![\"Jim](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/006-Kakadu11.jpg\")
Jim Jim Falls Kakadu just after the wet (Photo: Tourism NT)<\/p><\/div>\n
\u201cI love the unpredictability of the big storms and how you can get drenched and not feel cold, but rather exhilarated and alive,\u201d says Kakadu National Park threatened species officer Shiona Macdonald. \u201cBeing muddy and wet up here doesn\u2019t matter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Fancy yourself a storm chaser?<\/h2>\n
If you love a Christmas drama, watch the skies light up with magnificent electrical storms. One of the best places to enjoy the wild weather is from one of the eateries at Darwin\u2019s historic Stokes Hill Wharf. Our pick is Crustaceans on the Wharf<\/a>, where you can dine on wild-caught barramundi and chilli Singaporean-style mud crab while soaking up the ocean views.<\/p>\n Stokes Hill Wharf. Image by Tourism NT<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cWhen Christmas rolls around in the Top End, Mother Nature reminds us,\u201d says Tourism NT deputy CEO Andrew Hopper. She puts on a show of ruby-red Darwin sunsets and the summer rains add a lushness to the tropical greenery in our parks and reserves.<\/p>\n\n \u201cAnd to help get Territorians into the festive mood \u2013 not that we need encouraging \u2013 our sultry nights and summer lightning storms add a touch of festive bling to the season.\u201d<\/p>\n Swimming at Christmas is as quintessentially Australian as cooking a feast on the barbie, and there are plenty of safe and beautiful areas to take a dip in the NT. Swap the surf crowds of Byron for the fun vibes of Darwin Waterfront<\/a>, where there\u2019s a gentle beach and family-friendly wave pool.<\/p>\n Cool off at the Darwin Waterfront wave pool and lagoon.<\/p><\/div>\n You won\u2019t be able to swim in the waterholes of Kakadu and other parks (wet season = more crocs) but the City of Darwin understands the need to cool down and has provided plenty of water parks (and check out our reasons why you should still visit Kakadu<\/a> in the wet season). Families will love Leanyer Recreation Park<\/a>, where there is a splash zone, slides and a large pool. It\u2019s closed on Christmas Day but open Christmas Eve and Boxing Day. And did I mention it\u2019s free?<\/p>\n Peering at Motor Car Falls atop a giant boulder (photo: Jennifer Pinkerton).<\/p><\/div>\n Sure, the wet season means fewer natural waterholes to swim in thanks to saltwater crocodiles moving in, but the trade-off is that the waterfalls are in full flow. It\u2019s one of the main reasons travellers love Christmastime in the NT. Let Santa gift you a scenic flight<\/a> over the magnificent Jim Jim Falls and you\u2019ll instantly be transported out of World Heritage-listed Kakadu and into Jurassic Park; check out Kakadu Air<\/a>\u00a0(and read all about our favourite Kakadu tours<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n Litchfield National Park\u2019s waterfalls are also a sight to behold in December, with Wangi Falls a highlight. Some roads and walking tracks close over summer, but most of the park is open year-round and there are viewing platforms from which you can watch the falls.<\/p>\n The cooling Oasis of Wangi Falls deep inside Litchfield Park.<\/p><\/div>\n It\u2019s no secret the NT lures fishermen from around Australia thanks to the mighty barramundi, and one of the best ways to catch fishing fever is by signing up to the Million Dollar Fish<\/a> competition. Held over summer (October to March), it\u2019s the Territory\u2019s largest fishing competition thanks to its whopping jackpot (check out our guide to\u00a0NT fishing<\/a> in the wet season).<\/p>\n Fishing at Yellow Water River with a spectacular sunset glowing in the distance.<\/p><\/div>\n A butterfly in Darwin’s George Brown Botanic Gardens<\/p><\/div>\n Tourism NT has dubbed the wet the \u2018green season\u2019 for good reason \u2013 the vegetation flourishes over Christmas and well into summer. It makes for the perfect time to take a stroll through the tropical George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens<\/a>\u00a0(read more about the gardens in our Darwin guide<\/a>), earmarked for a $9.9 million facelift in 2019. In the lead up to Christmas, the gardens host carols by candlelight and have a Christmas tree lights display.<\/p>\n Kicking off the festive season in the Red Centre<\/a> is the Alice Springs Christmas Carnival<\/a>. Held at the start of December, the heart of Alice thrives with buskers and street performers, market stalls and food vendors.<\/p>\n\n Back in Darwin<\/a>, you can enjoy Christmas feasting of an untraditional kind at Rapid Creek Markets<\/a>, where stalls overflow with a wonderful array of Thai herbs, vegetables and desserts. The markets are open year-round and, just 20 minutes from the city, are easy to get to.<\/p>\n The West MacDonnell Ranges from the road AKA The Red Centre Way<\/p><\/div>\n Yes, some roads around the NT will be closed as frequent downpours make them impassable to everything other than a boat, but not everywhere is off limits. The aforementioned Litchfield<\/a> is open and is only 120 kilometres south-east of Darwin. Kakadu<\/a> is also open, and a highlight of any trip to the NT is a journey on the park\u2019s beautiful Yellow Water Billabong with Indigenous-owned Yellow Water Cruises<\/a>\u00a0(read up on the Yellow Water Cruises<\/a> and our other favourite tours). Operating 12 months of the year, be wowed this Christmas by getting close to estuarine (saltwater) crocodiles. Other wildlife, such as golden tree snakes, black-necked storks and Jesus birds, are also bound to impress.<\/p>\n Enjoy a Yellow Water Cruise at sunset through the Kakadu wetlands (photo: David Hancock).<\/p><\/div>\n Check the NT\u2019s weather-dependent roads here<\/a>.<\/p>\n Christmas can be expensive, so let\u2019s not overlook one of the main drawcards for spending the holiday season in the NT \u2013 it\u2019s cheaper. That\u2019s bound to please even the grumpiest of Scrooges, who\u2019ll be able to scrimp on discounted flights, accommodation and attractions. Perfectly positioned Cooinda Lodge in Kakadu, for example, has special festive-season rates; book through kakadutourism.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n Open air dining par excellence: Longitude 131, Uluru.<\/p><\/div>\n If budget isn\u2019t of concern and you want to experience some of the NT\u2019s seriously seductive resorts, Christmas could be the perfect time. At the exclusive Longitude 131\u00b0<\/a>\u00a0(read our review of Longitude 131\u00b0<\/a>) you can start Christmas Day with a special pre-dawn guided tour of Kata Tjuta, and later enjoy a shared-style seafood lunch with local bush flavours. That beats Aunty Susan\u2019s pavlova any day, right?<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/12stokes-hill-wharfTNT.jpg\")
Yes, you can swim<\/h2>\n
![\"Lagoon](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/09\/Vibe-3.jpg\")
The waterfalls are working<\/h2>\n
![\"Kakadu](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/06\/7517ATKakadu_1000x584px2.png\")
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/NT1.jpg\")
There are fish in the sea<\/h2>\n
![\"Fishing](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Fishing-Yellow-Water-Kakadu_.jpg\")
Gardens are green<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/03\/Out-and-About-in-Darwin-6-of-12.jpg\")
The list goes on<\/h2>\n
Not all roads are closed<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/10\/The-West-MacDonnel-Ranges-Tourism-NT1.jpg\")
![\"kakadu](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/Yellow-Water-Cruise.jpg\")
Embrace your inner Scrooge<\/h2>\n
![\"Dining](\"https:\/\/s1.at.atcdn.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/05\/LON_DIN_131_ASmart_H02_H_longitude.jpg\")