Tag Archives | darwin

The Do’s and Dont’s of Darwin

Known as Australia’s only tropical capital city, Darwin welcomes visitors with the best weather, beaches, and activities every adventure seeker would love.   Perched on the very northern coast of Australia, the area doesn’t see the attention of its sister cities Sydney or Melbourne.  This lack of attention is actually a good thing.   It is one of the few places that live up to what you envision the land down under being.

Visiting Darwin was our first visit to Australia, we learned a few lessons from our visit.  We want to pass on a few of the basic do’s and dont’s for the area to ensure a problem-free and enjoyable vacation.   We want you to have the insiders guide when going to the northern territory of Australia.

Do Plan for Adventure 

Darwin offers visitors plenty of activities they can do from daytime to nighttime.   There are two amazing national parks within driving distance of Darwin: Kakadu and Litchfield.  Both are must sees for any visit to the “Top End.”  There are many tours that leave from darwin and take you to on a day trip.   The tour we elected to take gave us passage on a croc viewing cruise and a day swimming in the waterfalls of Kakadu!  There are many multi day camping excursions into the national parks if you wish to get a more involved adventure.   For the history buff, there are many World War II sites in Darwin.  You can take a harbor cruse that highlights the different points of interest.  There is also a WWII museum which has many interesting exhibits just outside of Darwin.

Kakadu National Park

Kakadu National Park

Once the sun goes down in Darwin, the fun continues!  We highly recommend visiting the Mindil Beach Sunset Market.  It lines the beach with art, food and fun vendors.  We absolutely loved just people watching along the path.  You can also check out the Deckchair Cinema for an outdoor film viewing while resting in a reclining chairs under the stars.

Don’t Overspend on Accommodation 

There will be plenty of things where you can put your money in, and accommodation shouldn’t be one of it. To fully experience the authentic atmosphere of Australia’s Northern Territory, consider signing up for a house sitting instead. According to a popular house sitting platform Trusted House Sitters, many homeowners in the area are in search for a loving home sitters to look over their humble abode including their pets while they are away. You get to stay in their homes for free, while enjoying the rest of your trip in Darwin. It will save you plenty of cash that you commonly spend on hotels or inns. This is highly beneficial for those planning to stay in the destination for a long period of time.

We stayed at the Bromeliad Bed and Breakfast and had a great time.  The innkeepers are so kind and will definitely help you make your visit to Darwin an enjoyable one.

Do travel with insurance

Whether you are traveling to Darwin from another Australian location or internationally, the need to have a travel insurance will be highly helpful to you, especially when going on a trip with your family. A typical policy, based on the information shared by this travel insurance guide, can help you avoid any travel risk, such as:

· Hefty medical costs

· Airline and accommodation cancellation

· Lost, stolen or damaged items

· Legal liability

The same article also showed the ins and outs of making a claim, when the need arises, making it easier for you in case an emergency strikes.

Don’t Visit During the Wet Season

Given the plenty of outdoor activities you can do in the city, the best time to visit Darwin is during the dry season, which lasts from April or May until September or October. It’s the most beautiful weather to get around the city with clear blue skies, warm days and balmy nights. During the wet season, you have to endure storms that sometimes led to cyclones and floods. The temperature is less humid as it gets close to the wet season. The wet season starts around October to November, but rain falls more between January and March. According to resource page Outback Australia Travel Secrets, the wet season may still work for travelers who are more adventurous and flexible as it’s the time when wildflowers are blooming and waterfalls are raging.

Darwin’s geographic location made it a highly popular destination for travelers in search of peace of mind without the need to leave the city life. We hope this post presented you with all the preparation and safety tips you need before going to the capital city of Darwin. Feel free to add more tips to this list, by leaving a comment below.

The Kind Innkeepers

“The best portion of a good man’s life?   His little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and of love.”

—William Wordsworth

Travel can be a little impersonal at times.  You are no longer a person; you are a room number, a confirmation code, or a “customer.” We love finding places that treat their guests as family.  The Bromeliad Bed and Breakfast is just one such place where you arrive a guest and leave a member of the family.  The Bromeliad in located in a great spot in a quiet suburban neighborhood of Darwin, Australia.

swimming pool

The pool at the Bromeliad

Darwin, the capitol of the Northern Territory, is perched at the tippy top of the continent.  The sundrenched red rock, lively city, and access to world renowned national parks make Darwin the perfect getaway for traveling couples.   There are plenty of cheap flights from Southeast Asia including directs from Bali, Kula Lumpur, Thailand and Singapore. Low-cost carriers including Air Asia and Jet Star make adding a quick visit to Australia easy and affordable. When you realize how close Australia is to those places, it makes sense to catch a cheap flight and add a continent to your passport. For us, it provided an easy way to pick up a visit to our sixth continent!

innkeepers

The Kind Innkeepers: Carol and Geoff

The Innkeepers

Carol and Geoff have been running the Bromeliad Bed and Breakfast for a little over a year. They are turning a new chapter in life; both have recently retired and have realized a dream 10 years in the making to open their spacious home to guests from near and far.

Carol and Geoff have been married for over 50 years.  Of course once we found this out, we launched into interview mode.  We wanted to find out what the secret to success has been for their enduring relationship.   Explained Carol, “We’ve never had a huge Barney.”  (Now for those of you that don’t speak Australian, like us… a Barney is a fight.)  “We usually like to compromise, we try to find a solution that works for both of us.”  The two met over a friendly tennis match.  Just as in tennis, the couple has found success in the give and take.  Key to happiness in relationship is helping each other and breaking down the “roles” that culture has defined.  “Geoff does things around the house that his father would never have dreamed of doing,” explained Carol, “What needs to be done gets done.”

We asked her what advice you would give a couple that has hit a rough patch and are not seeing eye to eye.  A huge smile came over her face and she suggested, “Take 10 minutes and take a walk.”  After a few minutes of reflection, you will quickly find, what was a huge deal, is no longer such a big deal.

Priorities

“Having a big house and a nice car are not all that important.” Says Carol.  “What really matters is a car that runs, a roof over your head, and someone to love.”  What a great motto!  We couldn’t agree more. Carol and Geoff practice what they preach. After their son was seriously injured in a car accident and in a wheelchair, Carol and Geoff remodeled their home and turned it into a bed and breakfast because there weren’t suitable accommodations for his friends who were also handicapped. “We took lemons and made them into lemonade,” Carol smiles.

The gardens around the inn are amazing!

The gardens around the inn are amazing!

Darwin the Beautiful

The Bromeliad is a great base to explore all Darwin has to offer.  You can easily take day trips to either Kakadu or Litchfield National Park.  You can read about our Litchfield Park adventure here.  The town itself has a wonderful waterfront with public beaches, fun eateries, and one of the best military museums that we have visited.  One of the highlights for us was spending the evening market at the Mindil Beach Sunset Market.  There was live music, entertainment like fire dancers and whip wielding guys, and every type of food imaginable.  When we say every type of food: Greek, Italian, Asian, and of course crocodile dogs! There are lots of choices for those with a sweet-tooth as well. There are rows of fresh fruit, cupcakes, and ice cream. Luci enjoyed Dutch baby pancakes covered in strawberries and bananas with ice cream on top. There are authentic handicrafts like Aborigine art, boomerangs, kangaroo leather and Luci found exquisite jewelry made of flowers from the Outback. The market is held twice weekly. Just ask Carol and she can line you out on how to get there, where to park, and what to eat.

rosella jam

Carol makes the world’s best rosella jam!

Darwin and our good friends Geoff and Carol of the Bromeliad Bed and Breakfast offer a true taste of Australia.  Granted, we rested well in their care, but we also came away with our relationship renewed a bit.  Only one thing…we still like a good barney!

Just so you know, we partnered with the Bromeliad on our recent visit to Australia.  Does this affect our opinion and ability to strongly recommend this B & B to our readers?  Not one bit!

Didn’t get enough of Aussie Land?  How about Mike eating Vegemite for the first time?