Darwin…revisited

After a week focussing on the kitting out of 'Stan' there had been little tourist activity and as such had been getting a little frustrated with the city. Attempts had been made at working by signing on to various job agencies, distributing CVs but to no avail. It was time to explore and make the best out of the time in the middle!

The Aviation Heritage Centre ($12pp) just up the road from our caravan park was first stop. It prides itself on having a large B-52 American bomber within a custom-made hangar. The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) was heavily involved with the construction of a special runway and transportation of various items within the museum. QANTAS, Australia's national airline also helped contribute with the transportation of several exhibits from around Australia as well as Europe and Asia.

Fighter planes, helicopters, heritage projects and military vehicles scattered the floor and were accompanied by detailed information boards about female aviation pioneers, Japanese attacks and the Battle of Australia as well as the commercial activities. All in all a very good afternoon - once we'd left it was amazing to realise how many hours had been spent here.

Heading out armed with both cameras, sunny skies and a no-nonsense attitude, it was time to hit the streets! The Tree of Knowledge, a local and traditional landmark appeared first…

     

…followed by a memorial musical instrument in honour of HMS Beagle and her famous botanist, Charles Darwin, from where the city gets its name.

 

The rebuilt cathedral and ruins from old buildings in the city scattered the area mixed with the new buildings that represents the modern Darwin. The Heritage & Cultural Walk is a definite must and gave us an insight into Darwin's past. Historic buildings are well signed and not too far apart which made it a bit more appealing although a Chai Latte, Flat White and homemade Apple cake helped refresh us!!! The wartime involvement of Darwin is greatly documented and for many visitors alike made us realise the scale of the damage the Japanese bombers caused to the city.

   

 

Cullen Bay, a local waterside area and home to the wealthy was also visited. Unfortunately it was a grey day that made it a bit tricky for everyone in the city to comprehend, but was nice to walk around watching the boats bob up and down in the marina and guess the prices of the massive homes the other side of the bay. It was a bit like Sandbanks and Salterns Marina combined for those in Poole. From Cullen Bay, a boat trip can be taken to Mundorah for $23pp although expensive restaurants and bars would await us so declined that one.. A few chapters of the boats and a read about the forthcoming Darwin Festival was the plan instead.

   

The East Point Military Musuem was a dedicated facility to provide visitors with a much better insight into the military buildup around the city. It houses many artefacts from the war but also is brought right up to date with exhibits from a recent amnesty on weapons following a shooting in Tasmania with an automatic weapon. Military specification weapons astounded the authorities who under the terms of the amnesty would pay the retail price for any handed in. It cost the government many millions of dollars! Fortifications, large shore guns, mobile weapons and vehicles were all dotted around the site that was very good.

 

 

The Fannie Bay Gaol was the final touristy thing undertaken in the week after Kakadu. Free entry to the old jail of Darwin gave an incredible view of the harsh conditions inmates would have indurred. Even carrying water and wearing hats and staying in the shade both of us were unbelievably hot. The cells were opened up to look round as was the medical facility that houses the hangman's noose. The story behind the hanging of Jerry Coci and Jonus Nopoty, Romanian immigrants who were charged with murder. Their execution was the jails last back in 1952.

 

The Deckchair Cinema $13pp offers visitors the chance to sit in deckchairs and watch a projected film in the evening. It was a fab thing to do on our last night taking in 'Nordface', a German subtitled film about the attempts to scale the Eiger mountain for the glory of the Third Reich. Not a happy go lucky film but good all the same. The boys enjoyed it too especially with a glass of red wine and free insect repellent.

The Darwin Wave Pool and Wharf area was another great thing to do...for only $5pp we spent an afternoon bouncing up and down on bodyboards and rubber tubes within the many different wave settings. 20mins on and 10mins off to allow the jet turbines powering the wave machines gave plenty of time to relax in the shallows or general swimming around. Lifeguards humoured the crowds whilst keeping an eye out :) Unfortunately Amber managed to lose a pair of sunglasses whilst here..