The Wet Revisited – 5 Weeks in Darwin – Update #3 Final

It was now the 24th February and the remaining time we had in Darwin was spent taking in the character and highlights of the city. The wet is a very special time of the year that has to be experienced first hand to have a full appreciation of it. The lushness of the streets and gardens is amazing. And of course the endless dramatic skies as back drop to everywhere you go. So most evenings, with esky in tow, we would head to the coastline somewhere around Darwin to experience the sunsets. Ahh! Cool beer or white wine while watching the setting sun – what could possibly be more enjoyable despite the minimum over night temperatures of 29°C so the evenings were still more than 30°C.

Customs/ Immigration Control vessel – Stokes Hill Wharf

The Points of Interest that we visited were,

• War Museum at East Point. This has been recently established and is very good with some brilliant audio visuals and artifacts. A must see if you are in Darwin. During WWII, Darwin was hit with 64 bombing raids by the Japanese, the first one occurring on the 19 Feb 1942, so it was very poignant that we visited the Museum a couple of days after the anniversary of that first raid.
• Parap Market on a Saturday morning. Nice and early to have Laksa for breakfast from “Mary’s”. We did this on consecutive Saturday mornings – brilliant. While the girls shopped the guys went just around the corner to the:
• “Qantas Hangar” to check out the Motor Vehicle Enthusiasts Club. The Qantas Hangar is left over from when Hudson Fysh Avenue, now a major road in Darwin, was the original Darwin Aerodrome. The Avenue is named after one of the founders of “Qantas Empire Airways” and was last used as an Airstrip in 1946.

Inside the Quantas Hangar – Parap

Would you be sexist if you said this is obviously a woman’s car.

• Darwin Waterfront Precinct: This area has a free swimming lagoon, free of Crocodiles and Box Jellyfish (which are deadly at this time of year). There is also a wave pool for those who like to have some fun in the waves. The area is lined with a number of excellent Restaurants, not to mention the food stalls that are at the end of Stokes Hill Wharf (BYO or License).
• Indo Pacific Marine: A very interesting tourist attraction which is very well presented. Provides a lot of information on Box Jellyfish and other marine creatures in the top end. Well worth a visit.
• Doctors Gully Fish feeding: Enthralling – a great variety of fish come into doctors gully to be fed.
• Crocodylus Park: A must see, but leave plenty of time and enjoy all it has to offer. Take the boat trip on the lagoon – it is a must do.

Jumping for food is apparently natural behavior for a croc.

Chris and Di check out a juvenile croc. Mouth well taped up

Crocodylus Park Lagoon Cruise.

• Darwin Aviation Museum. Believe it or not, there is a complete B52 bomber inside this amazing museum plus an F111 and several other aircraft.

We were invited by our mates Ron and Sonya to once again experience there 1959 Caddy and head to Fishermans Wharf where there is a a gathering of car enthusiasts on the evening of the first Friday in the Month to show off their vehicles. That done we bought take away and sat on the seafront and had dinner in a balmy 30°C evening.

The Crew – sans yours truly (taking photo) – ready to leave for the wharf.

The 59 Caddy lined up to on Fisherman’s Wharf – Prawning Trawler in the background.

View Towards Darwin City from Fisherman’s Wharf

Unfortunately it all too quickly came to an end. After handing back the house to Ken and Sheila, we stayed in the Novatel for two nights, and had one final dinner at the Trailer Boat Club, our favourite spot for an evening meal.

Ken and Sheila ferried us to the Airport the following morning and we arrived home in cool Melbourne about 6 pm on Thursday the 12th March (after having not experienced a minimum temperature below about 27°C for the past 5 weeks) . A wonderful 5 week experience of the Top End in the wet season.

See below  a gallery of photos from around Darwin. Mostly the amazing wet season skies. Different every evening and change dramatically during the evening. Sensational. Sorry to bore you with them but I like them so hopefully you may too.

Till our next adventure:-