George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens'

Lonely Planet review

It doesn't take a botanist to appreciate the George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens' self-guided Aboriginal plant-use walk, children's educational garden and comprehensive exhibition of the Top End's naturally occurring botany - including bulbous boabs, mangroves and coastal habitats.

Ironically, the gardens were originally established for the planting of far-off species. Rice, tobacco, coffee and peanuts were among the original plantings, as the government gardener, Holtze, attempted to establish economically viable crops in the untameable tropics. These ample gardens are named after their former curator George Brown, who was also Darwin's mayor (1992-2002).