21 July, 2012 - Sight-seeing in Darwin

We're very impressed with Darwin - it is a relaxed, easy-going tropical city with an enviable outdoor life-style.  Following its war-time bombing & the ravages of Cyclone Tracy, in 1974, it has been re-built in a very attractive manner.  The staff at the Information Centre were very helpful with leaflets, suggestions & ideas.

We particularly enjoyed our visit to Parliament House, which has been designed to harmonise with the tropical climate.  The white colour of the building contrasts beautifully with the lush green of lawns & foliage around it.  The Main Hall is very grand & has a lovely garden, with fountain outside its doors, which overlooks the beach & the sea.



Shopping Mall





 

I was especially delighted to see the Darwin Commemorative Wall Quilt, which is housed in the Library of Parliament House.  It contains approximately 1600 patches recording almost 2000 names of people who lived & worked in the Northern Territory during the 2nd World War.  There are also 20 pictures of sites that would have been familiar to the people of Darwin at the time.

We also visited the Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, which features the region's art, natural history & culture from ancient times to the modern day.  There is a Cyclone Tracy exhibition, which shows the devastation that occurred in 1974 & also attempts to re-create the noise that resulted from the highest winds ever recorded on the Australian mainland.

Finally, we drove around the coast, enjoying beautiful views of the scenery.

Back at the campsite, Judy & Charlie were waiting for us to have a meal with them at the local pub.  Barramundi - delicious!