Darwin Travel Guide
The city of Darwin, capital of Australia's Northern Territory, sits at the very top end of the continent. Sprawled across a rocky peninsula that juts into one of the most striking natural harbours in northern Australia, Darwin is surrounded by water on three sides. The sea breezes drifting in from the Arafura Sea bring welcome relief from the tropical warmth and humidity that define its climate.
Darwin has endured and rebuilt itself more than once. The city was devastated by a powerful cyclone in 1897, bombed by Japanese forces in 1942 during World War II, and almost completely destroyed again on Christmas Eve 1974, when Cyclone Tracy tore through with catastrophic force. Each time, its resilient and diverse community has rebuilt, transforming Darwin into a thriving, modern tropical capital.
Compact and easy to explore, the city invites visitors to wander on foot through leafy streets lined with galleries, open-air cafés, and lively markets. The tropical lifestyle encourages outdoor living year-round, and shady parks offer a cool escape beneath frangipani, banyan, and tamarind trees.
Today, with a population of around 150,000, Darwin remains youthful, cosmopolitan, and relaxed, a small city with a big personality that's an ideal base for exploring the extraordinary natural wonders of the Northern Territory's Top End.