Rainy Day in Darwin!

Thursday September 27th, off to breakfast where we seemed to be famished. I have no idea why, we haven't done a darn thing for two days except get here. After that we checked out of one hotel and went to the tour hotel, two or three blocks away. We checked in at 9.30 and surprise, there was a room. 
Soon we were off to a walking tour of the harbour front and surrounds of Darwin.


The water bottles were too heavy so we left them behind, it looked cloudy anyway. Mistake. We sauntered down to the beach and park area near the hotel. The cenotaph aspect was very informative and moving. Darwin took a real beating from 1942 to 1945. Many of the buildings were destroyed, that is why Darwin is such a modern city. Most civilians were evacuated and it became a bit of a fortress and centre of operations for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Darwin returned to normality as a somewhat changed city after the war.
We ended up at the beautiful new Parliament buildings.




The NW Territories do not have enough people to be a Sate, but at the rate of growth and construction going on it soon will be. The weather is weird, hot and humid as heck, with several months of wet. Some people must love it, hence the growth.
Soon we were back to the hotel where we read up a bit before meeting our tour companions at 2.30. Water is a must, I believe we got dehydrated in the couple of hours outside. The guide book says that in hot weather to stay out of the sun between 10 and 4. And in the really hot, to drink a litre of water an hour! No wonder I did not feel too well.
2.30 arrived and downstairs to meet the others. Actually we were put on a coach and then a short chat by the tour leader, a pleasant lady called Louis. The driver, Kevin, is an excellent speaker and driver. The coach is a 48 passenger air conditioned beauty.

Fellette and I would rather be in an 8 passenger safari van than this but, then again, possibly we are ready for an air-conditioned Mercedes for a few days.
We did a tour of the surrounds getting off at one spot to take a peek at the rain forest in a botanical garden when the skies opened and we had to stop the walk and huddled under the dripping leaves of whatever tree was closest.

On the positive side it was a warm rain. back to the coach and our get together tour continued.
Next a visit to the Aboriginal Art Museum and Museum of Natural History. Sounds boring, but as the rain pummelled down outside it turned out to be a good place to be. Some of the art work is absolutely amazing. Unfortunately, no photographs!!! Except in the natural history where I snapped a 16 1/2 foot long crocodile.


Drinks in the bar at 6.30 preceded a relaxing dinner where we met a few more of the participants. The mix of people so far is a pleasant surprise. Some older, many younger and not a nasty in the bunch. Apparently there are about 39 total. Canadians account for about 10 or 11. Aussies and NZ seem to make up the rest. We have not encountered any Brits or Americans so far.
It was a somewhat nothing day, but necessary. We are still jet lagged and as I write this at 9 p.m., Fellette is sound asleep for the night. Odds are that at 4 to 5 we will be up and about. The schedule is to be on the road at 10, heading south to Katherine.
Internet connections will likely not be available for a week, so Craig will just post what we are supposed to be doing and where.
Pictures, bird and jungle snake tree on the walk. Fountain and parliament building, with Aboriginal art in the parliament. Big bus, rain-forest and crocs.

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