Darwin’s freebies
10 great things to see and do in Darwin, for free.
1. Mindil Beach Sunset Markets:
more than 60 food stalls from more than 30 different countries and 200 art and craft stalls. Shop for local souvenirs, get a massage, have your palm read, get a Tarot reading, watch the buskers and performing artists, listen to the live bands or just sip a glass of wine on the beach and watch the sunset. April until October on Thursday and Sunday nights at Mindil Beach, Darwin.
2. Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory: focusing on South-East Asia and Australasia it includes an excellent exhibition of Aboriginal bark paintings, a collection of stone axes (some of which are estimated to be 22,000 years old) and the Melville Island Pukamani Burial Poles. A highlight is the Cyclone Tracy display featuring a small, dark room where you can listen to a tape recording of the cyclone’s screeching winds. Conacher Street, Fannie Bay, Darwin. Open Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm; weekends and public holidays 10am-5pm.
3. George Brown Botanical Gardens: 42-hectare garden just two kilometres from the Darwin city centre includes a rainforest gully with hundreds of palms, a wetland, a coastal zone and a mangrove boardwalk. Open daily, 7am-7pm.
4. Darwin sunsets: the fiery tropical sun of the north puts on a dramatic finale each evening over Darwin Harbour. Often magnified and coloured a rusty red by the dry season haze, the spectacular Darwin sunsets draw large numbers of visitors and locals alike to witness them. Some of the most popular places to drink them in are at the seaside clubs in Fannie Bay as well as the coastal reserves at East Point, Nightcliff and Casuarina.
5. Fannie Bay Gaol: opened in 1883, the notorious gaol was home to criminals and their like for almost 100 years until 1979. East Point Road, Fannie Bay, Darwin. Open daily, 10am-4.30pm.
6. Lyons Cottage: also known as BAT (British Australian Telegraph) House, Lyons Cottage is the only remaining example of colonial bungalow style architecture to be found in Darwin. Built of 'hammered stone' it was the first stone building constructed in Darwin for 30 years. It is now a local history museum. Corner of Knuckey Street and the Esplanade. Open daily 10am-4.30pm.
7. East Point Reserve: you can swim and windsurf without fear of jellyfish or crocodiles at the artificial lake, Lake Alexander at East Point Reserve. Towards evening wallabies come out to graze. There is also an easy 1.5 km boardwalk through coastal monsoon and mangrove forests, with wheelchair access. Fannie Bay.
8. State Square and Parliament House: there are free tours of Parliament House on Wednesday at 10.30am from the first Wednesday in June to the end of September as well as Saturdays at 9am and 11am. Tours leave from the foyer of Parliament House.
9. Drop a line: you don’t have to buy a ticket or charter a boat to go fishing in Darwin. Grab the family and drop a line over Darwin’s Stokes Hill Wharf where there’s a dedicated fishing platform and shaded seating areas. It’s close to the Wharf’s al fresco eateries and walking distance from the CBD.
10. Myilly Point Heritage Precinct: take a walk around Myilly Point Heritage Precinct, a collection of older style homes. It includes the last remaining four pre-WWII houses built in the 1930s. Bullet holes can still be seen in the fence and walls. 4 Burnett Place Myilly Point, Larrakeyah.
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Free things to do in Darwin