May 30, 2009

Basically done very little and been spoilt by our hosts.

We found a very different Darwin to the one we saw in early 1972 pre Cyclone Tracey and pre the city it has become since. The Darwin we remember was a large rambling country town around the size of Traralgon and Morwell joined together. The population when Tracey struck in 74 was only 48,000. In 72 we stayed at the Council Caravan Park on the foreshore and the hospital was a smallish thing in the city somewhere now it's a huge building in sight of the house here in Lyons (Casaurina area). There were no dual traffic roads into the city and the outer edge of the city started after the Air force Base. Again one of the biggest changes in Darwin as is the same elsewhere we visited on our original trip is the nationalising of the retail world.

Green's garage or the Bennett family grocery store have been replaced by nationally recognised brands, stores ,and expected service levels. A huge shopping centre we visit in any city here could be a mirror image of anywhere else. Quite a tribute to the difference a well-functioning Transport and Logistics Supply Chain (largely road) can make. In that vein, my favourite TV add is the Woolworth's / Safeway adds telling us what fresh fruit and veggies are available nationally which is a testament to the responsiveness and efficiency of road transport in this country.

Saturday we attended our first ever Motocross Meet (Barry competing) which took Norm back to his experiences in his early days of motorbike ownership at 17 / 18 years of age tearing around the bush and abandoned quarries and the like. The road is much safer I've decided! No injuries so it was a good meet.



Barry in full flight over the smaller of the two large jumps on a practice round. He looked spectacular over the bigger one (100 foot long) and got as much height and distance as anyone but it was too distant to do it justice on the picture side of things.

Sunday saw us head to Mindl Market and then make our selections from the myriad of food vendors and head to the sand to sit and watch the sun drop into the ocean. The reverse to what we are used to if in fact we are used to any of it. Monday saw us head to the city and check out the Museum which was interesting particularly the Cyclone Tracey exhibit which we specifically went to see. We followed that up with a yummy lunch at the museum cafe overlooking the beach between pandanas palms (don't know how to spell that- neither does the spell check). Very picturesque. Then we headed for the Military Museum at East Point which covered well the bombing of Darwin which staggeringly went on from February 1942 to November 1943! Incredible ferocity on the part of the Japanese and considering Darwin was a town of 4 X 5 streets at the time the strategic nature of the attacks was big. As time progressed the bombing extended further south to Adelaide River where the fight to hang on really was based and many air strips were hastily constructed along the Stuart Highway as aircraft progressively became available to send north. The highway works from Darwin to Alice Springs started after a cyclone before the war, was ramped up and once finished meant men and supplies were much more accessible. Must have made for interesting road construction being bombed while you tried to build the road! Many of the airstrips are still visible beside the road and many more off the road are well sign posted. We ended the day with a family dinner at the wharves with about half of Darwin. This is the wharf used in the filming of the movie 'Australia' which all the cattle were herded down (supposedly) to the waiting ship. Very pretty spot near the new convention centre.



Mindl beach approaching sunset.

Today we got the bikes serviced and yes Normie's fuel cap came in. This afternoon we were to head into the city to have a coffee with a former colleague of mine from TDT Vic who has been working her way around Australia but best laid plans and all that, just got a call to say her flight has been bumped and she now won't be leaving Cairns until 6.30 tonight so will miss her. That seems to be how it goes for remote Australia, any delays or flights taken out of the system or consolidated all impact on the area at the end of the chain, probably be hard as a resident not to be both resigned and annoyed about that.

Tonight I suspect will be a quiet night then off early in the morning to beat the heat.
Talk to you tomorrow with anything new and the completed news of Norm's Essentials bag and the following day another update and news of my Emergency bag. After that we will be in new territory for this trip.



A former Territorian (Sweetheart) you would want to give a wide berth. Now stuffed (thankfully) and in the museum. A good 18 to 20 feet long.