Darwin Delights

After Katherine we stopped a night at Edith Falls giving us time to do a couple of good walks along the river to picture perfect swimming pools before heading north to Darwin. Peaceful Mt. Bundy station made a good base from which to explore the extensive Litchfield NP with a range of short walks to various waterfalls and gorges.

Pine Creek a former gold mining town led us on to Darwin the capital city of the NT and subject over the years to destruction by cyclones, WW2 bombing raids and in 1974 almost complete destruction by Cyclone Tracy. We spent a few very enjoyable days at the excellent museums, military displays and newly developed wharf areas and were surprised to learn of the extent of military activity in the area as the nation feared a Japanese invasion. The oil storage tunnels and massive gun emplacements were remarkable and the conditions at Fannie Bay Gaol thought provoking whilst another exhibition conveyed and recorded the enormous destructive force of Tracy which almost wiped the city off the map.

We enjoyed our dose of civilisation including a stroll round cosmopolitan Mindil market and stayed an extra day so now head off to the more natural wonders of Kakadu which will loop us back to Katherine in a week or so.

Latest photos here and locations here.

The slides come from NZ once more.