{"id":15465,"date":"2012-11-07T07:33:54","date_gmt":"2012-11-06T21:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/?p=15465"},"modified":"2018-05-15T04:23:28","modified_gmt":"2018-05-14T18:23:28","slug":"darwin-kakadu-crocs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/darwin-kakadu-crocs\/","title":{"rendered":"Top end time out"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
<\/div>\n
Game for a little time out in the Top End? lastminute lovely Nihal shows us how it\u2019s done.<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n
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<\/p>\n

When in the Top End, if you\u2019re not game, then get back on the plane.
\nIf done right, an adventure through Darwin, Kakadu National Park and surrounds should be both magical and terrifying at the same time. After all, this place has more \u2018warning croc\u2019 signs that it does people. It\u2019s where a bush nurse is more valuable in an emergency than a doctor. And of course, it\u2019s where the locals know more about crocodiles than they do about dogs.
\nI leapt right out of my comfort zone and had a series of adventures never to be forgotten. Go and get yourself a new SD card for your long term memory bank because there\u2019s sure to be loads of ticks on bucket lists after every Top End adventure!
\nDarwin city \u2013 Daaaaamn it\u2019s hot and quirky<\/strong>
\nAs I first lay eyes on Darwin soil, I\u2019m greeted with a hot and humid slap across the face. It\u2019s all thongs and shorts here. The mere thought of jeans adds on a few extra degrees. Darwin city is quite small; just a few high rises and, listen up Sydneysiders, no peak hour traffic!
\nThe main strip you want to stay close to is Mitchell Street and Smith Street. There\u2019s a mix of traditional watering holes and modern cafes, bars and restaurants. A few quirky establishments add to the city\u2019s charm \u2013 have a nibble at the \u2018Duck\u2019s Nuts<\/a>\u2019, get up to some mischief at \u2018Shananigans\u2019 or grab some parsley from \u2018Happy High Herbs\u2019? Hmmm…
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If you\u2019re a bit posh, you can grab a fancy bite at \u2018Hanuman<\/a>\u2019 for a delish Asian feast. Check out my pandan chicken entree and my main of coconut and turmeric barramundi. Yummo!<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

In any case, whether you\u2019re posh or not, you must go to a great vantage point to enjoy Darwin\u2019s spectacular red sunset. The park on The Esplanade is a good spot.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

But a great<\/em> spot is at the ‘Darwin Ski Club<\/a>‘. Grab a drink and a gigantic shish and soak up this stunning display of colour.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Parap Markets \u2013 Thai on your bargaining hat!<\/strong>
\nI absolutely love this place. I want to eat, drink and wear everything. There\u2019s a great deal of Thai influence here. From laksa to fresh paw paw salad, Thai massages to banana fritters.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\n\n\n
Hot tip:<\/em><\/strong> It can get pretty hot in the busy lanes so make sure you stay hydrated – the perfect excuse to try as many exotic juices as possible.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Whilst sipping on my watermelon, lime and honey juice, I stroll past the many stalls chatting to friendly locals. Everyone\u2019s a bit happy go lucky here. I realise it\u2019s probably because it\u2019s difficult to be up-tight in this hot climate, stress literally melts away.
\n\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Jumping Croc Cruise \u2013 Are we safe in this boat?<\/strong>
\nIn the Top End, anywhere you can get your feet wet, there\u2019s a sign saying telling you not to because it\u2019s croc inhabited.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

We hop on board the Spectacular Jumping Croc Cruise and yet again dive into croc territory. Our guide Chantel casually entices wild crocs to jump for their meat on a stick, and boy do they perform. I have visions of crocs jumping onto the boat, but I have trust in our expert guides.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Chantel also feeds enormous whistling kites, as if they are tiny sparrows. She knows which ones to feed from her hand and which ones are too aggressive for direct contact. When asked how she recognises them, she says the same way you\u2019d recognise your baby in a crowd.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Again, there\u2019s a safer option if boats and real crocs aren\u2019t your thing \u2013 not quite as exciting though.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Kakadu National Park \u2013 Heaven and Hell<\/strong>
\nKakas is about three hours south of Darwin and truly the rainbow serpent did a great job creating this vast and beautiful landscape. Since there\u2019s about 19,000 square kilometres of it, a great way to appreciate its vastness is to hop aboard a scenic flight.<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

You\u2019ll also want to cruise down the stunning yellow water billabong at sunset. It\u2019s simply magical. As our guide points out, it\u2019s both heaven and hell. Heaven, because of the beauty \u2013 pink lilies, wild brumbies, Jesus birds, honeyeaters, blue-winged kookaburras and lots more. Hell, because of the danger that lurks \u2013 large crocs, sea eagles and snakes to name a few. This contrast is what makes this cruise so exciting. And to top it all off, we watch a stunning sunset reflect off the yellow tinged water. Amazing!<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

Barramundi Gorge \u2013 Don\u2019t forget your swimmers<\/strong>
\nA highlight for me would have to be our swim in Maguk (Barra Gorge). Stealth crocs make swimming in the top end a no no. However our guides from Sacred Earth Safaris assure us that after a short hike over some rocks we\u2019ll come to a gorge that crocs are too lazy to get to. I can\u2019t help but think that one day an adventurous croc will brave the rocks for a good feed. But until that day \u2013 we shall swim!<\/p>\n\"<\/a>\n

And let me tell you, after a bush walk in 40 degree heat, a swim in a picturesque gorge with a waterfall is all the refreshment we needed. The water was so clean and invigorating. Well worth the walk!<\/p>\n\"\"<\/a>\n\"\"<\/a>\n

After surviving the heaven and hell analogy, these were my highlights. Definitely add to my list, but don\u2019t subtract from it. Each of these experiences was memorable in its own unique way.<\/p>\n

The Top End is like no other place on Earth, so before you leave this Earth make sure you give it a go. You\u2019ll feel a broad spectrum of emotions. You\u2019ll be scared, relaxed and everything in between, but most of all, you\u2019ll feel like you\u2019re living every lastminute.<\/p>\n

Have you ever travelled to the Top End? Any tips to share? <\/strong><\/h2>\n<\/div>\n

Find Experiences, Flights & Accommodation in the Top End here<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Game for a little time out in the Top End? lastminute lovely Nihal shows us how it\u2019s done.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":39653,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[34,9],"tags":[641,2378,302,2379,2380,155,2381,240,131,2382,2383,2352,216,2384,2385,375,2386,2387,2388,134,1679,2389,2390,1610,2391,2392,2393],"acf":{"credits":[{"name":"","label":"","full_url":""}],"enable_review_score":false},"posts_api_cpm_point":{"name":"","description":"","thumbnail":"","address":"Darwin NT, Australia","latitude":"-12.4634403","longitude":"130.84564180000007","icon":"\/images\/icons\/marker.png"},"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15465"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15465"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15465\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":44438,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15465\/revisions\/44438"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/39653"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15465"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15465"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.lastminute.com.au\/vc\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15465"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}