Travel Bug Within

A travel blog inspiring mid-life adventurers to chase their wanderlust and explore further

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A Taste of Kakadu celebrates more than Indigenous food

March 16, 2020 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

Image of \fFour orange Kakadu plum fruits on top of green pandansu leaves on a table

 Northern Territory's Kakadu National Park Taste of Kakadu in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Kakadu National Park is an immersive Indigenous Food Festival celebrating local bush food, culture, and country. I experienced part of the 2019 Taste of Kakadu taking the opportunity to connect with Indigenous Australians and appreciate their culture … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adventure, Destinations, Northern Territory Tagged With: #seeaustralia, Australia, Bush tucker, Food festivals in Australia, Indigenous culture, Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Taste of Kakadu Festival

Top End magic

December 2, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

As the capital of the Northern Territory, Darwin is renowned for fun and adventure, but an interesting mixture of history and the slightly obscure is found in the Top End - when you know where to look. Darwin’s unique charm and character is a by-product not only of its geographical location - history and a couple of natural events played a role. … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adventure, Australia, Destinations, Northern Territory, Solo Tagged With: #discoverDarwin, Darwin, Northern Territory, What to see and do in Darwin, where to go in Darwin

Darwin lights up for tropical summer

November 17, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

Darwin is in perpetual summer mode. It's a place where winter attire is a rare requirement. But a noticeable change occurs when November 1 rolls around and the wet season rains appear heralding the start of ‘tropical summer.’ Dramatic thunderstorms bring a welcome respite from the heat and at dusk sunset lovers observe radiant golden colours as the … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Australia, Destinations, Northern Territory, Solo Tagged With: #TourismNT, #TropicalLight, Art in Darwin, Bruce Munro Tropical Light, Darwin, Northern Territory

The very special Tiwi Islands

October 6, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

Passing the island’s southern coastline from the open deck of our SeaLink ferry, I see nothing beyond the thicket of trees hugging the white sandy shore. Once inside Shoal Bay, the multi-coloured corrugated rooves of houses peek through the trees indicating the first sign of civilisation – Wurrumiyanga - Bathurst’s main settlement. The tropical … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adventure, Australia, Destinations, Northern Territory, Solo Tagged With: #discoverDarwin, day trips from Darwin, Tiwi Islands, Where to go near Darwin

Five things to do in and near Darwin

August 19, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

The time is 'right' to visit the Northern Territory before it gets too hot. On the cusp of the dry season, here's five new must do’s for Darwin. This was my second visit to Darwin, I’ve shared some other favourite experiences from my first trip. Tiwi Islands   The Tiwi Islands are a chain of nine islands 80 Kilometres (50 miles) north of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Australia, My Top Ten or Five, Northern Territory Tagged With: #discoverDarwin, Five things to do in Darwin, Kakadu National Park, must do in the Northern Territory, Northern Territory highlights, Tiwi Islands, Top five things to do in Darwin, Tours from Darwin

A history tour of Darwin

July 17, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston 2 Comments

A tour to learn about the history of Darwin From my high school studies of Australian history, I knew a little about the bombing of Darwin in 1942. And my recent visit to the Tiwi Islands, 80 kilometres north of Darwin educated me further. It was on the smaller of the Tiwi Islands - Bathurst - that Father John McGrath on that fateful day of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Australia, Destinations, My Top Ten or Five, Northern Territory Tagged With: Darwin, Darwin city tour, Darwin war history, day tour in Darwin, Tour Tubs Darwin City Tour, Tours of Darwin, where to find the history of Darwin

Never smile at a crocodile

July 7, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

The handler calls out, “Good boy Will, pick up.” On command, Will’s 690-kilogram body thrashes in the water, one large foot claws the only solid object within reach - my Perspex chamber. I watch in awe as his gigantic jaw slowly opens giving me a ridiculously close view of his huge teeth. Before I could count those pearly whites, the rows of … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Australia, Destinations, Northern Territory Tagged With: Cage of Death Darwin, Crocodiles, Crocosaurus Cove, Get close to crocodiles in the Northern Territory, mustsee in Darwin, Places to see in Darwin, Where to see crocodiles in Darwin

Sweet discovery in the Northern Territory

June 25, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

Best Tour out of Darwin The dull whirr of the floatplane’s engine makes conversation impossible inside the cabin, but the captivating view over Darwin Harbour requires no commentary. I'm with a group of five all squeezed into a Cessna 208 Caravan. Sitting directly behind the pilot, it's probably a good thing my regular "oh wow" comments remain … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adventure, Australia, Destinations, Northern Territory Tagged With: Adventure in the Northern Territory, day trips from Darwin, Fun things to do near Darwin, Outback adventures, Outback Floatplane Adventures, Tourism Top End, Where to see crocodiles in Australia

Cruising Nitmiluk Gorge

June 7, 2019 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

There are numerous ways to get up close and personal with the impressive scenery and wildlife in Nitmiluk National Park.  On this mid-May morning, I'm doing it via a boat cruise on two of the gorges in Nitmiluk (Katherine) Gorge. At the southern tip of Kakadu National Park, Nitmiluk (pronounced Nit-me-look) a Jawoyn word meaning cicada place, is … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Adventure, Australia, Destinations, Northern Territory, Solo Tagged With: Cruise on the Nitmiluk National Gorge, Katherine Gorge, Nitmiluk Gorge, Nitmiluk National Park, Northern Territory, what to see and do in the Northern Territory

Epic Aussie 4WD Journey

July 25, 2018 By Jennifer Johnston Leave a Comment

One couple’s search for their Holy Grail My good friends Cyndy and David have become explorers of Australia. With the mantra life is too short to sit at home, they have made some amazing journeys around this fabulous country I call home. With their help (and patience as there were a few interviews over cups of tea) I wrote a story about their … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Australia, Destinations, Northern Territory, Queensland, Western Australia, Why have me write for you? Tagged With: #4WD, Brisbane to Broome, Driving from Brisbane to Broome, Grey nomads in Australia, Tips on driving Brisbane to Broome, where to drive in Australia

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Who is Travel Bug Within?

A mid-life adventurer sharing stories about interesting places in an honest and occasionally sarcastic way.

I hope to tickle your wanderlust and encourage you to explore further via Travel Bug Within

Jennifer x

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