Darwin travel: Things to do in the Top End that your average tourist brochure doesn’t suggest

When you think “Darwin”, what comes to mind? Crocs? Absolutely. Ancient First Nations history — definitely. Those insanely beautiful National Parks right on the city’s doorstep? Of course.

But scratch the surface and there’s so much more to the Top End city, nestled on Larrakia land in the north of Australia, than your average tourist brochure might suggest — in fact, it’s downright cool.

Take a street art tour

While Melbourne might be the Australian city most associated with street art and large-scale murals, Darwin is nipping at its heels to become a destination in its own right.

Every year the city holds the Darwin Street Art Festival (DSAF), one of the longest-running street art festivals in Australia. The festival sees local, national and international artists descend on the city and over the years a number of fabulous murals have popped up as a result.

DSAF has an app you can download that allows you to take a self-guided tour of the artwork — it’s a great way to see the city.

Eat your bodyweight in Laksa!

Darwin is Laksa-mad. Seriously — locals go nuts for the Asian soup, so much so that they even have an annual competition, run during the Darwin International Laksa Festival, where the city’s best soup is awarded the prestigious ‘Golden Bowl’ award each year.

Everyone has their favourite — a stall at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets always rates highly — but we made the trip to the centre of town to check out the highly-awarded Chok’s Place in the Galleria on Smith Street Mall — and it didn’t disappoint.

This year’s winner will be crowned on November 3 — mark your diaries.

Take a trip to funky House of Darwin

House of Darwin is a small label, specialising in t-shirts and streetwear, and it’s got a fantastic little shop tucked away in a funky old mall on Cavenagh Street in the heart of the city which is well worth a look.

Not only are they doing awesome stuff in the fashion world, they’re also reinvesting profits back into social programs in remote Indigenous communities across the Territory, like their Hoop Dreams in the NT program, which sees them refurbish community basketball courts with awesome murals. Drop into their shop and pick yourself up one of their quirky written ‘Guides’ to Lichfield, Darwin and Kakadu — they’re hilarious AND informative!

Make an ethical art purchase

Darwin has no shortage of places selling First Nations art — sadly, not all the art is legit.

One place that’s doing it right is Aboriginal Bush Traders, a store and cafe situated opposite Tourism Top End information centre.

They specialise in selling a curated selection of paintings, carvings, fabric and fibre art from Indigenous artists around the country — and they’ve got a fabulous selection of goodies. The best part of purchasing there is that you know funds from your purchase are going directly back to the craftsmen and women who made the art, not into the pockets of dodgy dealers.

We particularly loved browsing the sensational fabrics from Ikuntji Artists — keep an eye out for artworks and designs from Keturah Zimran OAM, an established Luritja and Pintupi artist. One of her Puli Puli pieces has been reimagined as a giant mural on the Litchfield Car Park in the Darwin CBD and is well worth a look.

Scoot your way to the Art Gallery

Darwin’s fabulously underrated two-in-one museum and art gallery is a bit of a hike from the centre of town. And when it’s 35C outside and humid-as-heck, let’s face it, it’s a schlep you might not want to take.

But trust us — a trip to this fabulous cultural centre is well worth a visit, and as we discovered, it’s easier than you might think to get there.

Darwin, like many major cities across Australia, now has electric scooters to rent pretty much everywhere, making it super easy to get across town.

Might we suggest really leaning into this not-always-glamorous mode of transportation and renting one with a sit-down seat — they’re readily available. And OK, so you might look ridiculous getting about town in a glorified gopher, but trust us, your legs will thank you in the long run.

Watch the sunset at the Trailer Boat Club

No one does a sunset quite like Darwin. And one of the best places to see it is from a spot the locals love, Darwin’s celebrated Trailer Boat Club.

This place has it all — great food, a fab view and lots of space for the kids to run about while you pretend you’re childless and down a margarita or two.

Sample hidden nightlife gems

After you’re done, head back into Darwin’s CBD and seek out the effortlessly cool Sri Lankan restaurant Ella by Minoli.

Tucked down the street art-adorned West Lane alleyway, this award-winning restaurant, run by MasterChef alumni Minoli De Silva, is well worth a visit and is humming on weekends, so make sure you book.

As well as delicious Sri Lankan flavours, Ella also boasts a killer cocktail menu, so save room for an excellent cocktail or two — their passionfruit martini is a little glass of tropical happiness.

After dinner, venture around the corner to hipster hangout, Charlie’s of Darwin — it’s hidden upstairs, and on a hot night, the venue’s terrace is a great place to catch the breeze, down a few delicious drinks, and do some fabulous people-watching.

Get your resort on

Real talk: this casino resort’s hotel rooms are in desperate need of a refit — it’s giving 1990s in all the wrong ways — but this, Mindil Beach Casino Resort is still worth a look.

Not only is it reasonably priced, it also boasts a great outdoor pool area and views across Darwin’s stunning Mindil Beach — it’s also a short walk to the famed Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, which operate Thursdays and Sundays from April to October.

If retro 90s decor isn’t your thing, good news: the hotel’s resort section has had a refresh (the rooms are nice and modern) as well as a $2.5 million-dollar lagoon pool renovation featuring a swim-up bar, sun beds and cabanas on a white sand beach — now THAT’S more like it!

And if none of that tickles your fancy, there’s always a late-night flutter on the pokies!