帆船运动

北领地熠熠生辉的蓝色海域是举行澳大利亚帆船运动的理想之地 —— 更不用说那美不胜收的日落了。

北领地的热带水域是举行澳大利亚帆船运动的理想之地。在熠熠生辉的蓝色海面上泛舟，观赏美丽的日落，体验这些令人心旌摇曳的地方。

港口附近

达尔文港（Darwin Harbour）是北领地帆船运动的中心。探索红树林掩映的热带河口，观赏各式各样的鱼儿、鳄鱼、海龟、还有偶尔出现的儒艮或短鳍海豚。

达尔文港的一天不仅只有帆船运动。当地旅行社提供一系列当天来回的短途旅行。像船员一样学习绳索的使用方法，或者乘船观赏这个原始环境中的美丽风景，不时坐下来喝杯酒。

群岛与礁石

坐船从达尔文出发，不远处便是比诺埃港海洋公园（Bynoe Harbour Marine Park），这里受到当地人和游客的喜爱。比诺埃拥有众多小岛和露出水面的礁石，非常适合垂钓与探险。

沿着达尔文以北的迷人海岸线前行，即可抵达梅尔维尔岛（Melville Island）与巴瑟斯特岛（Bathurst Island），又称提维群岛（Tiwi Islands）和科堡半岛（Cobourg Peninsula）的僻静海滩。在这里您可以体验各种夜间航行之旅。

踏上岸边与当地人会面，探索提维群岛丰富的文化和艺术。品尝真正的“丛林食物”，参观当地学校，或在穆努匹艺术中心（Munupi Arts and Crafts Centre）学习提维绘画技巧。抽空参加原住民文化之旅，并参观欧洲早期移民留下的历史遗迹。

自达尔文航行两天到达科堡半岛，这里有世界上一流的礁石与红树林垂钓地点。由于海洋环境没有受到破坏，许多鱼类都在这里繁衍生息，包括尖吻鲈、梭子鱼和皇后石首鱼。

The Bombing of Darwin’s historical cruise will take you through the most iconic wartime sites along our shores. Sea Darwin also offers a WWII by land and sea cruise which includes a land tour followed by a one hour boat cruise.

Darwin is one of the most significant pearling ports in the world. Climb aboard a pristinely restored pearling lugger on Streeter Cruises and take in the sunset while listening to the history and intrigue of Darwin Harbour.

The Darwin Sailing Club in Fannie Bay not only has a beautiful sociable ambience, it also extends sailing courses to kids and adults. Whether you’re experienced or just a beginner, book a lesson in their flexible sailing calendar to learn from an experienced instructor first hand. Private lessons are also available for groups so you can sail on your own terms.

If your visit to Darwin coincides with Territory Day (1st of July), look out for firework cruises where you’ll get an exclusive view of the public fireworks display at Mindil Beach. Afterwards, you can sail back to the harbour as the people of Darwin light up their own crackers and celebrate the anniversary of self-government.

For a short day trip, jump on the SeaLink ferry from Cullen Bay and head over to Wagait Beach. Landing on the Mandorah Jetty, you’re free to drop a line, wander the beaches, check out the wartime relics or head to the Cox Country Club for a cold beer and a meal.

Bare Sand Island is located off the coast of Darwin and is used as a nesting area by Flatback and Olive Ridley turtles. The Sea Darwin Turtle Tracks cruise is timed to coincide with the lunar cycle and the laying and hatching of eggs at dusk. Included in your ticket is your boat ride, guided tour, dinner and drinks and a contribution to AusTurtle to fund ongoing sea turtle research. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience with tickets selling out fast so make sure you book ahead.

Sailing & cruising beyond Darwin

Beyond Darwin lies a sailing and cruising paradise with thousands of kilometres of unspoilt beaches.

Tiwi Islands

Fancy getting away from the hustle and bustle of the city? Just a few hours’ ferry ride away is the Tiwi Islands, a group of small islands with tens of thousands of years of Aboriginal heritage. SeaLink offers a Tiwi Islands Day Tour that covers the return ferry ride. It includes walking tours with a local guide, a visit to Tiwi Design with traditional damper morning tea, a mission precinct visit and then a screen printing workshop. Whatever you make at the printing workshop is yours to take home as a souvenir.

Arnhem Land

Arnhem Land has some of the best beaches you’ll see in Australia, so if you’re an experienced boatie, hire a vessel from Gove Boat Hire and set sail. If a guided tour is more your style, Bremer Island Cruises offers day tours where you’ll enjoy a fast boat ride to Banubanu Beach Retreat followed by lunch at the resort.

While you’re in Arnhem Land, jump on Wildcard Luxury Cruises 20m exclusive charter around the Wessel Islands, off the coast of the Northern Territory. As well as a comfortable sail around uninhabited islands, you’ll be able to visit sandbars, waterfalls and culturally significant sites.

The Timor Sea

For true lovers of sailing, Sail Darwin can take you on a longer trip, from overnight escapes right through to extended sailing for up to 14 days across the Top End. You’ll see the vast Territory coastline including Bare Sand Island, Bynoe Harbour, and the Tiwi Islands. You can also add-on sites further afield including the Kimberley coastline, Coburg Peninsula, East Timor, the Spice Islands and more.

River & wetland cruises in the Northern Territory

Just because you’ve headed inland doesn’t mean your cruising time is over. There’s lots of great spots to journey along rivers, gorges and wetlands as you head down the track.

Adelaide River

Take a relaxing cruise down the Adelaide River to prepare you for the adrenaline inducing Spectacular Jumping Crocodile Cruise. Just an hour’s drive from Darwin, this is a must-do. Keep those arms inside the boat and your camera at the ready as your guides teach you about local wildlife and give you the chance to see crocodiles jumping for food.

Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge

Nitmiluk Gorge is a spectacular site and there’s a range of cruises available. Take a dawn tour to see the gorges spring to life as the sun rises. Add a buffet breakfast to your itinerary after the cruise for a great start to your day.

If you’re not an early riser, the NitNit Dreaming 2 Gorge Tour or the Timeless Land Gorge Tour operate throughout the day. These cruises give you the opportunity to learn all about the areas that are culturally significant to the local Jawoyn people. There’s some walking required in these tours, with wheelchair access available on the 2 Gorge tour.

Top the day off with the Nabilil Dreaming Sunset Dinner Tour. Watch as the walls of the gorge glow as the sun sets, and enjoy a candlelit dinner of local Australian produce that’s cooked before your eyes. This cruise includes some walking.

Mary River

Mary River National Park is home to the vast wetlands of the Mary River system, an environmentally significant part of the Territory. Join the Mary River Wetlands safari cruise for a relaxed guided tour through the water lilies along the river banks. Keep an eye out to spot some crocodiles, birds, fish and other wildlife that live in the Corroboree Billabong.

Kakadu

Perhaps the most spectacular cruise is the Yellow Water Cruise held in the Yellow Water Billabong. With cruise times running from sunrise through to sunset, you’ll get a front row seat to activities of the crocodiles, birds and fish that make the billabong home. Take a 1.5 hour cruise, a slightly longer 2-hour cruise or even a sunset canapé cruise to mark the Taste of Kakadu festival with native-inspired food and sparkling wine.

The Guluyambi Cultural Cruise is a great opportunity to learn more about the local culture, mythology, bush tucker and medicine. Cruising the East Alligator River, your local guide will give you a complete understanding of the significance of the area and then take you to a traditional hunting and gathering display.

Sailing & cruising in the Red Centre

Instead of sailing down rivers and billabongs, in the Red Centre you can cruise around on a camel, Segway, or even try your luck and participate in the annual Henley on Todd Regatta 'boat' race. Witness some remarkable hand crafted Flintstones-style boat frames compete against each other in a race to the finish line – it’s the most fun you can have without water!

Add some adventure

If all this cruising has made you relaxed, how about adding some adrenaline before you head home? There’s lots of options including:

• Beach fishing, extended reef and game fishing charters – check out our guides to fishing around Darwin and fishing in Arnhem Land to see all the options. Remember to stay CrocWise and check the bag limits and restrictions
• 00Seven Jet Ski Adventures with tours running throughout the day around Darwin Harbour
• Darwin Adventure Boat Tours, starting with a relaxing cruise along the mudflats and culminating in fast laps throughout the harbour
• An airboat safari through the private areas of the Mary River wetlands. You’ll be choppered in from Darwin before speeding through the floodplains
• Half and full-day heli-fishing and airboat adventures offered by star of National Geographic’s Outback Wrangler and channel Nine’s Wild Territory’s Matt Wright.