Brand new developments in the waterfront area include gigantic new conference, convention and performance centers while the amazing history of Darwin, which includes Japanese bombings from WWII as well as the Cyclone Tracy disaster of 1974, are memorialized in a number of excellent museums.
Darwin's natural attractions include hot thermal springs that are perfect for swimming and a great range of reserves and natural parks including one place where over 1,000 crocodiles live in captivity. Butterflies, lizards and all kinds of strange Australian creatures are on display in many other superlative nature parks.
Darwin Wharf Precinct
Historical monuments mark the site of where Japanese bombers attacked the Australian mainland killing several Australian military personnel. Excellent memorials and a great museum are part of the Darwin Wharf Precinct site today.
Bicentennial Park
Adjacent to the Esplanade and overlooking Darwin Harbour, this is the main civic park of Darwin. Office workers and sports lovers fill up the park of a day time, and on the weekends families enjoy picnics here. The views of the sunset over the water from any part of the park are superb.
Lake Alexander
In central Darwin, Lake Alexander is an ideal spot to cool off since it is an enclosed waterway that doesn't suffer from the dangerous water creatures that swim off the coast of Darwin in the Timor Sea. Volleyball games are popular in the parklands around the lake and swimming is the major pastime in the water itself.
Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT)
Easily the main cultural institution in the Northern Territory, MAGNT houses an awesome collection of indigenous art as well as artifacts from periods of Australian settlement dating back for over 100,000 years in some cases. There are substantial sections allocated to more modern history, such as WWII.
Berry Springs
These bubbling thermal springs are a 45-minute drive from central Darwin. The barbecue areas here are popular every day of the year, outside the wet season, and all kinds of rare birds wander the area. The waters are transparent and diamond clear and deep enough for keen snorkelers to explore a unique underwater world.
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