Darwin: Golf and Discovery in Australia’s Croc Country
2 days ago
While Sydney, Melbourne, and Perth capture the attention of those travelling to Australia, a new direct flight from Kuala Lumpur to Darwin on AirAsia has opened the ‘Top End’ of the country to adventurous visitors and golfers. In 1974, the capital of the Northern Territory was mostly destroyed by the destructive force of Cyclone Tracy, and to this day, its devastation is a constant reminder of the wrath of nature and how important the climate, especially the monsoon, is for all those who live in northern Australia.
Visitors now arrive in a modern and completely rebuilt Darwin, which is currently experiencing a boom in its mining and petroleum industries. While it is still frontier territory in many ways, modern communications and technology ensure that Darwin is very much part of the global village and no longer a remote backwater.
GOLF AT THE TOP ENDAccording to those who regularly play at the Darwin Golf Club, it is a special course in a special place. Designed by golfing luminary Peter Thompson, it is regarded as the best course in Australia’s far north.
In 1930, T.R. Savage, the inaugural president of the Darwin Golf Club, commented that “Golf is like malaria; once you have it in your system, one never really gets rid of it.” Golf then was a formal game, with the dress standards for male members being a lightweight suit with a collar and tie. It’s not known how long these rules applied, and fortunately, smart casual attire now applies.
Darwin Golf Club is a flat course of 6,064 m from the men’s tee, and being in the tropics, playing here is not dissimilar to a round of golf in Malaysia. The current course was designed in 1973, but the original 1930 course was situated closer to the city centre along Fannie Bay.
Wind isn’t always a big factor here, although the humidity (from October to December) during the buildup to the wet season and the wet season (January to March) are the most challenging times to play. Like most other Australian courses, encounters with wildlife are common, with goannas, magpie geese, frilled-neck lizards, and ducks all being common sightings on the course.
Club facilities include a restaurant and bar, gaming facilities, pro shop, club and buggy hire. The bistro provides excellent and hearty meals, including some popular Asian dishes. The clubhouse is open daily from 10 am to late with extended hours on the weekend. Happy hours from 4:30 pm are popular with club members and visitors. Being the day for corporate golf, Friday is the busiest day in the dry season, but it’s typically easy to play golf from Monday to Wednesday. Competitions are staged every Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, and visiting golfers are most welcome to join in these competitions. While there are carts, it is also possible to walk the course.
The Darwin Golf Club appeals to all golfers, but that doesn’t mean it should be taken lightly, as the course can be quite challenging. High handicappers will enjoy their game and won’t feel frustrated. There is another 18-hole course in Darwin, while The Gardens is a fun nine-hole course.
COOLING OFF IN THE TROPICSDarwin can lend itself to ending up hot and thirsty, but there are numerous places to refuel and to refresh. Mitchell Street in the city centre bubbles away during the day, but moves into top gear in the late afternoon as office workers brush shoulders with backpackers at open veranda bars along the street. It’s possible to visit several outlets in an evening with venues like Monsoons, Shenannigans, and the Globe Trotters Bar. Six Tanks Brew is a microbrewery centrally located near the DoubleTree by Hilton Darwin. This brewpub serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Restaurants such as Pee Wee’s at the Point, Hanuman, and Vue in Mindil Beach Casino Resort are highly recommended, with local specialties like crocodile and barramundi served in some venues. Cullen Bay Marina is another part of the city that attracts those who want to relax, drink, and dine in casual venues such as Lola’s Pergola.
Plan to be in Darwin during the dry season on either Thursday or Sunday nights when the Mindil Beach Sunset Market is the main event in town. Pleasantly located along the beachfront, this market closely resembles a pasar malam, where visiting Malaysians will no doubt feel very much at home. Marketgoers buy dishes from the 200 or so stalls and get a beachside seat to admire the setting sun. Things are very casual and relaxed, and there is ample seating to enjoy your selection of snacks and drinks available. Malaysians will see many familiar treats, though admittedly at prices notably more expensive than back home.
Not far away, the George Brown Botanic Gardens is one of the more tranquil parts of the city, with well-established plants and trails covering 42 hectares. Malaysian visitors will recognize many plants, including the frangipanis, hibiscus, desert rose, and cannonball tree. Eva’s Café is a shaded and leafy retreat here serving delicious snacks and beverages.
TOP END ATTRACTIONSThe 1986 movie Crocodile Dundee put Darwin on the map, and crocodiles still provide a distraction for visitors. Adventurous travellers can get close to crocs by safely swimming in the ‘Cage of Death Crocodile Swim’ at Crocosaurus Cove in the city centre. Crocodylus Park on the outskirts of Darwin offers a more sedate croc experience with several daily feeding times.
Darwin is a lively tropical destination as well as the gateway to picturesque natural wonders such as Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. The famous Kakadu UNESCO World Heritage Site is a three-hour drive south of Darwin. This vast wilderness is home to rocky escarpments, monsoon forests, the picturesque Jim Jim, Gunlom and Twin Waterfalls, rivers where crocodiles thrive; and adventurous activities such as fishing for barramundi and crocodile sightings on a Yellow Water Cruise.
I decided that Kakadu, at over 300 km away, was too far for this trip and chose instead to visit Litchfield National Park, a little over an hour’s drive south of Darwin. It is regarded as one of the territory’s best-kept secrets, but I’m not so sure about that, as there were hundreds of people enjoying its natural assets when I visited.
As accommodation is limited in and around the park, I decided to hire a campervan and stay the night at a campsite. A Star RV campervan was chosen after thorough research. With just two of us, we decided on a P2 model, but the company also offers a version that can accommodate up to six. The vehicle was ideal, as it enabled my partner and me to sleep, cook, and travel in the fully equipped van.
I was amazed at how many other similar vehicles there were on the road along with caravans and four-wheel drive vehicles. The Northern Territory really is the adventure capital of Australia, and Aussies and visitors alike enjoy getting out into the great outdoors. A word of caution, though: road trains, or trucks of up to 50 m in length, also use the road and overtaking such long loads is a skill that needs to be mastered.
Litchfield was a wondrous sight with its monsoon forests of a pandanus understory, rocky sandstone outcrops, and pools and ponds for swimming in the cool freshwater. Crocodiles inhabit the national park, but rangers closely monitor the most popular sites, such as Wangi Falls and Buley Rockhole. The park also has some very serious termite mounds rising to several metres in height.
At the end of a most satisfying day exploring the park, we checked into Litchfield Tourist Park. This camping ground has facilities such as onsite electricity for powering up the campervan, plus toilets and showers. On the way to the park, we bought supplies, which we cooked on the barbecue facilities in the campground, and had a most enjoyable night, sharing travel tales with fellow campers.
Darwin is an AirAsia destination in northern Australia and serves as an access point to various natural sites in the Top End region. Travel during the right season, as monsoonal rains can make many roads impassable. Once you have decided to travel, pack your clubs, as there is much to offer at the very welcoming Darwin Golf Club.
TRAVEL FILEGetting There
AirAsia (airasia.com) flies direct from Kuala Lumpur to Darwin four times per week. It is the only airline that offers direct flights, and Malaysian travellers keenly seek out the local treats served onboard.
Getting About
Darwin is an expansive city, and the Northern Territory is huge (1.42 million sq km,whereas Malaysia is just 330,000 sq km). Hiring a vehicle is the best way to discover Darwin and beyond, and for my trip to Litchfield National Park, I chose a Star RV (starrv.com) so I could experience the great Australian outdoors.
Where to Stay
Stay in the city centre at the DoubleTree by Hilton Esplanade (hilton.com) and enjoy visiting the bars along Mitchell Street and dining in adjoining restaurants such as Hanuman. For a resort setting, stay in Mindil Beach Casino Resort (mindilbeachcasinoresort.com.au) for its selection of restaurants, superb poolside rooms around a lagoon pool and the opportunity to chance one’s hand in the gaming facilities.
Contacts
Darwin Golf Club, Links Rd, Marrara (T: +61 8 8927-1322, darwingolfclub.com.au) and Tourism Northern Territory (northernterritory.com).
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