Darwin
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The capital city of the Northern
Territory is a welcome sight after thousands of kilometers of
empty landscapes -- 87,000 people call it home. A tropical climate
with lush vegetation, rush hour traffic, bustling eateries and
malls … a far cry from the barren red deserts of the center.
I was here in 1974 months before 70% of the town was flattened
by Typhoon (hurricane) Tracy. Then it had a tropical sleepy atmosphere
of a military outpost, a remnant of its crucial role in WW2.
Now it is a crossroads town - people stop here on the way to
there and take a well-deserved rest. We got more tires for the
Landy (we're up to 7 tires damaged beyond repair to date) and
enjoyed the people and sights of this fun, laid back town. |
People often stop to stare at
the map of our travels on the back of the Landy. We've made many
new friends this way… |
An unusual pastime is feeding the fish at high tide in Doctor's
Gully. |
We had tough competition! |
The fish love the stale bread
- mullet, milkfish, scats, catfish boil to the surface. |
A white-lipped mullet zeroes
in on the bread. |
A 30-year old 'new car' gets
new brakes. This was a great tire garage with friendly mechanics. |
Harry Bowman who shared the
wildlife on the lower Adelaide river - crocs, bitterns and goannas.
(see Animal section - Northern Territory image files) |
Austin Griffis of Cooee Tours,
another great guide, showed us a magical place: the Reynold's
River Billabong near Litchfield National Park. |
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