Friday

The first thing I noticed today is the smell of frangipani they are everywhere and the smell is wonderful.

I have a late start this morning so it’s already steamy when I head to the NT Gallery & Museum, I go straight to the cafe for coffee, I suddenly realise I can see the sea from my seat.

The combination of gallery and museum under one roof works really well. There is a core exhibition about Cyclone Tracey which devastated Darwin on Christmas Day 1974. You get a real sense of the before, during and after Tracey. There is even a sound both you can go into to hear the cyclone. It must have been terrifying!

Between the Moon and Stars is a fantastic collection of art both contemporary, indigenous, photographic and multimedia. The first piece that grabbed me was this photograph called Earthrise, just before I left Sydney I watched a documentary on this photograph. Earthrise was taken by Astronaut William Anders and is the first photograph taken of earth from space in 1968. This photo of the print does not do it justice, I was so thrilled to find it here today.

In 1986 when Hayley’s Comet last appeared I was 18. I went to watch it from the beach in Napier NZ we sat on trailers and looked to night sky till the morning. This painting is by Jack Jakamarra Ross, I wonder where he was when he painted it. The next sighting will be in 2062, better put it in the diary. (Love to hear where you were, and did you see Hayley’s Comet in 1986).

Ok so I now know these are Magnetic Termite Mounds not Ants nests, this is a replica of one similar to the ones I saw from the bus on Thursday. They have a North South side to minimise exposure to the sun. Clever little buggers.

From the gallery I headed into town firstly for a hair cut, this heat and humidity demand a short hair cut! My hairdresser immigrated here with his wife 6months ago from Sri Lanka, he has not been anywhere else in Australia he will stay in Darwin for maybe two years.

Then I visited Christ Church Cathedral in the heart of the city. The original Cathedral built in 1902 was bombed during the Japanese attacks on Darwin in February 1942, rebuilt after the war by service men it was flattened in Cyclone Tracey the new church incorporated the remaining original stone entrance way.

Distance Traveled 7KM

Distance Walked 7KM

Cost of a hair cut in Darwin $40.00

Saturday

To get around today I have a ticket for the Hop on Hop off bus, great way to see the sights if you don’t have a car. Firstly I head to the Parap Markets, there are so many street food stalls here, famous for Laksa and Lassi I try a mango lassi which is very yum, too hot and early for a laksa for me, I find one stand selling Portuguese Tarts (my most favourite of things) and Cod Balls both hit the spot. Luna New Year is still being celebrated here. There are drummers and lion dancers it’s all very exciting!

Next stop is the Military Museum at East Point, there is a collection of Darwin’s strong military background, oral histories on the air attacks in 1942 including a very dramatic 13MIN movie with eye witness accounts and footage. In amongst the collection I read about Arthur Murch an official war artist in WW2. In 1925 he won an award for his sculpture and traveled to Europe in the story about him he is quoted …..”as if I were a pilgrim transversing the years”

I ended the day with Barra & Chips on Stokes Hill Wharf, a local told me to be there before 6PM and to stay for the show, he was right!

Distance Traveled 35KM

Distance Walked 8KM

Sunday

This morning it rained, big heavy rain drops! I waited till it stopped and walked to George Brown Botanical Gardens, these are named after the much loved longest serving mayor of Darwin. 80% of the garden was lost in Tracey, they are the most tropical garden I have been in and I especially loved the African Madagascar Garden because I love Boab Trees. There is a large collection of all different sorts, they are fantastic. I think they are a very feminine looking tree, a bit like a Nana waving her arms around.

As I was heading towards the exit I saw a young guy I first saw in Victoria, then SA, then Alice and now Darwin we talked a while and I missed my bus, what are the chances though!

Got to the Hop on Hop off stop to get the next bus, as I was standing there in the heat looking a bit of a sight (very red & dripping wet) families are leaving the AFL park near by (how they play in the heat I don’t know) slowly there is only me and no cars and no bus yet, I started to get a bit worried, a Dad and his Son came over and ask if I’m waiting for the Bus and I said yes the tour bus, they offered me a lift to a suburb I didn’t know so I thanked them and said I would wait a bit longer as I said it I chocked up and tears welled, that was so kind of them, humans are awesome!

The bus arrived and I did one final circumnavigation of Darwin into the city straight to a trendy bar with great air con cold beer and soft tacos, wonderful!

From East Point Darwin CBD is in the distance.

The next thing I did was to make a pilgrimage to the house where Belinda my friend from Sydney spent time as a child with her family. It’s now a very nice looking restaurant with a wonderful ocean view.

The Larrakia are the Traditional Custodians of this area. Originally called Palmerston by the British in 1869 it was changed to Darwin in 1911 after Charles Darwin, he didn’t actually visit here but he sailed with the crew of HMS Beagle who did and they first named the Harbour after him. Darwin has had a tough time over the years, all the locals I talked with love living here, some remember the Cyclone and one had an Uncle who told him stories of the bombers. Thank you Carlene for all your suggestions they have made this a great visit.

Distance Traveled 20KM

Distance Walked 7KM

Departure Time to Brisbane 1:05AM