1. Tiwi Islands
![Tiwi Islands Tiwi Islands](https://media.timeout.com/images/106156399/750/422/image.jpg)
![Tiwi Islands Tiwi Islands](https://media.timeout.com/images/106156399/750/562/image.jpg)
There’s a reason the Tiwi Islands are known as the ‘Islands of Smiles’. It’s because you can’t help but grin there. The two main islands – Wurrumiyanga (Bathurst) and Yermalner (Melville) – are home to 2,500 residents, famous for their traditional artworks, colourful textiles and die-hard love of football. The local ferry departs Cullen Bay in Darwin every morning at 8am on its 2.5-hour journey to Bathurst Island. Any trip to the Islands should include a visit to the renowned Tiwi Design Art Centre, a cuppa with the ‘morning tea ladies’ (a group of Tiwi women elders who bake damper and brew bill tea for visitors), and a flick of a fishing line in search of an elusive barra.
How far? 85km
Get there via ferry or with a tour group. Don’t forget to apply for a permit to visit the Tiwi Islands through the Tiwi Land Council.