Up the top end – Darwin Australia

Up the top end – Darwin Australia

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It’s 11pm as I climb into the campsite shower, realizing the hot water is not working, I greet the cold like an old friend; “How have you been? I’ve missed you”. This is the first time I have been cold since the aluminum air-conditioned tube that brought me to the Northern Territory, and its capital Darwin. This place is inescapably hot.

Four days of intense heat during the ‘build up’ as it’s known, I have been hotter in Australia, but never this consistent. The small rental car’s thermometer never dropped below 30 degrees during the day (though I think it was underestimating the true temp), never below 20 at night, this is the Australia of reputations fame.

Where Perth can sometimes be like a small dog desperate for your attention, pretentious at times. Darwin does not seek your approval, it is what it is, where it is lacking in beaches (enter the water at your peril!) it will make

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up for in stunning seafood, brilliant culture and smiles on the faces of everyone I met. On the doorstep are world-class national parks and fascinating insights to ancient culture and tradition.

Darwin is smaller than I was expecting, not surprising though when you read that although the Northern Territory is the third largest area of Australia, only 200,000 Territorians (as they are known) live here, making it the least populated part of the country. I was led to believe there were more crocodiles than people here in fact, lining the banks of rivers, more crocodiles than I have had hot dinners I was told, if you put all of them head to tail they would circle the moon 18 times, I am exaggerating perhaps but I am sure there are enough to put me off gaining my 200m certificate in the local river, I would probably get one of those Darwin awards instead!

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I did have one unaided crocodile sighting that must have been only 1 meter long, bridging the gap however I went on a jumping croc cruise down the Adelaide River, where it seemed they were everywhere and quite happy to perform party tricks for pork chops, secretly hoping the boat sank too I’m guessing.

More of a whistle-stop tour as is always the way I zigzagged around the surrounding and stunning national parks, seeing as much as is humanly possible during 96 hours. The landscape demands more time spent, more time than a photographer on a limited timescale has unfortunately but I gave it my all and found another part of this glorious country I am dying to return to.

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View more images from Darwin and the Northern Territory:

Darwin and the ‘top end’ | Kakadu National Park | Litchfield National Park | Mindil Beach sunset markets | Northern Territory Instagram

If you would to commission this or any of my work, please feel free to email me:

philhill@philhillphotography.com 

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