FIVE 1
NORTHERN TERRITORY
FOOD AND WINE EXPERIENCES
Yellow Water Billabong, Kakadu National Park
Catch a wild barramundi and enjoy it for dinner
Sounds of Silence, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park
The mighty saltwater barramundi is a Territory icon, prized the world over for its exhilarating fight, strong runs and enormous leaps out of the water. The barra is also a superb table fish with soft, moist and delicate flesh that can be prepared a hundred different ways. Join one of the many fishing tours in the Top End and catch yourself a gleaming silver barramundi under the watchful eye of an experienced guide. That night, have it prepared by your hotel chef or cook it yourself for one of the freshest, most delectable and entirely satisfying meals you’ll ever eat.
2
Bush tucker tour, Kakadu National Park
Sample Territory bush tucker with a traditional guide
‘Bush tucker’ is the wild foods that have sustained Aboriginal people for generations. Take a bush tucker tour in the Top End or Central Australia to learn about the local animals, fruits, seeds and nuts that have been the lifeblood of people in the Northern Territory for thousands of years.
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Mindil Beach Sunset Markets, Darwin
Mingle at the markets with the locals
Indulge your tastebuds with fresh, authentic flavours at Darwin’s famous foodie markets. Sit on the sand with happy locals and visitors from all over the planet at the world-famous Mindil Beach Sunset Markets (Thursday and Sunday evenings during the dry season: April–October). Drink in a famous Darwin sunset as you tuck into a plate of something on offer from every corner of the earth—Thai and Indian to Brazilian and Portuguese. Try the fragrant paella bejewelled with mussels, a Japanese omelette drizzled in sticky sauce, a dish from the many Asian-inspired vendors or a fresh mango smoothie. On the weekends, five suburban spaces in Nightcliff, Parap, Rapid Creek, Palmerston and Coolalinga are transformed into open-air hawkers markets where locals go for their weekly supply of fresh fruit and vegetables, authentic laksa and curries and fresh juices.
St ar t planning at nor thernterritory.com
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Dine under the stars
Dining under a canopy of a million stars is a true NT experience, and there are opportunities to do it all over the Territory. Central Australia’s ultimate starry dining experience is the magical Sounds of Silence dinner at Uluru. Sip champagne from a red desert dune as the setting sun lights up the magnificent Uluru then enjoy a gourmet feast of delicacies like barramundi, kangaroo, crocodile and bush salads complemented by Australian wines. After dinner, a ‘startalker’ takes you on a tour of the spectacular night sky. Further north in Katherine (300 kilometres south of Darwin), wind the pace back a notch at magnificent Katherine Gorge. On the tranquil ‘Nabilil Dreaming Sunset’ cruise you’ll learn about the area’s Jawoyn Aboriginal people as the setting sun casts a fiery glow over the gorge, followed by a threecourse dinner by candlelight.
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Sunset Dining, Darwin Sailing Club
Enjoy a drink as the sun sets
Sunset is a particularly magical time in the Northern Territory, and enjoying a drink as the sky is tickled through hues of orange and purple is a quintessential experience, all over the Territory. Pull up a chair at a waterfront bar, around a desert campfire or on the verandah of a colourful outback pub. Hop aboard a camel and ride it to dinner, toasting your mount with a cool drink afterwards. Sip champagne on a yacht or catamaran as you cruise the glittering Darwin Harbour or pack a picnic for a sunset dinner on the beach. There are so many options to toast the sunset in the Northern Territory, and it’s a memory many visitors hold dearest from their Territory experience.
JENSEN CHUA Jensen Chua is a true-blue Singaporean who started his journey in photography at 15 years old. In the world before the internet, he built his basic skills through mentors from New York Institute of Photography via printed assignments and cassette-recorded critiques couriered across continents. Having grown up during the days of films and manual cameras shaped his personal philosophy about photography. To him, true photography is about honest imaging and faithful to real life with minimal digital enhancement. He is currently an associate instructor at Canon Imaging Academy and an EOSWorld Council Member. One of his photographic awards includes – Singapore Garden Photographer of the Year 2015 (National Parks Board), People & Nature category – Top 10 award. He regularly conducts photo workshops for schools in macro and food photography. Since early 2016, he also travelled worldwide extensively after being appointed by Jetabout Holidays as their travel photographer and writer. Jensen likens himself as a pixels predator constantly on the prowl, cause his best shots are his next ones. These are the passion and philosophies that he brings to his work as a travel photographer, macro, nature, sports, food, journalism and more.
WEBSITE. jensenchuaphotography.com.sg FACEBOOK. @ jensenchua.photography INSTAGRAM. @jensenchua all images copyrighted © Jensen Chua Photograpy & Jetabout Holidays
In collaboration with Tourism Northern Territory and Jetabout Holidays, I embarked on an epic 6D5N road trip adventure with Cindy Loo (Jetabout Holidays’ Aussie Specialist) around Darwin and The Top End, logging about 1200km. This road trip was certainly an eye-opener and truly spectacular in every sense of the word. Having experienced various regions of Australia, I can speak with conviction that anyone who shuns mass tourism, keen for a great road trip, loves fabulous nature, appreciates local culture, cuisine and friendly locals will savour the moments at this region that defies description.
TOP LEFT. The Water Lily with its violet and white petals spotted during airboat tour experience at the Mary River Wetlands TOP RIGHT. Heading off on a discovery journey through ancient Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge BOTTOM. A flock of white-crested cockatoos spotted flying around Yellow Water Billabong
AIRBOAT TOUR, MARY RIVER WETLANDS An exhilarating tour on the airboat to discover the Mary River Wetlands was one of the trip highlights. Skimming above the reeds and lilies along with an abundance of birdlife, we get upfront at safe distance with salt & freshwater crocodiles too! Speed lover will adore the Airboat which is powered by a 350HP Chevy engine. The wetland is about the size of two Singapore combined and we were the only three people on this vast tract of watery world. Beat that for exclusivity!
TOP LEFT. A section of the surreal Wetlands landscape. For half of the year, the wetlands are flooded, while in the dry season the the water levels out through evaporation and are baked dry by the sun
TOP RIGHT. The Jabiru is a huge, prehistoric-looking stork of wetlands The eyes of the female species are yellow while the males are black So the joke was that the males’ black eyes were given by the females
CENTER LEFT. Jack, our airboat captain and guide, showed us an aboriginal hydration technique by chewing on a water lily stem
CENTER RIGHT. A specimen of the crocodile dorsal spine bones found just behind the eyes
BOTTOM.Water Lily is one of the most common plants seen in the Mary River Wetlands
TOP. A picture of the Magnetic Termites Mounds captured with a drone. This amazing location is out of bound and can only be observed from a short distance atop a boardwalk. Our drone usage permit could not have come at a more useful time BOTTOM LEFT. Florence Falls, one of the well-known waterfalls in Litchfield National Park voted as top favourite by most visitors as it is the perfect spot for cooling off from the hot weather BOTTOM RIGHT. Wangi Falls, descend from an elevation of 84 metres (276 ft) above sea level via a series of segmented tiers that range in height between 41–52 metres (135–171 ft)
LITCHFIELD NATIONAL PARK
WILDMAN WILDERNESS LODGE Just two hours east of Darwin, on the fringe of Kakadu National Park, nestled in the lush Mary River wetlands area, Wildman Wilderness Lodge is an unforgettable experience. Teeming with wildlife and natural beauty, the lodge offers premium luxury comfort. Our accommodation at the lodge, called “Habitats” is in an air-conditioned setting, with luxury bedding, premium furnishings and en-suite bathroom. There are only 10 of such lodges so you may be disappointed if you don’t book well in advance!
TOP LEFT. The lodge swimming pool area during sunset TOP RIGHT. I like to call this the “St.Regis� of wilderness lodges. You can enjoy the wilderness in a glamorous and comfortable setting BOTTOM. The receding sun painted a deeply saturated red-orange glow on the landscape
UBIRR, KAKADU NATIONAL PARK Do not miss Ubirr, one of Kakadu’s most famous spots. After the 1 km circular track which took us along several breathtaking Aboriginal rock art sites, the track led us up to a lookout with a stunning and breathtaking panoramic view of Arnhem Land and the Nadab floodplain. Long ago, the Aborigines camped beneath Ubirr’s cool rocky shelters and harvested the plants and animals of the nearby floodplain and East Alligator River for food, tools and medicine. On the smooth stone surfaces that were perfect for painting, the Aborigines painted and drew what they had seen and done in their daily lives.
TOP. Enroute to Ubirr, we encountered a slightly flooded road, about 60-70cm depth, which the 4×4 Mitsubishi Pajero overcame with ease BOTTOM LEFT. Milky Way, shot just steps outside our accommodation at the Cooinda Lodge Kakadu BOTTOM RIGHT. Agile Wallaby (also known as Sandy Wallaby), a species of wallaby commonly found in northern Australia and New Guinea
Lotusbird or Lilytrotter
CENTER RIGHT. Enjoy a visual treat of wonderful nature and wildlife
KATHERINE
CICADA LODGE,
without the confines of cages as you cruise along
KAKADU NATIONAL PARK
TOP LEFT. Spotted a large saltwater crocodile CENTER LEFT. A beautiful Comb-crested Jacana, also known as the
YELLOW WATER CRUISE,
TOP RIGHT. Numerous species of dragonflies spotted along our cruise through Yellow Water Billabong
NITNIT DREAMING 2 GORGE CRUISE, NITMILUK NATIONAL PARK Our day 4 adventure brought us to the beautiful Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge at Nitmiluk National Park. The magnificent Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge is made up of 13 gorges, with rapids and falls and the 2 hours cruise will bring visitors through 2 gorges and highlight the cultural significance of the gorge and its surroundings to the local Jawoyn people. In Jawoyn, Nitmiluk means “place of the cicada dreaming“. A soothing experience of tranquillity as the natural scene changes along with the cruise with guide’s commentary. Truly a nature lover’s paradise.
JUMPING CROCODILE CRUISE, ADELAIDE RIVER About an easy 55 mins drive from our hotel in Darwin City, nothing quite prepared me for the amazing moment to observe the incredible Australian saltwater crocodiles from safe proximity. The loud thumping sound that echoed in the air as they jumped out of the water with their jaws locking on the buffalo meat will remind you why the crocodiles are undisputed apex predators. This is a MUST DO experience when you are in the Northern Territory!
TOP. The renowned venue signboard CENTER . Baiting the croc with buffalo meat. Names have been “assigned� to most of the crocodiles who are regulars for the croc feeding activity
BOTTOM LEFT & RIGHT. The flock of kites provided added boost to the cruise excitement factor
TOP . Crocodile Dundee Experience with “Cage of Death” at Crocosaurus Cove in Darwin city
CENTER. Tactile experience with a juvneile croc BOTTOM LEFT. Friendly local wild fish feeding at Aquascene in Darwin City
BOTTOM RIGHT. Western Bearded Dragon, resident of Crocosaurus Cove’s Reptile House (world’s largest display of Australian Reptiles)
TOP. Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) MIDDLE RIGHT. Art Section, Museum and Art Gallery, MAGNT MIDDLE LEFT. Delicious seafood platter, Sunset Dinner Cruise BOTTOM. Cape Adieu Dinner Cruise. Relax and enjoy a magnificent Darwin sunset, a delicious Chef prepared steak and wild caught seafood banquet while cruising Darwin Harbour