Activities Galore in Australia's Northernmost City

Often seen as a stepping-stone to the Northern Territory's national parks, Darwin, Australia's northernmost city, is a paradise destination in its own right. "Australia," a "Gone With The Wind" romantic adventure set in the Outback and starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, was shot in Darwin. And this is a perfect time to visit given the number of new and improved activities.

1. In this city where young people and entrepreneurs flock, one company is taking advantage of the network of flat bicycle paths wending through the city. (Almost 50 miles of paths criss cross the city.) Darwin Walking and Biking Tours offers day trips along the beachfront lining the harbor as well as to the lush botanical gardens and other green spaces and landmarks. I took one of their two-hour walking tours where we strolled past Aboriginal sites, several museums and a World War II memorial, Our guide peppered this ride with plenty of worthwhile
trivia, including that the Japanese dropped more bombs on Darwin during World War II than Pearl Harbor

2. In addition, a relatively new aboriginal-run tour company, Unique Indigenous Land Tours offers an all-day tour where you'll have plenty of opportunities to sample bush foods -- the mangrove worms don't taste like chicken but they do taste like oysters -- and even go barramundi fishing the traditional way.

3. One way of taking advantage of Darwin's warm weather is by attending the outdoor Deckchair Cinema. Set along the lovely harborside, you can get comfy and watch either art house or big budget films. The cinema is up and running during Darwin’s dry season which is approximately from May/June to September/October.

4. Watch the glorious sunset from the deck of the 100-foot-long schooner named the Alfred Nobel. (It was once an explosives barge.) On this dinner cruise, I dined on grilled barramundi and local Tiger prawns.

5. You'll see Darwin for the melting pot that it is especially on Sunday and Thursday nights if you visit the open-air Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. (This is also during the dry season.) This is not like any outdoor market you've ever seen because it's almost like a culinary United Nations. Here, I sampled fish wrapped in a cassava leave and paw paw salad.

6. Darwin even has its own theme park of sorts. At the relatively new Crocosaurus Cove you can swim with the crocodiles. But don't expect any bloody accidents here. After all, in their “Cage of Death” there is five-inch-thick acrylic between you and the 20-foot-long reptiles.

Other activities include the Sunday pub crawl as well as gallery hopping and checking out the recently renovated waterfront.

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Australia's Far Out Outback

Sure, Nicole Kidman's character had plenty of challenges to contend with in the movie, Australia. But there's never a dull moment for Marlee Ranacher and her husband, Franz, the owners of the Bullo River Station as well as those who work on the property in Australia's Northern Territory. I watched in wonder how Marlee multi-tasked as a medic, vet, herd boss, ranch manager, clearing the dirt roads with heavy equipment and taking care of two young children to boot.

And things are never dull for those who stay at this working cattle ranch in the northwest corner of Australia's Northern Territory. (I arrived from Darwin on a small single-engine plane and landed on the ranch's grassy landing strip right in front of the main house.)

During my stay, one afternoon, I leisurely cruised down the Bullo River Gorge with its towering sandstone cliffs where we spotted crocodiles lying on the banks.

On another day, I fished along the river with my guide, hoping to catch the much-sought-after barramundi, but no luck. (Maybe it's because I was a bit distracted: I had one eye on the nearby crocodiles.)

At the sandy mouth of the river, I walked to a placid beach spot for a picnic where we were told there would be no intrusions by the crocs because our guide would easily spot their prints.

One morning, we took a guided walk to the red sandstone escarpment and explored the relatively recently discovered Aboriginal rock art painted on the rocky surfaces amongst the many nooks and crannies.

Even an ATV ride through a minuscule part of this half-million-acre property can present surprises with dingoes, wallabies and wild boars crossing our path.

The highlight, however, was being whisked by helicopter to a private, secret beach a mere 15 minutes away. Snuggled amid soaring red sandstone cliffs, this tiny swatch of fine sand sits beside an array of natural turquoise-tinted pools and cool, cascading waters. Each varies in depth and temperature but all offer a delightful swimmable experience. But, even better, you can have this place all to yourself for one night with no chance of intrusions by humans, crocodiles or other creatures. Marlee and Franz will leave you with everything you need: a satellite phone, sleeping mattress, mosquito netting, all your food including grilled barramundi and wine, deck chair and beach towels.

Guests are welcome to participate in as many cattle-related activities as they want. Marlee told me that they could learn to brand, and watch a curious helicopter muster. "Some of the ladies want to learn to castrate a bull," said Marlee. I skipped out on that activity. But I found that no matter what activities guests choose, a short stay at the Bullo River Station is a memorable experience.

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