Not that long ago the Northern Territory’s Million Dollar Fish competition was scheduled for the start of October, but rumours suggested the chosen ones, barramundi, had been tagged and released across fishing locations in the Top End. One of those “barra” carried a lofty $1 million prize tag. The question had to be asked: what if we landed the big one before the contest even began? Even just hauling in one of the other 75 with $10,000 prize tags could well and truly have been a fishy case of the one that got away. Million reasons to head to Darwin “Well …” our rough and ready guide Carl, from Darwin Barra & Crab, said with a cheeky grin, “we’ll either eat it or tether him over there where it’s hidden”. It wasn’t to be, unfortunately, and certainly only a rumour the “big one” was already out there. The good news is the Million Dollar Fish comp is back for a...
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Are you desperately in need of a winter break? Luckily for you, winter is the best time to visit the Northern Territory. Instead of battling some of Australia’s highest temperatures in summer, you’ll get to enjoy sunny weather that southerners are missing out on. To get your winter break started, look into cheap car hire deals from Darwin. Here are our recommendations for top things to see or do on your winter break. Explore Uluru No trip to the Red Centre is complete without visiting Ayers Rock, or Uluru, as it’s known in Aboriginal tongue. The giant sandstone is right up there on many tourists’ bucket lists, and it should be on yours too. Get a local Aboriginal guide to take you on a tour around the rock and teach you about Uluru’s cultural significance. Sunrise and sunset are the best times to photograph the rock. Take a dive at Crocosaurus Cove Jumping into the water with a five-metre saltwater crocodile probably isn’t...
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Tents in the heart of Kakadu Set in beautifully shady grounds, Flash Camp @ Kakadu offers bespoke bell tent accommodation in the heart of Kakadu National Park, ideal for those looking for an effortless camping experience while exploring the UNESCO World Heritage Listed wilderness, so grab your wheels in Darwin and get set for the adventure in Australia’s most famous outdoors! Accommodation will include double and twin bell tents with spring-foam mattresses on pallet bases, quality bed linen, fresh towels, bamboo furniture, toiletries and Armadillo & Co rugs. Tents have power, lighting and a fan, though nights are usually mild throughout the “winter” season (18 – 20C). Flash Camp tents can be configured especially for families, allowing two adjacent tents to be allocated for family groups and a communal Flash tent will be available for relaxing and enjoying complimentary tea and coffee. Flash Camp guests have access to communal toilet and shower facilities, barbeques, as well as a restaurant, bar...
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The Northern Territory is a natural paradise waiting to be explored. It’s a true gem on the Australian tourism scene with unique natural wonders and experiences. Hire a vehicle from Darwin Airport and start ticking off these five amazing things to do and see. Uluru The 348-metre high monolith is an iconic Australian attractions. It’s among the world’s great natural wonders, which formed about 550 million years ago. Visit at sunrise or sunset to see the rock transform into an array of intense orange and red tones. Many people choose to walk around Uluru’s 9.5 km base, stopping at waterholes and hidden caves along the way. Mindil Beach Sunset (pictured) At the other end of the Northern Territory is the Mindil Beach which comes alive at sunset. There’s no other place quite like it. After admiring the magical backdrop you can then treat yourself to the famous Mindil Beach Market nearby. It’s Darwin’s largest market which opens every Thursday and...
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If you’re planning a Darwin road trip then be sure to check out DriveNow’s car and campervan rental deals from Darwin. We also have an itinerary planned out for you. Make sure your Darwin road trip takes you through Kakadu, the Kimberleys and onto Broome. Night 1: Darwin Begin your Darwin road trip to Broome by picking up your campervan. Make sure your supplies, food and water are stocked up. While you’re in Darwin you should also try to visit Crocosaurus Cove, where you can dive into the cage of death and come face to face with a crocodile under water. Also visit the Mindil Beach markets and stick around for sunset. Night 2: Kakadu (pictured, Ubirr rock area) Just over 250 km southeast of Darwin is the small town of Jabiru. This is the perfect place to base yourself if you want to explore famous attractions like the Nourlangie Rock Art site. You must also make time to visit the stunning...
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If you are planning a campervan holiday in the Top End of the Northern Territory and exploring more remote locations, here are some tips from our experience on the road. Much of this applies to travel any way in remote Australia. If you have ideas and tips you’d like to share, please send them into writeabout@drivenow.com.au. Tips: Walk round and thoroughly check your Campervan rental before you leave the branch. Take photos of any existing external scratches or damage. Check inside that everything is working. Your campervan supplier will be helpful and will work with you on this but photos are the easiest and clearest way to document and record If your Campervan comes with a TV you may need to use the auto-tune feature when you move between locations to pick up digital signals. In the Top End these appeared to change between Darwin, Jabiru, Katherine and Batchelor If your campervan has a toilet cartridge you will...
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Batchelor, Buley Hole and Wangi Falls The Final destination in our loop through the top end in our Maui Motorhome was Litchfield Park. Just 80 minutes south of Darwin, close enough for a day-trippers and 244km north of Katherine straight up the Stuart Highway. 14kms off the Stuart Highway the small township of Batchelor is the gateway to Litchfield Park. Made up of a couple of pubs, a Best Western Hotel, small supermarket, fuel, Post office and 3 holiday parks, Batchelor is also home to the Batchelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education . The Batchelor airport, a former World War II airstrip offers scenic flights of the Park starting from $99 for a short flight. As is the way in remote Australia there’s always an unexpected surprise to be found in the most extraordinary of locations and Batchelor is no exception. At the heart of this small township you’ll come across a model of Karlstein Castle, the original which still...
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Pine Creek, Katherine Gorge and Cutta Cutta Caves Before leaving the Jabiru area we stopped off at Mirrai Lockout, parked up the motorhome and a 20 minute walk up to the hilltop was rewarded with panoramic views of across Kakadu to the Arnhem Land escarpments on the other side of the East Alligator river. We had thought about Jim Jim Falls however as it was accessible only via a 2 hour journey on an unsealed road it was off the agenda with our motorhome – no motorhome or campervan rental can be driven on unsealed roads (unless entering a camping ground or something similar and over a short distance). The Jim Jim Falls road as with many in the park is closed during the wet becoming impassable. As we drove south we crossed countless dry river beds all with the rather telling sign “Don’t linger on bridge and no fishing”, Crocs never seemed to be far away, Lunch at the...
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Arnhem Land and 20,000 year old Australians Day 4 was spent on tour in Arnhem Land and for me this was the absolute stand out of our entire trip – if you can only book one tour in the top end – make it this one. You will not be disappointed in what was a memorable and an amazing experience. The tour is organised by Lords Safaris (www.lords-safaris.com), one of only 3 operators permitted by the Land council to enter Arnhem land. Yes it is expensive at $810 for 2 adults and 2 children, however worth every cent. You experience that rare opportunity of exploring 20,000 year old Rock Art with a member of the Aboriginal clan that the art belongs to, and all in its raw natural environment. Not for the faint hearted as you’ll discover. Collected at Kakadu Lodge by mini-bus, the 17 of us were driven out to Cahills Crossing to enter Arnhem Land. Access to Arnhem...
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Day 3 Darwin to Kakadu and Yellow Water We collected our motorhome from the Maui depot on Bombing road in Winnellie (around $35 from the city). Allow 45 minutes for the staff to show you around the vehicle and explain how everything works. There’s DVD you can watch and we were also given a USB stick with the video. A team member will go over the vehicle with you to check for any existing scratches or damage and there’s no harm in using your phone camera to snap these just to be totally sure. Now is also the last opportunity for you to take out any optional excess insurance reduction protection. Unlike car hire your travel insurance is unlikely to cover your excess liability and given you are travelling in the Northern Territory reducing this liability is a good idea. Ours cost $45 a day although we choose not to take the $99 separate rollover cover. Next stop – the supermarket. There’s...
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A 10 day discovery of Darwin, Kakadu, Katherine and Litchfield Park by Campervan Hire with DriveNow. FOR the September school holidays the choice was left to the kids, Darwin or New Zealand? – the selection fell the way of the warmer Northern Territory, and warmer it most definitely was with the coolest day hitting a mild 37. Although a family of 4, we organised a 6 berth Platinum River motorhome through Maui which proved to be the perfect vehicle – plenty of room, easy to drive and came with everything we needed – shower, toilet, fridge, great cooker and no need to pack towels or bed linen. There’s even a TV and DVD player to keep the kids entertained and the air-conditioning made sleeping easy during the very warm nights. The Team at the Maui branch in Winnellie, Darwin were terrific, explained the best insurance options for us, showed us right through the motorhome and even have a DVD to...
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A recent winter's escape to the Top End allowed traveller Cassandra to explore Katherine, Darwin and Jabiru in the great Kakadu National Park, all in the comfort of a Maui Ultima Campervan.
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