Darwin

We really had no idea what to expect from Darwin, other than that it would be hot.  Everyday when they show the national weather Darwin has a high of somewhere between 30 - 35C, sunny in the winter, rainy in the summer. 

Darwin is the capital of the Northern Territory and is the furthest north of all the capital cities.  The population is ~150,000.  That may seem small for a capital city, but it is quite impressive when you consider that the city was completely destroyed by Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Eve, 1974.  At that time the city had a population of ~45,000 and almost 2/3rds of the popluation was left homeless.  The city residents were forced to relocate during the demolition and rebuild, and it is impressive that so many people moved back.

Plaque with details on the bombing of Darwin

Darwin was also bombed severely during World War II, a fact that we were completely unaware of.  Growing up in Canada we got most of our news from the US and the focus on domestic WWII bombing was always Pearl Harbour.  Darwin was bombed on 19 February 1942, just two months after Pearl Harbour.  Darwin was a massive port with good proximity to Asian targets.  The Allies, including the Americans, had ships there, which were seen as a threat to the Asian theatre and so the city, focussing on the harbour, was severly bombed.  Around 250 people died in the bombing, although there are poorly kept records of casualties...propbably because the records office was destroyed in the bombing!

Darwin Harbour with enclosed swimming area

We stayed in the main part of the CBD, which is really quite small and has a very rough charm.  There is actually a crocodile enclosure right next to the backpackers' hotels!  We couldn't help but wonder how many backpackers thought, after a bit of liquid courage, that it might be fun to try and break in. 

JT checking out the outdoor cinema

Overall we were really impressed and reluctantly charmed by the city.  We took a harbour tour, had a couple of gret city walks and took the other highlight tour of our vacation, a trip to Litchfield Park.  It might be a little place, but it packs a big punch!