Travel by coach through Australia’s tropical Top End to the Adelaide River, then embark on a cruise that brings you nearly face-to-jaws with jumping crocodiles. Yes, you read that right: jumping, snaggle-toothed, claw-footed crocs. And we’re not talking about little hops, these are full-tilt leaps of almost a full body length out of the water. But first things first: the Adelaide is one of eight Northern Territory rivers whose expansive floodplains create a great expanse of coastal wetland – a perfect habitat for all sorts of unique animals and plant life. Including crocodiles. It will be very relaxing – but don’t relax too much because any minute you might see the tell-tale ripples signaling an approaching reptile. You’ll want to have your camera poised in hopes of capturing that breathtaking moment when the croc breaks the water and vaults out in a shower of spray, scales and muscle. It’s a primal, surprising thrill you won’t soon forget.

Visit a 1,000-acre natural bushland park where every manner of Aussie wildlife can be encountered. After a scenic coach drive from Darwin to Territory Wildlife Park, you’ll be oriented by park staff equipped with maps and helpful suggestions, then see loose to chart your own preferred course through the array of native animal exhibits and experiences available here. There’s no need to hike the four miles of trails that wind among the woodlands, wetlands and tropical forest, either – shuttles circulate around the entire park, providing informative commentary as they move from one stop to another. Among the most popular are the underwater walk-through aquarium, where you’re surrounded by gliding whip rays and other colorful marine life, and a Nocturnal House that offers a rare glimpse into the curious lives and habits of many species seldom seen in the wild. Another special enclosure holds impressive scheduled performances where the park’s birds of prey show off their skills in full flight. At a pre-determined time, you’ll return to the designated pick-up point for the return to Darwin.

Enjoy a journey through Darwin and its history, visiting sites that chronicle a rich, multicultural past. This cosmopolitan, relaxed capital of the Northern Territory has ties not just to Australia but to the Asian nations just across the Timor Sea to its north – many of which have imparted their flavor to the melting pot here. You’ll see this laid out in artistic terms on a visit to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory – its collection brimming with Aboriginal, Southeast Asian and Oceanic artworks as well as modern Australian fine art. The sizable Indigenous artifacts gallery reveals much about the peoples who were living in the area long before the HMS Beagle called in 1839 and left behind the name Darwin. Another gallery presents a realistic recreation of what happened when Cyclone Tracy came to call on Darwin on Christmas Eve, 1974. Visiting the Fannie Bay Gaol Museum, you’ll see a cruder side of Darwin’s heritage. Active from 1883 through 1979, this prison – complete with chilling old gallows section – kept the local peace with a harsh hand. A drive with photo stops at the botanic gardens and scenic East Point rounds out this well-rounded city survey.

Sit back and relax on a delightful orientation tour of Darwin harbor, twice the size of Sydney’s and full of history. While this Northern Territory capital is both cosmopolitan and charming, it’s so distant from the rest of Australia that most visitors know little about it. This leisurely, narrated cruise aboard a chartered tour vessel is an ideal way to fill in those gaps. You’ll learn about the flurry of Japanese air attacks Darwin endured during 1942-43, costing 300 lives and sinking a dozen ships in the harbor. And how the tides here vary by as much as 26 feet between high and low. Traveling through a saltwater loch and into the harbor, you’ll pass the suburb of Larrakeyah, the Naval Patrol boat base and Doctors Gully, home to an unusual local attraction – the hundreds of fish that come to shore at high tide to be fed by hand. Rounding the Darwin Esplanade, you’ll be able to see your ship berthed in the wharf precinct. Watch the sights glide by, enjoy some refreshment on board, and be on the lookout for naval vessels from all over the world in the waters of this decidedly multicultural city.

You don’t need to be a buff to be blown away by this tour of sights showcasing Darwin’s wartime heritage. This tropical city on the Timor Sea played a pivotal role in the battle against the Japanese during World War II, as Northern Territory airfields were used to carry out bombing and anti-intruder sorties. But war always has its cost, and these provocations of the enemy made Darwin a constant target for retaliatory bombings. Some 64 air raids rained down on Darwin over a two-year period, resulting in many lost Australian lives and 12 sunken ships in the harbor. You can see actual film footage of the bombings along with many other wartime artifacts during your visit to East Point Military Museum, out on a scenic spit of land at the harbor entrance. Heading further inland, you’ll tour the sprawling aircraft collection at the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre. The showstopper here is a massive B-52 bomber on permanent loan from the U.S., but also on display are a B-25 Mitchell, Mirage and Sabre jet fighters, a US Army Huey Cobra with rocket pods and Gatling gun, a Mark VIII Spitfire replica and the fascinating wreckage of a Japanese Mitsubishi Zero.