A top end drive adventure with Stephanie Holmes

1. SOAK UP DARWIN’S YEAR-ROUND SUMMERTIME VIBES

Darwin’s rich history isn’t limited to the city’s streets—it can also be found on the water. On a jet ski tour with 00Seven Adventures, you’ll cruise over WWII shipwrecks, spot unique marine life, and explore mangroves. Afterwards, make your way to the iconic Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. If you’ve arrived on a Thursday or a Sunday, you’re in luck—this is when around 200 vendors and food trucks showcase their wares at Darwin’s biggest market. After the sun disappears over the horizon, retire to your waterfront room at Mindil Beach Casino Resort.

2. TAKE A DAY TOUR TO LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK

Renowned for its stunning waterfalls, pristine waterholes, monsoonal vine forests, and enormous century-old termite mounds (some standing as high as two metres) Litchfield National Park is just over 60-minutes’ drive from Darwin. Tour operator AAT Kings will get you there. Don’t forget your togs, as you’ll have the chance to swim at both Florence and Wangi Falls.

3. APPRECIATE ANCIENT AND CONTEMPORARY ART IN KAKADU NATIONAL PARK

Pick up your 4WD hire vehicle and hit the road. It’ll take you three hours to reach the World Heritage listed Kakadu National Park. Start your exploration of Australia’s largest national park at the Marrawuddi Arts & Culture art centre. The gallery displays the work of over 500 Aboriginal artists from across the Kakadu and West Arnhem regions. Then, join a Bininj ranger-led sunset tour to just some of the 5,000 Aboriginal rock art sites that can be found throughout Kakadu. Overnight at the Mercure Kakadu Crocodile Hotel.

4. MEET THE TOP END’S MOST FAMOUS LOCALS

Wake up before sunrise to experience Kakadu’s Yellow Water Billabong come alive with the song of native and migratory birds. From aboard the twohour Yellow Water Cruise, you may also see its most famous residents: saltwater and freshwater crocodiles. The early start means you’ll have plenty of time in the afternoon to swim in the crystal-clear plunge pool beneath the 200-metre-high Jim Jim Falls or the less-trafficked Maguk Falls. You’ll find your accommodation for the night—Cooinda Lodge Kakadu—right next to the Yellow Water Billabong.

5. IMMERSE YOURSELF IN ABORIGINAL CULTURE IN KATHERINE

Drive to Katherine and check-in to the Cicada Lodge, situated on the banks of the Katherine River in NiItmiluk National Park. Then, head to Top Didj & Art Gallery, where you’ll meet Aboriginal guide and Tik Tok sensation Manuel Pamkal. Over two-and-a half hours, the Dalabon artist will share stories of growing up in the bush, as he shows you how to light a fire with sticks, paint using reeds, and throw a spear. Round out your day with a sunset dinner cruise on Nitmiluk Gorge, where you’ll be transported into a world of Jawoyn culture and history.

6. SAVOUR ONE LAST WILD SWIM AND A SHOW

Your last full day in the Top End is surely going to feel bittersweet, so it only feels fitting to start your day with an early morning soak in the thermal waters of Bitter Springs. Then, head to the Katherine Outback Experience, where award-winning country musician Tom Curtain provides a taste of rural life as he rides a horse and strums his guitar. On the way back to Darwin, stop for one final splash in paperbark-fringed natural pool at the base of Edith Falls.