George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens

Founded in 1886 and rebuilt after Cyclone Tracy levelled it in 1974, Darwin's botanic gardens are among the few in the world to grow both coastal and desert tropical species. Forty-two hectares run from monsoon rainforest and a mangrove boardwalk to a celebrated collection of palms and cycads and an orchid house heavy with humidity. Baobabs and rainforest giants shade the paths, and the gardens carry deep significance for the Larrakia people, whose plant knowledge threads through the interpretation. Close to the city and free to enter, it is a green lung in the tropical Top End.