IF you are a keen reader of The Race Torque, or listen to the On the Grid Podcast, you would know we love the annual trek to Darwin for the Hidden Valley Supercars event.

WORDS & IMAGES: Mark Walker

Sure, Bathurst is Bathurst, and nothing beats the tradition of the 1000, and the Gold Coast puts on the best party of the season, but THE go to event of the year is the hike north in escape of the Winter.

It’s a holiday with a side serve of car racing during the day.

Darwin itself is completely unlike anyplace else on the motorsport calendar – every other stop else has an element of sameness to it, but the NT is just different.

The only downside, if there is one, is that you go all that distance and don’t get a passport stamp or duty free swag… although crafty individuals have routed their itinerary via Bali for a discounted airfare over the domestic routes!

Whether you can technically get to Darwin right now is a moot point: save your pennies, and when the world allows it, head up there.

So here goes, the ten things I love about going to Hidden Valley Raceway.

1. It’s a Street Circuit at a Permanent Facility

HIDDEN Valley is just a cool place.

The circuit itself is a real compromise – a 1.1km long straight, with a 1.77km wiggle that is home 14 different twists and turns.

The local folk are suitably proud of the place – the Supercars visit is the biggest sporting event in the Territory every year, and subsequently, they have continued to invest heavily in the facilities, with each passing visit seeing something new and improved added to the infrastructure.

That said, the basic race track is nicely done, but for Supercars weekend, and it transformed into a venue that would stack up with any of the street circuits on the tour.

Big corporate tents are erected, shade placed around the spectator areas, with the infield dominated by a concert stage and associated paraphernalia.

It has a great vibe, and while the track and event are worth the trip alone, it would leave this top-ten list desperately short of ten items…

2. Darwin Doesn’t Do Winter

AS sad as the situation is in Melbourne right now, and as hard as it is for the teams and drivers to be on the road for an extended period away from home, being stuck in Darwin for an prolonged duration is truly not a bad outcome.

While southern states have seasons that are notably different, in Darwin, it is always 32°C, although, the portions of the year are delineated along lines of wet and dry.

August is smack bang in the middle of dry, although five years ago there were three spits of rain one morning. That was hectic…

3. Mindil Beach Markets

RACE car drivers are professionals, they are creatures of habit; race track, hotel, watch 7mate, fall asleep, repeat.

Darwin is the only stop on the calendar you will routinely see the pilots voluntarily out after dark on a school night.

A regular hangout for everyone in the circus is the Mindil Beach Markets – an awesome sea of humanity (back when large crowds were cool) of various food vans, market stalls and other tropical themed vendors.

A genuinely enjoyable experience.

4. Darwin Ski Club

JUST around the corner from the Markets is the Darwin Ski Club.

Advertising the best watering hole in town on this site probably isn’t smart – it’s the town’s best kept secret, but hell, sharing is caring.

The Ski Club features an incredibly #instaworthy sunset that will figure prominently in our upcoming Hidden Valley weekend preview…

5. Animals

THERE are lots of different animals that you won’t typically encounter where you come from.

Outside of the obvious bats that live in the media centre, or the frogs that are in the Supercars catering tents, there are also crocodiles. Lots and lots of crocodiles.

While there are multiple croc-themed attractions throughout the region, I can highly recommend Crocodylus Park – it is home to thousands of them, and if you get the chance to feed the meerkats, do it.

6. The Food is Better

THE other good thing about crocodiles is that they are edible, and local establishments are proud to serve it up to adventurous tourists.

Cooked croc is like a cross between chicken and fish, although the final product doesn’t contain the endearing qualities of either meat. It’s pretty chewy and tasteless, stick with the fish.

And on fish, the catering at the track always steps up a notch with fresh market seafood a stable of the diet of those in the paddock.

Race day lunch is always a highlight, and there are plenty of good quality feeds around town, too.

7. The NT News

WHAT a publication.

If it’s not crocodiles on the cover, it’s nudity, or UFOs, or something else that isn’t from the mainstream Murdoch press playbook.

When they started giving support category PR blokes a byline for supplied race reports, it was like Christmas and Easter rolled into one for those involved.

IT’S BEEN A SHITHOUSE YEAR.

BUT TODAY IS FRIDAY.

— The NT News (@TheNTNews) August 6, 2020

8. The History

FROM the early Aboriginal history, to the Bombing of Darwin, to Cyclone Tracy, the place has its fair share of stories to tell.

Head to the Darwin Military Museum and then to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, and there are plenty of interesting relics around town…

9. Epic Machinery to Peruse

…which leads nicely to the 1934 Qantas Hangar, a building which was extensively shelled in the Bombing, with sizable holes still strewn throughout the thick steel structure.

The hangar now is relatively far away from the present airfield, and is filled with an eclectic mix of vintage cars, bikes and all manner of other oddities.

There is no admission fee charged, but you will definitely leave a donation, it’s brilliant.

Another classic stop is the Darwin Aviation Museum, adjacent to the airport and RAAF base.

Fun fact – the airport’s runway was rated to land the Space Shuttle in case of emergencies. The more you know!

It’s a properly good air museum too, with aircraft ranging from the incredible B52 bomber to the F-111C.

10. Beer

DID I mention this list was in no particular order?

From being allowed to take glass bottles into the pool, to this incredible takeaway arrangement down by the wharf, there is always an ale nearby to counteract the constant 32°C temperature.

Seriously, take a holiday here when you can…