Darwin, Australia - Getting Around
The Australian Outback City Is Easy To Explore
Darwin in Australia has to be one of the easiest cities in the world to get around.
My favourite quote describes Darwin as "the only city in Australia where you can cross the main street blindfolded at any time of the day", and it's true.
Walking or riding a push bike is a joy in Darwin, which is small enough to discover a lot of it on foot.
If you want to explore the attractions in the city on foot get yourself a map and an information booklet from the Northern Territory Tourist Information Center (Tourism Top End at Cnr Knuckey St./Mitchell St.), and start your self guided tour from there. Easy.
(See below how to get there by bus)
Driving your own car in Darwin is a joy, too. Traffic is free flowing and nobody seems to be in a rush. The way Darwin is laid out makes it really easy to get where you want to go, even if you've never been to Darwin before and are attempting to study the map as you're driving. Yes, I have tested this claim repeatedly.
(After 15 years of living in the Australian Outback, in an area with little bitumen, few cars and no traffic lights, the thought of driving in a city during rush hour usually gives me heart palpitations... But I never got lost in Darwin and I never had someone toot their horn at me or similar. Can't say that of other cities in Australia. Darwin's not really a city...)
Darwin Australia - Public Transport/Bus Services
For those who don't have and don't want to hire a car there is an excellent bus service.
You could go with the "Tour Tub", an open air tourist bus that goes round and round and round Darwin city. You can listen to commentary about Darwin and Australia as you're driving, and it stops at all the Darwin attractions, where you can hop on and off as you please.
The fare is 30 A$ for the day, or 20 A$ for just the afternoon. It includes all sorts of discounts at the attractions you visit, and the entrance fee to the WWII oil storage tunnels (a must see!).
The telephone number for Tour Tub bookings is (08) 8985 6322, but most hotel receptions, local travel agents and also the driver will sell you tickets. (But I'd pre-book during the peak season).
My preferred option is to use the public transport buses like all the locals. The service is affordable, reliable, and it covers all of Darwin really well. Everything is just 20 minutes away...
A three hour ticket costs $2, a day pass sets you back $5, a pass for a week $15 (a week begins Monday and ends Sunday). All tickets will take you anywhere in Darwin. The three hour fare and day pass can be bought on the bus, the week pass is only available from the interchange or at the tourist information center. They'll also give you a map with all the routes and timetables.
Next page: What to see and do in Darwin city
