Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, on Clarence Strait, opposite Melville Island. The city has a fine harbor and is a terminus of a railroad that runs north to south; it also has an international airport. A 1486-km (891-mi) highway runs from Darwin south to Alice Springs and Adelaide. Northern Territory University (1989) is in a suburb of Darwin. Darwin also serves as a gateway to Kakadu National Park, which lies 247 km (150 mi) to the east. Uranium and copper are mined near the city. During World War II, Darwin was bombed repeatedly by Japanese planes until mid-1942. In late 1974 it was hit by a cyclone that killed about 50 people and destroyed 90 percent of the city. Reconstruction began immediately and was completed by the late 1970s. Population (1991) 78,139.Early attempts to establish a British settlement in the remote Top End were slow and troubled, and very much motivated by fears that the Dutch or French would gain a foothold in Australia. Darwin (then known as Palmerston) was founded in 1869 and its early growth was accelerated by the discovery of gold nearby in 1871. After the gold fever subsided, development of the town slowed due to its inhospitable climate and poor lines of communication with other Australian cities.

During WW II, Darwin was destroyed by repeated Japanese air raids and was flattened once again in 1974, when Cyclone Tracy blew in on Christmas Day. Modern-day Darwin has a population of 68,000 but still functions as a bit of a colonial outpost, serving mainly as a centre for government administration and mining. It does, however, have a thriving counterculture, enlivened by its largely transient and multicultural population.

Accommodation in Darwin includes hostels, guesthouses, motels, holiday flats, and a clutch of up-market hotels. The city's many caravan parks are all several kilometres out of town. Darwin's proximity to Asia is signalled by the large number of Asian eateries, but eating out tends to be expensive. Asian-style markets, such as the one held at Mindil Beach on Thursday nights during the dry season, are the best places to find cheap eats.

Around Darwin

Environment

Darwin is in the far north of the Northern Territory, west of Arnhem Land. It's centre is a fairly compact area at the end of a peninsula which stretches south-east into Port Darwin. The tropical climate of the Top End is best described in terms of the Dry and the Wet, as there are no winters or summers as such. Roughly, the Dry lasts from April to September, and the Wet from October to March, with the heaviest rain falling from January onwards. The Top End is the most thundery part of Australia: Darwin has over 90 `thunderdays' a year.

Attractions

Indo-Pacific Marine & Australian Pearling Exhibition

This excellent aquarium displays living coral ecosystems and an array of exotic creatures associated with coral, such as sea horses, clown fish and butterfly fish. Housed in the same building is the Pearling Exhibition, which deals with the history of the pearling industry and has informative audiovisual displays. The exhibitions are in the Wharf Precinct, once the city's ugly port facility, but now being redeveloped into a tourist drawcard.

The Museum of Arts & Sciences

A highlight of this bright, well-presented museum at Fannie Bay is its collection of Aboriginal art. It's particularly strong on carvings and bark paintings from Arnhem Land, Bathurst and Melville islands. There's also a good collection of artefacts from the Pacific and South-East Asia, including Indonesian ikat (woven cloth), gamelan instruments and a sea gypsies' prahu (floating home) from Sabah, Malaysia.

East Point

This spit of undeveloped bushland north of Fannie Bay is good to visit in the late afternoon when the wallabies come out to feed. A cool breeze usually springs up as you watch the sun set across the bay. There's also a salt-water, jellyfish-free lake where swimming is possible all year round.

The NT Government House .............The NT Parliament House.............. .........Nightcliff street

Beaches

Darwin has plenty of beaches but you'd be wise to keep out of the water during the wet season because of the deadly box jellyfish. Popular beaches include Mindil and Vestey's. In north Darwin there's a stinger net protecting part of Nightcliff Beach. A stretch of the seven-km Casuarina Beach further east is officially designated for nudies.

Markets

People begin arriving at Mindil Beach market from 5.30 pm on Thursday nights during the dry season. They bring tables, chairs, rugs, grog and kids and settle under the coconut palms to watch the sunset and decide which of the tantalising food-stall aromas has the greatest allure. Thai, Sri Lankan, Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Greek and Portuguese meals and snacks are all available. There are also cake stalls, fruit-salad bars, handicraft stalls, and sometimes entertainment in the form of a band or street theatre.

Around Darwin

Howard Springs is a crocodile-free swimming hole surrounded by forest. It's about 25 km from the city but can get uncomfortably crowded at weekends. Nevertheless, it's a pleasant spot for an excursion; there are short walking tracks and lots of bird life. Mandorah, a popular beach resort on the tip of Cox Peninsula, is only 10 km across the harbour by boat. The crossing takes about 30 minutes and ferries run three or four times a day from Stokes Hill Wharf. The 400-hectare Territory Wildlife Park is 60 km from Darwin on the Cox Peninsula Road. It has an excellent collection of Australian mammals, fish and reptiles. Nearby Berry Springs Nature Park is a great place for a swim. It has several spring-fed pools and a warm thermal waterfall.

Activities

Fishing for barramundi, a freshwater and saltwater perch that often grows over a metre long, is a popular pastime in Darwin. Sunset cruises of the harbour run most evenings. There are also boat trips at Adelaide River Crossing to see crocodiles jumping out of the water and grabbing pieces of meat held on the end of poles. There is bungee jumping on weekends at Wharf Precinct, and a parachute club at Batchelor, 85 km south of Darwin. Darwin is a good place to organise bushwalking or 4WD drive tours of the Top End, Kakadu or the Kimberley.

Events

There are beach parties and rock concerts on May Day, more to celebrate the absence of box jellyfish and the start of swimming season than to pay tribute to International Labour Day. Darwin's legendary thirst for beer is celebrated at the annual Beer Can Regatta in June when a series of boat races are held for craft constructed entirely of beer cans. The Royal Darwin Show is held in July, the Rodeo and Mud Crab Tying Competition take place in August, and the Darwin Cup (horse racing) takes place in October, but the best Darwin festival is the legendary Greek Glendi , a 2 days festival with Greek food, music, dances and culure held at the Darwin Esplanade in the first weekend of June. Do not miss it!