MOLLY BAXTER: There’s no excuse for boredom in the NT, with plenty on offer in the Wet or Dry. So fill ya boots

HAVING only been in the Territory for just over one year, I’m certainly no local but I have no doubt I’ll be one of those people who say they’ll stay here two years and 15 years later they’ve got a rural property in Humpty Doo with eight buffaloes, 65 fishing rods and a camping collection bigger than Anaconda.

I have fallen in love with the Territory. The quirky characters, amazing weather, lifestyle and opportunities are like nowhere else I’ve ever been, and I’ve lived in five states. I’ve thrown myself into sport, made friends that will last a lifetime and have had incredible adventures that I’ll treasure forever.

Saying that, it must go as no surprise that I get really bloody annoyed when people whinge about there being nothing to do in the Territory. In this job particularly, I hear it often. “Darwin is boring”, “There’s nothing to do”, “I’m so bored here”, “Darwin is shit”.

In a place where it’s summer 24/7, your argument is completely irrelevant, so let me just list a few things to do when you think there’s really nothing to do.

Nightcliff and Parap markets run all year round. Wet or Dry, you can spend the morning wandering around, eating laksa and spring rolls and prawn toast until your heart is content. If you’re lucky, like me, and live in the northern suburbs, these two places are easily accessible by bike. Why not add a bike basket and take your Parap laksa down to East Point and have a picnic? That’s easily a couple of hours of your morning done. In the Dry, I grab a six-pack of beer and ride my bike down to Mindil Beach Markets and grab some food, set my blanket up and watch the sunset. I don’t think I’ll ever get sick of it.

The outdoors surrounds us in the most magnificent display that nature has to offer. Berry Springs, Litchfield National Park, Dundee Beach and Katherine and surrounds are all either a short day trip or a weekend away. Pack a lunch and enjoy Berry Springs or spend the day at Litchfield. Have you been to Mataranka Hot Springs?

Have you seen the amazing colours at Bitter Springs? What about the hike down to Southern Rockhole in Katherine Gorge? Maybe you’d prefer to take a boat trip down the Gorge or just drive to Humpty Doo and watch the jumping crocs – I’ve done it three times and I’m still not sick of it.

Being such a transient city, we’re blessed with every sport under the sun. I play hockey in the Dry and footy in the Wet. There’s also netball, touch football and surf lifesaving and if you want to learn some new skills or start a new hobby, Casuarina Adult Night Classes offers hundreds of classes from cake decorating to quilting.

Don’t forget about rugby league, rugby union, athletics and soccer and the amazing sports facility that is Marrara.

In the Dry, we get AFL and NRL teams visit and on Wednesday night I went and watched the Kookaburras take on Pakistan at an international hockey game in our own back yard.

Don’t tell me there isn’t anything to do.

I’m yet to make the road trip to Alice Springs and I’ve had the Devil’s Marbles on my hit list since I did a school project on it in grade three. I also get to go deep sea fishing in October and I’m so excited to share everything with my family who are visiting in August for the Darwin Cup.

So the next time someone tells me there isn’t anything to do in Darwin, nay, the Territory, then I’ll save this column and make them read it because this small list only skims the surface of what’s on offer in this wonderful place that I’m so happy to call home.

Molly Baxter is a journalist with the