Darwin

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Darwin is the state capital of the Northern Territory. It is home to about 150,000 people. We got there from Cairns and enjoyed the nice ambiance of this laid back capital. 

Enjoying a drink at sunset in Darwin 

The views from the esplanade are very beautiful. Darwin has a short history during which two notable things happened. A WWII bombing raid by the Japanese Imperial forces and a massive destruction from cyclone Tracy. 

We visited the military museum where we learnt more about the bombing. As a matter of fact they had 2 raids. The bombings were less than those of Pearl Harbour, but relatively big still. The level of devastation was less both in equipment and human lives as the Australians had prepared themselves for this possibility. 

The other notable historical event, cyclone Tracy, hit Darwin on Christmas Day 1974 with a devastating force. With winds blowing at 300km/h and gusts reaching 320km/h the wooden houses covered with corrugated iron sheets did not have much of a chance. Several thousands people lost their homes and many others unfortunately perished. There is an exhibition dedicated to cyclone Tracy at the Darwin Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory. 

Girls posing in front a beautiful aboriginal art painting

We also visited some markets and museums where we were treated to a very special session in the planetarium. We saw a movie about the landing on the moon. It was great and Mara loved it. 

One of the many scenes set for the Darwin festival

The Darwin festival was going on while we were there. We went there a couple of times and really enjoyed both times. 

Sunset from the waterfront

After Darwin, we move on to our last stop of the trip : Singapore.


























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