dominant male crocodile in Sweets Lookout billabong, a waterway located 55km south-west of Darwin in the Finniss River system. In the 1970s, he gained notoriety for attacking dinghies, and on at least two occasions tipping the occupants into the water. Following the attacks, the Parks and Wildlife Commission decided to capture him and relocate him. Sadly, he passed away after getting entangled with a log while under anaesthetic. Nowadays, Sweetheart stands as a monument to crocodiles at the museum, and our kids were pretty impressed with him. This is far from ‘just another museum’. There is a rolling events calendar of fun stuff for the kids to do, including book reading, storytelling and activity stops both inside, and in the museum’s gardens.
Something’s a little fishy
One of the coolest ways for kids to get close to the marine world is at the Aquascene �ish feeding sanctuary on the water at Doctor’s Gully. At high tide hundreds of �ish swim up to the shallows to be hand-fed bread by eager locals and tourists. You can stand on the viewing platform’s concrete stairs to feed all manner of species – milk�ish, cat�ish, mullet, bream and rock cod – our kids were engrossed by this wonderfully close encounter. If you’re brave you can stand in the water so they frolic around your legs, as they gape for bites of doughy goodness.
New furry friends
Kids can never say no to a cuddle with a small furry creature, and the Territory Wildlife Park is the place to do it. Less than one hour from Darwin, the park consists of very deliberately zoned habitats to accommodate all manner of wildlife. There’s the monsoon forest walk, a wetlands, a walk-through aviary, rocky ridge and nocturnal house. The �light deck captured our kids’
Budding history buffs
Come Flights to Darwin connect to each major city in Australia.
Stay There are many and varied types of accommodation in Darwin, to suit all budgets. Our family hired a caravan and stayed in Discovery Parks Darwin www.discovery holidayparks. com.au/nt/darwin/darwin
Play Family-friendly activities abound in Darwin. Visit: www.northernterritory.com/ Drive for more information on the sites and activities mentioned in this story.
attention, with their favourites being a barn and a huge rescue wedge-tail eagle called Yarak. The park encourages interaction between visitors and its inhabitants, and at the reptile enclosure the kids pat bush rats, a baby wallaby and stare at iconic Aussie blue tongue lizards. There’s a wonderful conservation focus and an educational opportunity as well. William befriended a cute spotted quoll and begged us to let him take it home once he discovered quoll populations are declining due to habitat loss, frequent burning and cane toad poisoning. There are 24 individual exhibits in the park’s aquarium that follow a natural journey from escarpment country through waterholes and billabongs to the sea. The aquarium is home to turtles, crocodiles, rays, barramundi and a variety of sharks and coral reef �ish.
Of all the cities in Australia, Darwin has the strongest wartime history. RFDS Tourist Facility offers kids the chance to learn more about this incredible service, and there’s also the great displays about the bombing of Darwin by Japanese planes on 19 February 1942. These stimulating stopovers aren’t dowdy dad affairs that leave the kids lunging for the iPad either. They feature interactive displays that make learning fun. There’s even a hologram experience for the kids to learn about John Flynn, who started the RFDS. There’s also another hologram telling the story of Rear Admiral Etheridge Grant, Commanding Of�icer of the USS William B Preston, who narrates his own version of the Bombing of Darwin Harbour. The kids can also sit in the cockpit of a decommissioned RFDS Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. The Darwin Cenotaph, in the city’s Bicentennial Park, is another unmissable historical spot. The kids can learn a little more history and then check out the view over Darwin Harbour.
Just cool it
Another notable characteristic about the Top End is the heat – and sometimes you just need to beat it. Soothe tiny feet and �laring tempers with a refreshing dip at Berry Springs Nature Park, just a short drive along the Stuart Highway from Darwin. Here the kids can splash about in one of the many natural pools, go for a bushwalk or enjoy a picnic or snack from the kiosk on site. Howard Springs Nature Park is another top spot where the kids can cool off in its series of man-made rock pools and then say g’day to local wildlife including turtles, barramundi and a snake or two. It’s a great way to let them burn off some energy, especially if you are planning a longer drive that afternoon. ROAD LESS TRAVELLED
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