Howard Springs, Palmerston, Humpty Doo, Batchelor
Practically an outer suburb of Darwin, Berrimah is close enough to the city to make a good camping alternative considering Darwin's lean supply. It is also the location of Crocodylus Park, a research and education centre showcasing everything crocodilian. Visitors are able to watch crocodiles being fed and are even permitted to get up close and personal with the smaller ones. This interesting and unique attraction also features a splashing of other Australian and exotic wildlife.
Only minutes further down the Stuart Highway, the newly established township of Palmerston is a rare example of Australian urban planning without the usual contemporary constraints. The towns well worth a visit for it's imaginative development approach, as well as for it's surprising range of shops, restaurants and recreational facilities. Nearby, the settlement of Howard Springs is of primary interest for it's nature park, abounding with short walking tracks and an amazing array of bird-life. Surrounded by monsoonal rainforests, the springs themselves have become a very popular, crocodile-free swimming hole. Both Howard Springs and Palmerston's accommodation provides some more close to Darwin camping options.
Thirty three kilometres out of Darwin, the Arnham Highway branches off towards Kakadu and the small town of Humpty Doo. Ten kilometres past the intersection, Humpty Doo is more or less a service centre for travellers and for Darwin's expanding urban fringe. The world's largest crocodile replica resides here, and the Barra Shack can organise a traditional Territory barbeque of barramundi and buffalo. The Shack also displays bizarre assortment of leather products made from barramundi skin.
Back on the Stuart Highway, just a little south of the Arnham Highway turn-off, the Darwin Crocodile Farm at Noonamah is home to over 15 000 fresh and saltwater crocodiles which are commercially harvested for their meat and skin. Staff conduct continual educational tours and feeding time at 2pm is not to be missed. Noonamah itself consists of pub and a general store/service station.
Further south past the Acacia Roadhouse and the Manton Dam Recreational Area, the pretty town of Batchelor lies nestled in lush green woodlands fourteen kilometres west of the Stuart Highway. The venue of a number of unusual attractions including the now closed Rum Factory uranium mine and the Territory's only butterfly farm, Batchelor also makes the ideal base for exploring the nearby Litchfield National Park. Obtaining ever increasing popularity, this huge 650 square kilometre park is dominated by the massive sandstone plateau of the Tabletop Range. Waterfalls tumble off the striking plateau down sheer cliffs into pockets of rainforests, carving out natural swimming holes and densely populated wildlife sanctuaries. For a self-guided tour into this magnificent and unspoilt wilderness area, access is via a small network of hiking and 4WD tracks, linking several camping spots. If you prefer to put your trust with some experienced adventurers, there are a growing number of tours groups entering Litchfield, offering a variety of different Top End encounters.
