The Mindil Beach Markets (pictured) are a Darwin institution, and I was lucky that my trip coincided with their reopening for the year. Every Thursday night (from April to October), hundreds of stall holders set up shop selling everything from souvenirs and handmade jewellery to massages and excellent Asian and vegetarian food.

There’s quite a few historic buildings to explore in Darwin city – like the Victoria Hotel, the old police station, courthouse and Government House. I took a walk down to Aquascene, where every day (times change daily) hundreds of fish come to munch on bread offered by the tourists.

The afternoon found me hiring a bike and heading slightly north of the city to Fannie Bay (stop sniggering at the back). First stop was the Fannie Bay Gaol Museum, to spend an interesting hour wandering around old cells and peering at gallows, then it was time for a quick dip. The ocean may have been off limits, but fortunately Lake Alexander, which is just north of Fannie Bay in East Point Reserve, is accessible all year round.

I could have stayed there sunning myself on the banks for hours, but there was a whole reserve to explore. The 1.5km mangrove boardwalk was done at the leisurely pace the tropical heat demands, but at least it gave me plenty of time to read and absorb all the signposted information about the local Larrakiah people. By the end of the day, a cool breeze had sprung up and the wallabies came out to play.

The next morning, I set off for the Crocodylus Park, east of town. This is essentially a breeding complex, but my visit coincided with one of the tours which included a feeding demonstration (scary) and the chance to handle a baby croc (cute in a kind of disturbing way).

By the afternoon, my head was feeling a little clearer and I felt able to tackle the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Star of the show is Sweetheart, a 780kg, five metre, stuffed croc who menaced locals before coming to a sticky end, although the Aboriginal art collection is well worth a browse too.

Of course this isn’t all that Darwin has to offer. If I hadn’t been heading off on a camping safari the next morning I could have taken a harbour cruise, wandered around the Botanic Gardens, explored the WWII oil-storage tunnels, checked out more museums or tramped through the Holmes Jungle Nature Park. Luckily I still had time to take in one last out-of-this-world sunset.

The Mindil Beach Markets (pictured) are a Darwin institution, and I was lucky that my trip coincided with their reopening for the year. Every Thursday night (from April to October), hundreds of stall holders set up shop selling everything from souvenirs and handmade jewellery to massages and excellent Asian and vegetarian food. There’s quite a few historic buildings to explore in Darwin city – like the Victoria Hotel, the old police station, courthouse and Government House. I took a walk down to Aquascene, where every day (times change daily) hundreds of fish come to munch on bread offered by the tourists. The afternoon found me hiring a bike and heading slightly north of the city to Fannie Bay (stop sniggering at the back). First stop was the Fannie Bay Gaol Museum, to spend an interesting hour wandering around old cells and peering at gallows, then it was time for a quick dip. The ocean may have been off limits, but fortunately Lake Alexander, which is just north of Fannie Bay in East Point Reserve, is accessible all year round. I could have stayed there sunning myself on the banks for hours, but there was a whole reserve to explore. The 1.5km mangrove boardwalk was done at the leisurely pace the tropical heat demands, but at least it gave me plenty of time to read and absorb all the signposted information about the local Larrakiah people. By the end of the day, a cool breeze had sprung up and the wallabies came out to play. The next morning, I set off for the Crocodylus Park, east of town. This is essentially a breeding complex, but my visit coincided with one of the tours which included a feeding demonstration (scary) and the chance to handle a baby croc (cute in a kind of disturbing way). By the afternoon, my head was feeling a little clearer and I felt able to tackle the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. Star of the show is Sweetheart, a 780kg, five metre, stuffed croc who menaced locals before coming to a sticky end, although the Aboriginal art collection is well worth a browse too. Of course this isn’t all that Darwin has to offer. If I hadn’t been heading off on a camping safari the next morning I could have taken a harbour cruise, wandered around the Botanic Gardens, explored the WWII oil-storage tunnels, checked out more museums or tramped through the Holmes Jungle Nature Park. Luckily I still had time to take in one last out-of-this-world sunset.