened in 1994 and stands on State Square, a site
rich in Territory history.
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George
Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens
The splendidly
landscaped 42 acres of parkland showcase the flora of
the Northern Territory and other tropical habitats of
the world, with the most vibrant and unique representatives
coming from the rainforests, mangroves, coastal fore
dunes and open woodlands, all shown at their very best.
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Browns Mart
First built
in 1885 as an emporium and market, Brown Mart has since
worn any number of hats:
a mining
exchange, bank premises, auction rooms, steamship booking
office, naval depot, Crown Law office and Police Headquarters,
and today, a small but well patronised theatre. It is
now a heritage site, and protected by the city as a
historical monument.
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Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory
Located
at Fanny Bay, this attraction is known for its collection
of Aboriginal art, particularly carvings and bark paintings
from Arnhem Land, Bathurst and Melville islands. Given
Darwin’s close proximity to Asia, its no surprise that
you can also find a good collection of artefacts from
the Pacific and South-East Asia.
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The Didgeridoo Hut
Authentic
art and craft is produced at the Didgeridoo Hut, which
is owned and operated by the Aboriginal people, and
visitors can watch the artists at work and discuss art
and culture with them.
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