Round-up of Australia’s Northern Territory

Most trips start with a cheap flight promo.. So, when we bought our flight ticket to Darwin, it was on impulse because, hey! only $120 bucks to Australia, why not? We were planning for an epic 14-day road trip across the outback to Adelaide, but due to some unseen circumstances, we had to shorten it to a 4 day trip in the Northern Territory. Oh well, shit happens, just gotta make the best out of it! (Scroll down for itinerary.)

We rented a car from Darwin airport and pretty much spent all 4 days frolicking (and baking -it was October and already scorching HOT- ) in the hot Australian almost-dessert national parks.

Quiche for breakfast to start our road trip!

And off we go!

Forest fire right next to the highway, not too long after leaving Darwin city. Driving straight into the smoke was a little unnerving!

WTF ARE THESE?!?
Apparently these are road trains (or triple trailers). And are pretty common in the Northern Territory!

Wangi Falls at Litchfield NP. Great place to go for a swim after a short hike up to the top of the waterfall and back down.

Hiking in the outback. Short hike at Wangi Falls, but boy! It was soooo HOT.

Buley Blowhole at Litchfield NP. Enjoy the natural jacuzzi treatment in the pools!

Buley Blowhole, Litchfield NP.

This is some serious business going on in these mounds!

We’re not joking. These ant mounds are HUGE. Magnetic Termite Mounds at Litchfield NP.

DANGER!!! Watch your fuel!

Our bush bungalow at Abinik Kakadu Resort at Jabiru, Kakadu NP. Very sweet outback accommodation!

Ubirr, Kakadu NP

View of the outback @ Ubirr, Kakadu NP

Sunset @ Ubirr, Kakadu NP

These crocodile warning signs are everywhere. So much that I began to plan imaginary escape routes from crocodiles…

So, this is a billabong. According to Wikipedia, it is an oxbow lake, left behind after a river changes course.

Rock art at Nourlangie Rock. The rock art in Kakadu NP are believed to be up to 20,000 years old! Really very cool.

Nourlangie Rock, Kakadu NP

Warradjian Aboriginal Cultural Centre

Another warning sign about the wildlife in Kakadu NP.

Oops, wildlife turned dinner.
Nah, just preparing for our BBQ dinner!

Back in the city, we visited the Parap Village Saturday Market.. And surprise! Laksa seems to be a hot favourite here, with many stalls selling their version of “Singapore Laksa”. O_O

My favourite has to be this colourful rainbow shaved ice!

Deckchair Cinema, one of the locals’ hot spot we chanced upon! Went back to watch a show under the stars later that night.

WWII Tunnels that we didn’t get to visit because it was closed.

Coast of Darwin

We drove to Nightcliff, Darwin for this famous Fish & Chips shop called Jetty & the Fish. Good stuff, and great to eat it by the coast, watching a beautiful sunset.

Sunset at Darwin

4 Days in the Northern Territory, Australia (Oct) 

Day 1 – Darwin to Litchfield NP
– Arrive in Darwin early morning, pick up rental car at airport, pick up supplies in nearby supermarket. (Advise to buy food for dinner too if you’re not heading back to the city.)
– Drove to Litchfield NP
– Visit Wangi Falls (So beautiful! Allow some time to swim in the lake)
– Visit Buley Rockhole (Another fantastic place to cool off in the lovely rapids and natural jacuzzi!)
– Visit Magnetic Termite Mounds (A strange natural phenomenon that left us puzzled… while the flies buzz around our heads incessantly)
– Overnight at Wagait Beach (This was mistake.. it’s a longa** drive from the NP and was really out of the way.)

Day 2 – The drive to Kakadu NP
– On the road to Kakadu NP, we stopped by Humpty Doo, a small town(?) with a supermarket and some small restaurants. Good place for lunch!
– Window on the Wetlands – an observation point to see the Australian outback
– Kakadu NP – We stopped by Bowali Visitor Centre to learn about the rich history and geographical features of the NP.
– Visit Ubirr for the impressive rock-art, and the breathtaking sunset over the wetlands in the northern territory.
– Overnight at Jabiru Town (Nothing much, but probably the most you can get in the area..)

Day 3 – Going around in Kakadu NP
– Anbangbang Billabong (We left pretty soon, because it got pretty hot and the warning signs about crocs were beginning to worry us…)
– Nourlangie Rock (Another site with well-preserved rock-art)
– Warradjian Aboriginal Cultural Centre (An information centre about Aboriginal Culture, as the name suggests. A good place to hide away in the heat…)
– Yellow River (Similar to Angbangbang Billabong)
– Another night at Jabiru Town

Day 4 – Darwin city
– It was Saturday, so we visited the Coolalinga Rural market & Parap Village Saturday market. (Lots of food and fresh produce and handmade crafts to buy.)
–  Walking around Darwin City
– The WWII Oil Storage Tunnels were probably the coolest thing we came across but they were closed!
– Ended up taking a nap in the shade of the trees at Darwin Waterfront
– Catching a movie at the Deckchair Cinema, an open-air cinema.
– Early morning flight back to Sg the next day means we stayed over at the airport… Good night, folks.

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