Darwin is the wild west (well, north) of Australia. There’s crocodiles not just in the water but in a local attraction of the main street, street art and murals cover buildings with bright and beautiful artistic expression, and the locals are probably some of the most helpful and welcoming people you’ll meet.

You might be wondering why I was in Darwin for just two days? Well, the hubby and I had booked a trip of a lifetime on The Ghan, a famous overnight luxury train ride from Darwin to Adelaide, and rather than just arriving on the red-eye and hoping on the train the very next day, we thought we would spend two days exploring one of Australia’s most underrated capital cities – Darwin.

While in Darwin, we spent some time catching up with some really good friends of ours who had just arrived into town after spending 7 months on a cattamaron sailing to Darwin from Perth. So rather than just diving head-first into touristy things, we divided our time between checking out the local attractions and catching up on old times over some cold drinks and delicious food.

Below are some activities you can easily fit in between lazing around your hotel pool, going shopping or a half-day adventure out to Litchfield National Park.

Walk the streets and check out the art

One of the main things the hubby and I do whenever we’re staying in a new place is to go for a walk around the town. Not only does it give us the opportunity to get in some light exercise, but we might stumble upon some things we never would have really noticed from the window of a moving vehicle. And that’s how we discovered Darwin’s vibrant street art culture.

MAGNT Museum

OK, I know that being inside a museum is probably not how some people want to explore a city they’re visiting, but the MAGNT Museum not only has some great exhibits that detail the interesting and at times devastating history of Darwin, it’s also free to visit! There were two main attractions of this museum: the Cyclone Tracy exhibit and the Unrule Days, Territory Life 1911-1921 Exhibit.

Cyclone Tracy Exhibit: Although the usual exhibit was closed for renovations when we visited, there was a 30-minute in-depth video, full of actual footage from the days following the event, that gave us a glimpse into not only the horror and devastation of the cyclone but also the resilience of Darwin residence).

Unruly Days, Territory Life 1911 – 1921: by far one of the most insightful local exhibits I have ever seen in a museum, this tells of the hard, unforgiving landscape of the Northern Territory and the people who called it home. This exhibit was really eye-opening to how life was like for the indigenous population under Commonwealth rule (hint: it wasn’t great), of the racism and labour conditions of not only the indigenous people but also the Chinese residents who outnumbered the white Australians, and of how the representatives of the government were eventually run out of the state by Northern Territorians. If you only have an hour to spend in the museum, go straight to this exhibit!

MAGNT Museum also has a cafe, so you can turn this into a half or full day adventure. We had lunch at the cafe and the serving sizes are very generous (think typical Aussie country town pub style) and the food was tasty!

Sip and eat your way around town

I’m a firm believer that you can’t truly experience a place without tasting it. Food is half the fun of travel—finding the local gems, trying things you might never order at home, and sometimes just rolling the dice on a random dish! Below are just some of the places that we checked out while exploring Darwin.

Rays Patisserie & Cafe: do yourself a favour and have breakfast, brunch or lunch here! The vibe reminds me of a beachside cafe in Perth and the food and coffee is out of this world! My hubby ordered a “magic”, which is a double ristretto topped up with steamed milk, and he said it was one of the best coffees he has had in a while and I ordered an Earl Grey Tea which was smooth and uplifting. For breakfast I had ordered the Pash Bircher, which is bircher muesli with passionfruit, nuts, apple, maple and coconut yoghurt (so it’s also vegan friendly!) and it was D-E-L-I-C-I-O-U-S! The hubby opted for a house-made ham, cheese croissant and according to him, it was perfection!

I want to try and recreate this during the Aussie summer because it was so refreshing and filling, yet had my feeling light and not bloated (shout out to my fellow IBS baddies who understand the struggle). Check out their Instagram here.

Tucker @ Flicks: if the Darwin heat has you feeling like you just want some small bites for dinner, than Tucker @ Flicks is the place to go. We ordered the Chicken Satay and Pork Belly Skewers as well as the Camp Oven Damper and Charred Cabbage and it was plenty of food for us! I will admit though, there was a bit of a mix-up with the sauces on the skewers which had them tasting a little different, but the dining experience was enjoyable. Check out the menu here.

Sanchos Taco Bar: Mexican food is some of our favourite food (as well as the Tequila) and our friends took us to this amazing Mexican bar on Stokes Hill Wharf. Word of warning: the serving sizes are very generous. We ordered the Fish Baja, Yaca and Beef Barbaccoa tacos and they were all delicious! This is the perfect spot to watch the sunset over Darwin after a day of exploring. You can check Sanchos Taco Bar menu on Facebook or Instagram.

Dock One Bar: stepping into this bar was a bit of fate. Our friends’ car broke down and we decided to pop into this bar for a few drinks before calling an uber to drive us all back to our accommodations for the night. This would be a great place to go for some post-adventure refreshments or at a quiet drink after sunset. Check out their website here.

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While there’s so much more to see and do in Darwin, our 48 hours in this vibrant city was the perfect start to our journey on The Ghan.

Much love,
Lara X

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