A day of culture in Darwin City

Start with an Aussie breakfast

Aboriginal Bush Traders is a bush cuisine café located in the historic Lyons Cottage that specializes in native Australian products and bush tucker. You'll be able to fill your belly with a choice of cakes, teas, dampers, jams, sandwiches, and salads to get you ready for the day ahead. Aboriginal Bush Traders also has a retail store where you can buy local Aboriginal art and craft, as well as unusual gifts and homewares. They are 100% non-profit and provide opportunities for indigenous people who desire to engage in sustainable economic activities.

Explore art galleries in the city

Within Darwin's CBD, you'll find a plethora of opportunities to pique your artistic interest. There's a piece of artwork for everyone, from photography to painting to sculpture to giftwares. Mbantua Fine Art Gallery, which specializes in art from Central Australia's Utopia region, provides a variety of paintings and crafts, as well as its own line of Utopia Australia merchandise. Mason Gallery features artwork from the Northern Territory, Arnhem Land, and the Red Centre. Local artists, including the Numina Sisters, Lanita, Jacinta, Caroline, Louise, Selina, and Sharon Numina Napananka (to mention a few), are based in Darwin and exhibit their work at Readback Art. All artwork is signed and comes with a certificate of authenticity, a photograph of the artist, and background information on both the artist and the item.

Drop into Paul Arnold's gallery in Smith Street Mall for something a little more current, where he exhibits his well-known local work. His work will motivate you to get out and explore the Territory, with landscapes and skylines that are all typical of the vastness of the Territory. Hand-woven baskets, didgeridoos, carvings, and bark sculptures are among the traditional and contemporary works on display at the Aboriginal Fine Arts Gallery, which is located in Arnhem Land and the Central and Western Desert regions. After Cyclone Tracy, the Tactile Arts facility was built as a method to bring people back together and rebuild the town. It is still a member-based community arts organization in the Top End that supports artists. The gallery is located on the grounds of the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, with ocean views.

Snap up a bite to eat

It's time for lunch after you've gotten your fill of artwork for the morning. The sweeping vistas of Darwin Harbour inspired the design of Snapper Rocks restaurant, which is located on the Darwin Waterfront. Their passion for the water and the great local produce available in the Top End has resulted in a relaxed, pleasant, ‘beach-house' atmosphere with an incredible seafood buffet. This lunch venue checks all the boxes, with award-winning employees at the helm.

Take the back roads

Why not join a Laneway tour to walk off your lunch? As you go through the laneways and backstreets of Darwin, you'll notice enormous murals and artworks adorning the building walls. A laneway walking tour allows you to see the best of Darwin's street art and learn about the stories behind the murals as well as the developing artistic potential.

Enjoy an Aboriginal cultural experience

This walking tour is a private introduction to traditional and contemporary Aboriginal culture in Darwin, led by Shannon Lee, a young Larrakia man and a member of the huge local Cubillo family. Shannon's activities, as one of the eight Traditional Owner families in the Darwin region, provide attendees with an insight into the lives of Larrakia people through cultural storytelling, workshops, and activities.