Travel: DARWIN, NORTHERN TERRITORY, AUSTRALIA

After all the fun of my East Coast Australia adventures (read about them here) I gave myself an early start to head to Cairns airport, although needn’t have given myself three hours to check in for my regional flight as I whizzed through security. Five hours later, I landed in a hot Darwin and then took a shuttle into town where I was staying at the YHA. I checked in and then had to figure out what to do with the rest of my day.

Thinking of nothing better than a massage having spent the last two weeks traipsing around with a heavy backpack, I walked out of town for a blissful hour of relaxation and rejuvenation, and then continued walking out to check out the spectacular sunsets that Darwin is famous for.

As the light faded, I decided to investigate the Tropical Lights exhibition around the city. Following a map I’d downloaded from the internet, I wandered around to see the various light installations that had been set up. I really enjoyed this as it was a good way to get my bearings and see a more creative side of the city.

The following morning, I’d planned myself an extensive walking tour of Darwin taking in the must-sees of the city. I started off at Mason Gallery, a store filled to the brim with Aboriginal artwork that I would have more than loved to take home had I not had a stupidly small baggage allowance for my return Jetstar flight.

Next up was the Chung Wah Society, a small Chinese temple surrounded by smiling Buddha statues and covered with red ornaments and plenty of incense – a pleasant change from the high rises that surrounded it.

I carried on to the George Brown Darwin Botanical Garden where I spent a happy hour chasing the shade and admiring the precious flowers which sprang up in bloom; before moving on to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. This certainly was an eclectic museum, with exhibits ranging from Aboriginal art, to Cyclone Tracy, to natural history, and even an exhibit dedicated to a massive crocodile ironically named Sweetheart who had a penchant for chewing up boat motors.

Speaking of crocodiles, I decided to ask the museum receptionist whether it was safe to walk along the beach. She said I should be alright, although warning signs as I entered the beach suggested differently, but I went ahead and risked it, being extra careful to keep one eye on the waters edge at all times. I wandered along the shoreline all the way back towards town – thankfully without coming into contact with a single large-toothed reptile.

It was about time to eat something, so I checked TripAdvisor and opted for Kurt’s Cakes, where reviews had recommended the vanilla slice. It was indeed quite delicious, but a bit much even for my sweet tooth.

Back at the hostel, I prepared myself for a long walk down to the pier where I was to pick up a boat for a sunset harbour cruise I’d booked the day before. Having seen the previous nights sunset, how could I resist? I was one of the few not to have chosen to include a buffet along with my cruise, having spoken to the staff and gathered that catering for vegetarians was not really something they did. Subsequently, it was just me and a few others who took charge of the top deck whilst everyone else was seated downstairs in the dining room.

This ended up being rather nice as I had uninterrupted views and could clearly hear the guide who stood beside us, even when his tannoy broke so the other guests couldn’t. His spiel was clearly rehearsed and he told us in detail what we could see as we cruised away from the port before leaving us to enjoy the sunset on our own.

And what a spectacular sunset it was. I was particularly impressed that there were not only stunning colours ahead of us, but behind too with a sunset view that I hadn’t really experienced before. Definitely something special. This was made even more interesting as we returned back to port in the dark, just as huge lightning bolts cracked across the sky in a late summer storm.

Thank you for reading all about my Darwin adventures! I'd love to hear about and see the most spectacular sunsets you've ever seen - drop me a message in the comments below or on Twitter @CiarasCountry where you can also stay up to date with all my upcoming blog posts!