Let me just start by saying I have never, in all my 24 years, won anything worthwhile. Maybe a free scratch ticket here and there at Christmas, or a bit of money on the roulette tables at the casino...but not something to get overly excited about. So as I awaited the draw at Tourism NT's Melbourne event for an all expenses paid trip to the Northern Territory, I didn't have my hopes up one bit. In fact, I convinced myself I hadn't even entered to win, just to avoid any disappointment. Travelling to the NT was something I dreamed of, and my heart hurt a little more each time I booked a trip there for someone else, knowing deep down it would be a piece of Australia I wouldn't get to see before going home at the end of my visa. Much to my surprise... my name was drawn and I ended up winning! Cue jumping for joy and happy tears. What's better than travel? Travel that doesn’t rack up your credit card! I was ecstatic and couldn’t wait until the departure date, alongside some of my awesome colleagues from Peterpans who had also won! Six days away from Melbourne's rainy, grey winter in Australia's Northern Territory awaited us! 
 
We boarded the Qantas flight from Melbourne to Darwin and landed amongst sunny skies and extreme heat. Maybe it was the lack of summer in my life, but Darwin was HOT. Entering the dry season, which is the best time to see the NT, temperatures were slightly lower than in previous months but still up in the 30's. We spent the first few hours getting checked in and acquainted with the town, which is essentially made up of one major street of bars, restaurants, and shops. Right in the middle of town is the famous Crocosaurus Cove, home to Australia's creepiest reptiles, most dangerous spiders, and of course the biggest and meanest crocodile's - the same crocodiles I was about to jump in the water with! Okay, not actually, but close enough.  
 
The Cage of Death is Crocosaurus Cove's main attraction and is designed around the idea of getting up close and personal with one of the world's most prehistoric creatures while inside a cylindrical shaped cage lowered into the water. Watching these crocs in the water before entering the cage gave me a new perspective on how massive they actually are! Thinking back, I'm not sure why I wasn't more afraid to get into that cage than I was. Floating eye to eye with a creature that would 100%, without a doubt, eat me up for a mid-morning snack if he had the opportunity, was a surreal experience I doubt I will ever be able to replicate. I felt a little like Steve Irwin, just without the whole wrestling match and all. Thanks to the team at Crocosaurus Cove I also got to hold a snake, and a baby croc who I secretly wanted to take home with me - he was so cute!  
 
That evening we headed out to watch the famous sunset over Mindil Beach. Hundreds of people flock to this spot every evening to catch a glimpse of the most colourful and glorious sunset I have ever seen. Looking around and seeing people young and old simply sat on the sand in silence watching a big ball of light disappear into the sea is such a beautiful thing. I tried to capture it on camera, but even Apple couldn't replicate it. Some things you really just need to see with your own eyes.  
 
Once the sun had disappeared for another day and made room for the moon and stars, we enjoyed some bubbly and h'orderves compliments of the lovely people at Mindil Beach Sunset Markets. After wandering around the hundreds of vendors at the market we ended the night off with some ice cream and headed off to Monsoon's – Darwin's biggest bar for a good night out!  
 
Up with the sun we were ready to set out on our 3 day Northern Territory tour with Territory Expeditions. After a hearty brekkie we jumped in the truck and headed down the dusty trail towards Kakadu National Park with a few stops along the way. First was the Corrorboree Billabong for a wetlands cruise where we spotted more – you guessed it – crocs! Ubirr was next on the list and was just as fascinating as I had imagined. Ubirr is a sacred Aboriginal land located in the East Alligator region of Kakadu and is well known for it's rock art. It is also a top spot to watch the sunset over all of Kakadu, which looked a little bit like a scene straight out of The Lion King at Pride Rock! If I hadn’t already been in love with the NT, I definitely was now.  
 
We made it to our campsite without running into any large, confused animals on the road and settled in for the night with a big Aussie BBQ and drinks by the campfire. There are few things I love more in life than campfires and nights under a sky full of stars. Eventually we all set off to bed in our bunks, ready for another new day of adventure.  
 
Day two was filled with hiking and swimming in magical water holes and waterfalls such as Maguk Falls and my absolute favourite place in the world - Gunlom Falls. I'll let the images speak for themselves here but imagine the most idyllic infinity pool at a 5-star resort in the Caribbean – now imagine that in the wild, a naturally existing plunge pool, with views of the Australian Outback. Yep, pretty special. I could have stayed there all day. Definitely tops my list. We even witnessed a proposal! Future husband: take note.  
 
Another night of camping was among us, this time in classic Aussie style – swags! The way I explain swags is a "tent-bag" - not a tent, or a sleeping bag, but a mixture of both that lets you fall asleep staring up at the stars. After a few drinks in the nearby pub we tucked in for the night and I let my eyes shut while counting constellations...what a wonderful world.  
 
Our third and final day was spent driving down red dirt roads back towards Darwin via Litchfield National Park for another day of swimming in natural pools and falls such as Buley Rockhole and Wangi Falls. All too soon it was time to say goodbye to the NT's magical National Parks and spend a final night in Darwin enjoying some brilliant food, wine, and nightlife!  
 
Reflecting on my time in the Northern Territory always reminds me why it is I choose to travel and step outside my comfort zone each time I do. It reminds me that everything has beauty and if we all just stopped for a moment to watch the sunset on a beach somewhere maybe we could all bring a little more peace into the world, if not just within ourselves. I think I say this in almost all my blogs, but I just feel so fortunate to have the experiences I do and can't wait to look back on them in the future, wherever that takes me. I do hope to return to the NT someday, it is the most magical place I have ever been and has something for everyone to enjoy.  So thank you, thank you, thank you Tourism NT for this experience - you have left an imprint on my travel heart forever!  
 
That's all for now! Stay tuned for the next adventure!