Elements

Decked out in rattan, raw timber and corrugated iron, with a cultivated jungle of tropical plants outside, Elements is a safari-style gourmet retreat in the Free Spirit Resort.

It's more upmarket than your average bush lodge, however, providing a blessedly air-conditioned and stylish haven from the steamy Darwin air.

The meals have a bit of an Asian bent - appropriately enough, given the tropical locale - but they mainly concentrate on local Northern Territory produce. Thus diners might be treated to a Thai red curry, bursting with seafood, or even some distinctly Darwin animals such as buffalo and crocodile.