Darwin Final Week

We have kept up a steady pace of swimming, reading, lounging about etc interspersed with some other tourist type activities.

We had a wander around the relatively new Waterfront Precinct, which wasn't finished last time we were here. Apart from the wave pool, the new ocean lagoon (fully screened-off from real ocean bities and stingers is now complete and a hit with the backpackers and families. Also they have finished the 5? accommodation blocks so you can stay right here on your holiday, which wouldn't be too hard to take.

'Oh happy campers are we...'
Judy at Darwin waterfront precinct 

Swimming lagoon, looking back across past the wave pool and the entertainment centre. Darwin waterfront

Cafe, promenade and accommodation. Darwin waterfront

Seagull just hanging in the fairly stiff breeze coming over the wharf. Darwin waterfront.

One of our regular 'must dos' is a dinner cruise onboard the Cape Adieu, an older boat built for fishing in Bass Strait. It has masts and rigging, but they have never sailed it. Usually, it's packed, but tonight there was less than 1/2 a crew on. We were seated downstairs at the pointy end, which probably was for the best as the wind was still quite gusty and we could have been blown clean off the top deck. We cruised the well worn track around the harbour and ate a fairly bland seafood buffet. The buffet boasted 4 courses: nibbles, entree, main and dessert. Apart from entree and main being exactly the same except for the choice of the first fish piece on the plate, it was mostly enjoyable. Certainly the little cheese cake pie thing was pretty tasty!

The Cape Adieu. Darwin NT

Watching over us, or waiting for a snack? Aboard the Cape Adiue. Darwin NT

Now here's a snack.Aboard the Cape Adiue. Darwin NT

Hey! That's our heap, up on the Stokes Hill Wharf. Darwin NT

The seats of power. Aboard the Cape Adiue. Darwin NT

Lovely! Aboard the Cape Adiue. Darwin NT

A bloke told Roman about a place up here in Darwin we had not been to, so an investigation was immediately mounted. The place is a Mangrove Boardwalk, at the end of Lake Alexander out on East Point. It's an out-and-back walk, about 1500 metres all up, and rather pleasant. The end of the walk just out over the mangrove flats proper and you can sit for a while and watch the tide going in or out and strain your eyes 'till they pop trying to see the birds behind all the cackling and whistling.

Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

Birdwatching tour. Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

Bird. Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

An other bird.Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

Baby mangrove. Mangrove walk. East Point, Darwin NT

Out at the end of East Point was once heavily fortified with two 9in and two 6in guns, established from 1920 as our primary point of defence in the north. With the advent of WW2 it all got a lot more serious until it was all over, and then we sold all the old metal to Japan for scrap. It's quite a peaceful place for one that was designed primarily for destruction, even if they never fired a shot in anger.

Fortifications. East Point. Darwin NT

Fortifications. East Point. Darwin NT

Fortifications. East Point. Darwin NT

Speaking of defence, for the last few days we have been under the flight path of our Air Force as they practice in their old FA18s, at least I assume that's what they were. As the airforce base and airfield is right next to Darwin Airport which is not-so-far from us, the noise is fairly incredible. Even the big passenger jets are super quiet compared to these.

FA18 coming in to land. Darwin NT

We also paid another visit o the Botanic Gardens, which are pleasant and peaceful and a credit to those who have worked hard to resurrect them from bombs, cyclones, termites, and the like. We amused ourself with lunch in a converted Wesleyan Chapel and later with taking snaps of flowers. Judy was taken with the frangipani which abound in lots of colours other than the standard white and yellow. Sadly the snaps of which appear not to have made it here, so you'll have to have a guess at these ones instead

Flower. Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

Flower. Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

Leaf. Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

Flower. Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

Flower. Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

No idea! Perhaps a native fish trap being use as art? Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

Fountain. Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

Lily pads. Botanic Gardens. Darwin NT

We also found, by looking at the other side of the gardens map, another part of the gardens, over the road and down near Mindil Beach. It's billed as another mangrove boardwalk, but its nothing of the sort really. It runs about 200 metres from Mindil Beach up to the headland where there is a lookout. Just what the surf life savers do here is anyones guess. Mind you, they say the place is infested with crocks and stingers and stonefish and sharks and no-one should ever go in the water, but here you have it - life savers on the beach.

Mindil Beach. Note the hordes braving the raging waves. Mindil Beach NT

Looks like paradise. Just a shame there are 27 things in the water waiting to kill you stone dead in under 2 minutes.
Mindil Beach, Darwin NT

Up until they removed the Mandorah pub, we used to take the ferry there for lunch. We were going to take the 20 minute ferry ride anyway, but for a few extra shekels we opted to take the Harbour Cruise.  It wasn't much, but 45 minutes floating about on the water is always a good way to spend some time. The commentary was interesting, filling in the story from the arrival of the Beagle all this years ago in 1839. Emery Point is named after Lieutenant Emery from the Beagle who discovered water at the base of this cliff; by digging an 8 metre well into the rock.

Emery Point. Darwin

JB chilling out. Darwin NT

At the dock was a 40ft yacht out of Florida that was being sailed around the world. Its a biggish boat and so they had at least one deckhand, who offered to work free as long as they flew him home to Tasmania when they got to wherever they were going. They wanted to berth inside the marina for a week or two, but first they have to get a clearance diver to inspect and disinfect the underside of the boat. Then they have to pay the lock fee of $270 and the berth rental $275 a week and on and on. They always say that owning a boat is like tearing up $100 notes under a cold shower.

'Joyful' out of Aspen Colorado (actually from Florida Keys).

As a finishing touch to our tour of duty in Darwin, we went back to the Darwin Trailer Boat Club for a lovely lunch of Barra Burger and trimmings. Darwin has these lovely places, they just don't tell you about them in the tourist brochures. As it was Friday, they started setting up for dinner early; they had reservations for six-hundred, and that was a quiet night!

Darwin Trailer Boat Club. Fannie Bay Darwin NT

Getting the boast in and out, Darwin style
Darwin Trailer Boat Club. Fannie Bay Darwin NT

The old duck cruise is still going, funny to watch it approach the beach at full pace and then drive right on up to dry land.
Darwin Trailer Boat Club. Fannie Bay Darwin NT

The daily burning. View from Darwin Trailer Boat Club. Fannie Bay Darwin NT

Anyhow, that's pretty much it for us from Darwin.