Nightcliff

The Darwin harbourside suburb of Nightcliff is just a 10 minute drive from the heart of the city and comes into its own at the weekend when it hosts very popular markets. Nightcliff's high rise residential blocks and holiday apartments command spectacular views out to sea. Local attractions include Government House, the Overland Telegraph Memorial, the Esplanade Gallery, which was one of the few public buildings to emerge unscathed from Cyclone Tracy, and Christchurch Cathedral. The only part of the historic church left intact after Tracy departed on Christmas Day 1974 was the porch which has been incorporated into the rebuilt cathedral. A harbour's showplace is the Indo Pacific Marine aquarium and pearling centre. The aquarium replicates a self-sustaining reef and displays many of the native corals in all of their breath-taking beauty. The complex also allows you to get nose to tentacle with some of Australia's deadliest marine killers such as the box jellyfish and spined stonefish, confident that the you and the nasty are separated by thick glass. A separate display traces the history of the Territory pearling industry.