Remembering Tracy

One of the different things about Darwin is that there is really nothing much that is very old...and you can put that mainly down to Cyclone Tracy. You can remember that it flatten Darwin but that really doesn't sink in until you look around and see that just about everything is relatively new. In the heart of the city, most of the "old" buildings are from the 1960's because they were strong enough to survive. This impression of Darwin was reinforced by our morning walk down to the wharfs and back through the waterfront development.

After lunch we went for a drive and visited the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. The centrepiece display for tourists is, of course, the story of Cyclone Tracy and the impact it had on Darwin. Standing in the "cyclone room", it was interesting to listen to what it sounded like...but I don't think they were playing it at full volume!

After the Museum, we drove out to East Point (to find a really old cache of course) before heading back to our motel. Dinner this evening was Thai but not before we went and finished another really old cache that we had started in the morning...a multiple step one that took us, rather conveniently, around the wharfs which is what we had intended to do anyway...promise!

A Lazy Day in Darwin

Just across the road from our motel is Bicentennial Park...where we went for a morning stroll...and, of course, finding the geocaches that are hidden along the way. After a pleasant morning in the sun we ventured into "downtown Darwin" for a little lunch before returning to our motel for a swim in the pool.

After a thoroughly lazy day, we wandered back into the centre of Darwin for dinner...pizza tonight. I have to say that thing that has surprised me about Darwin is just how small it is...smaller than Geelong I have just discovered. 

Our Top End Adventure Begins...

It was a typical grey and dreary Winter's day in Melbourne as we made our way out to Tullamarine Airport for out flight to Darwin. It had taken all the points we had amassed over several years but we were flying Business Class...very pleasant if you can manage it...and really the only way to make a four hour flight.

Just after 2:00pm we took off from Melbourne and climbed through the clouds to leave the winter gloom behind. About half way through our flight we passed by Lake Eyre...quite impressive from 37,000 feet...and landed in Darwin in time for a bright yellow sunset.

We picked up our car for the next 13 days...an almost new Toyota Corolla...and headed into Darwin to the Palm City Resort where we are staying for the next few days. After dropping our bags in our room it was back in the car and off to the Mindil Beach Sunset Market...a pleasant way to end the day!