“I have never been as mesmerised as I am now; the panoramic views are breathtaking...”

of crocs swim beside the airboat as we coast slowly, unperturbed by our intrusion. Here, you aren’t allowed to feed the crocs or do anything that runs contrary to their natural way of life – which probably explains how unruffled they are by our presence.

As we motor along, we spot a group of baby crocodiles nesting by the riverbank. Despite the ferocious size of their mum (who is a safe distance away), each baby croc is no longer than a 15cm ruler. It’s hard to imagine that these tiny creatures will grow to an average of 5m. Everyone on board keeps still and silent as we watch the babies dive into the water and resurface, forming pools of little bubbles – this, incidentally, is a quick way to spot an emerging crocodile.

I take in my last sunset in the oatplane on my way back to Darwin, chiding myself for neglecting Northern Territory the entire time I had lived in Brisbane (ve years). “Pretty, isn’t it,” says the tourist beside me. Pretty? I have never been as mesmerised as I am now; the panoramic views are breathtaking – majestic rock formations, dense monsoon forests with rivers meandering through them and oodplains that extend as far as the eye can see. And to think that all this is just a four-hour ight away from sunny Singapore.

Silkair ies to Darwin six days a week. For more information, visit www.silkair.com.