Best watering holes in the Northern Territory

BABY crocodile racing and the Esky Olympics are just the beginning of weird and wacky sites on offer in the Top End. Here’s how to make the most of them.

The world’s longest pub crawl stops by the waterholes of Kakadu. Picture: Tourism NT

TOURING the Northern Territory is thirsty work.

Thankfully, there are plenty of watering holes along the stretch of highway from Darwin to Alice Springs. In fact, Tourism NT has designed a road trip they claim is the longest pub crawl in the world, taking in sights such as Kakadu along the way.

“The local pub is still the centre of activity in outback Australia, and there’s always something happening that you’d definitely never see anywhere else — like baby crocodile racing at the Berry Springs Pub just an hour out of Darwin,” said marketing director Suzanne Morgan.

“The Esky Olympics at the Larrimah Hotel just two hours south of Katherine are also a local favourite. Where else would you get the chance to Instagram yourself riding a motorised Esky in a race? It’s all in good fun and there’s nothing that can compare to a good old-fashioned Aussie pub crawl in the NT.”

Here’s how it works:

1. CAPITAL COLDIES

Darwin’s Mindil Beach is famous for spectacular sunsets.

Starting in Darwin, head to Dinah Beach Cruising Yacht Association where popping into the shaded open-air bar feels more like swinging by a friend’s shed. The old-school harbour-front bar is a 10-minute stroll from the city centre.

A little further from the CBD is the Darwin Sailing Club, which faces Fannie Bay. Park a plastic chair under a palm tree to admire one of the Top End’s brilliant sunsets while slurping a cold beer.

At Cullen Bay Marina, the carnival-themed eatery Lola’s Pergola offers not only a view of the vessels in dock but unusual craft beers, too (flavours include mango and taco).

2. TASTE OF KAKADU

You can feast on local kangaroo and crocodile at Cooinda Lodge.

Now it’s time to head 305km southeast into Kakadu National Park and refuel at Cooinda Lodge’s Barra Bar & Bistro. Pair an ice-cold brew with the bistro’s Kakadu Tasting Platter — a tasty bush-tucker spread that includes barramundi, chargrilled buffalo sausages, kangaroo fillet and smoked crocodile.

“It’s really a community hub out here. It’s not just visitors — and that makes it quite unique,” said Cooinda Lodge general manager Brett Skinner.

“It’s one of those places where you can sit down and have a cold beer and a chat to the locals and traditional owners of the land, after a cruise down the Yellow Water Billabong. We have the pub here, but we’ve also got the cultural centre where the ladies weave, and they often come in and tell stories.”

3. WHERE CUPS RUNNETH OVER

The Daly Waters Pub has an interesting history thanks to a lost bet.

Next stop is the quirky Daly Waters Pub, just off the Stuart Highway 530km south of Cooinda Lodge. The place is draped in memorabilia of an eye-catching kind: it’s said women started leaving behind their bras after female passengers lost a drinking bet with a coach driver in the 1980s. The bras are part of the colourful history of the pub, which dates back to 1930. Over the years, patrons have witnessed main-street shootouts and cattle stampedes. It’s also said there’s a resident ghost.

4. A DRY RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT

Alice Springs is an interesting destination for travellers of all ages.

It’s a marathon trek on to Alice Springs (about 915km), where you can quench your thirst at the Todd Tavern. The old-style corner pub is located across the road from the Todd River, the dry riverbed running through Alice’s heart. The view changes dramatically, though, if heavy rain falls in the catchment area.

Luckily, the tavern’s liquid refreshments are more reliably available. For a more modern vibe, head three blocks south to Monte’s, which blurs the boundaries between pub and restaurant.

5. CLOCK THE ROCK

An NT road trip wouldn’t be complete without the Top End’s most iconic site.

The final destination on the world’s longest pub crawl is Uluru, another 460km down the Stuart and Lasseter highways. Ayers Rock Resort, about 20km from the Rock, is where you’ll find the Outback Pioneer Hotel and Lodge, the closest thing to an outback pub experience in the area.

At the Pioneer BBQ & Bar, dinner is a cook-it-yourself affair — diners sizzle their own steak, kangaroo, emu sausages or barramundi on the barbie — while the Outback Pioneer Kitchen does light meals at picnic-style tables. The hotel is at its most lively the night before the annual Uluru Camel Cup in late May when camels visit the pub. Punters bid on a beast they hope will win at the track the following day.