Boutique hotels in Top End
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Bamurru Plains
- Style
- Glam safari
- Setting
- Croc-filled bush
Top End Overview
Australia
- Countryside
- Wetlands and wildlife
- Country life
- Sunsets, storms and saltwater fishing
The Top End region of Australia’s Northern Territory is renowned for its tropical weather, rich indigenous culture, national parks and fantastic, laid-back lifestyle.
Home to an eclectic mix of cultures whose outdoor lifestyle is complemented by brilliant sunsets, fantastic fishing and a colourful calendar of outdoor events, the region encompasses everything from the tropical, multi-cultural state capital Darwin to the World Heritage-listed Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks. Despite much of this area being extremely remote, it is still easily accessible.
Typically Top End
The World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park is the largest in Australia at almost 200,000 square kilometres. Famed internationally for its natural and cultural wonders, it is home to several Aboriginal rock-art sites and plenty of saltwater crocodiles. The character of Mick Dundee in the film Crocodile Dundee was based on a real-life hunter who lived in the area.
Local knowledge
- Taxis
- Call 131008 (no international or area code necessary), and a taxi will come to you.
- Tipping culture
- Tipping is optional – and certainly isn’t expected. However, it is customary to tip waiters 10 per cent of the bill if you’re pleased with the service.
- Siesta and Fiesta
- Other than in Darwin or Katherine, where shops are generally open from 9am to 6pm, there’s not much that requires opening and closing.
- Packing tips
- Make sure you bring tropical-strength insect repellent and a sunhat.
- Recommended reads
- Though books about the Northern Territory are few and far between – mainly because so few people actually live there – there are plenty of novels that evoke the Outback experience. Louis de Bernières’ Red Dog is a collection of stories about an itinerant canine that criss-crosses the Australian Bush; Dirt Music by Tim Winton is a gripping tale of passion and revenge in the country’s arid interior; Xavier Herbert’s epic Poor Fellow My Country is a state-of-the-nation novel about European and indigenous cultures meeting in 1930s and 1940s Northern Australia.
- Cuisine
- With Indonesia and Malaysia just a couple of hours’ flying time over the horizon, and a hugely multi-cultural population, it’s hardly surprising that the Top End takes much of its culinary inspiration from Asia. Large market gardens in the region produce a steady stream of mangos, pineapples, paw paws and other tropical fruit, which are often teamed with seafood – barramundi, mud crab, etc – from some of the country’s best fishing grounds. Crocodile is also a popular delicacy, and there are farms throughout the Top End that breed these snappy creatures for their sought-after skins and meat. It tastes a lot like chicken, apparently…
- Currency
- Australian dollar (A$).
- Time zone
- GMT +9.5.
- Dialling codes
- Australia country code: +61; Northern Territory: (0)8.
- Do go/don't go
- There are basically two seasons in the Top End, the wet and the dry. If you want to see spectacular waterfalls, lightning storms and monsoon rains then head to the Top End between November and April. Be aware, though, that many roads are closed during this time and most touring is done by boat or plane. The dry season – between May and October – is far less humid. It’s the best time to visit if you want to see wildlife, as the area’s animals gravitate towards a few billabongs in search of scarce water supplies.
Don't go home without
… some aboriginal art, and a handbag or belt made from crocodile skin. Make sure your croc-skin product comes with a certificate to say where it came from, though; you'll need it to get through customs in most countries.
