DARWIN
05.-06.08.2007
Day 1
Darwin is definitely a city with all its facilities: shopping centres, cinemas, restaurants, tennis courts, soccer stadium, port, casino, hotels, residential areas, public transport, botanical gardens, schools, universities, and last but not least a beach. And it’s a nice city with a tropical weather and lush green parks with different sorts of palm trees. The dry season lasts from April till October and is a peak season for tourism. It’s a fancy oceanfront capital with relatively modern architecture as 60% of the old Darwin’s houses were destroyed totally or beyond repair on Christmas Eve in 1974 by cyclone Tracy.
I was kicked out of the bed early by Ann who was worried about getting kicked out of the hostel if we didn’t go down to pay for the 2-nights accommodation. All because we arrived late last night and they had already closed the till and asked us to come and pay the following morning. By 9:30am! Thanks, guys! No, no, of course we don’t wanna sleep in after the sleepless 25 hours on the lovely coach. Never mind. We get up, have a quick shower, pay for the hostel, get a Darwin tourist guide.. and what do we see!! There’s a free hourly shuttle service to Casuarina Square shopping centre with more than 200 specialty stores. Wow, that’s 10 times bigger than Broome Boulevard! :-) 10 minutes later we’re already on the bus and half way to the shopping centre :D Welcome back to the civilization! :-) Today’s big purchases: a 4GB iPod nano (on sale 20% off) and 250 g of strawberries :P Oh, and of course my fancy green iPod has a fancy croc skin leather case. Made in China, not in Darwin. Shopping being the priority of the day, we stroll down to Mindil Beach (through George Brown Botanic Gardens with over 400 palm species) for the famous sunset markets with 200-plus food and handicraft stalls. Relaxing, with modern didgeridoo music on the background. And these food stalls. Can’t get around. I get myself a premium ‘Made in Darwin’ (that’s what stands on the stall) ice-cream with two scoops: strawberry and rum and raisins. Yummm. And Ann convinces me to get a large tropical fruit smoothie as she’s about to get her second one. Contagious. Elleke, our fellow bar chick from Mangrove who’s now in Darwin, gets one in banana flavour. Mmmm..arkets! :P To conclude our successful shopping day, we stop at the next door tour desk and book a day trip to Kakadu National Park on Tuesday. C’mon, admit these are good purchases!
Day 2. Darwin in picture.
The Mall
Parliament House, Supreme Court
Old Government House
Survivors’ lookout
WWII oil storage tunnels
The Deckchair Cinema
Esplanade
And last but not least, and by far the most beautiful.
Sunset at Cullen Bay Marina with a bottle of white Barossa wine :P
Day 1
Darwin is definitely a city with all its facilities: shopping centres, cinemas, restaurants, tennis courts, soccer stadium, port, casino, hotels, residential areas, public transport, botanical gardens, schools, universities, and last but not least a beach. And it’s a nice city with a tropical weather and lush green parks with different sorts of palm trees. The dry season lasts from April till October and is a peak season for tourism. It’s a fancy oceanfront capital with relatively modern architecture as 60% of the old Darwin’s houses were destroyed totally or beyond repair on Christmas Eve in 1974 by cyclone Tracy.
I was kicked out of the bed early by Ann who was worried about getting kicked out of the hostel if we didn’t go down to pay for the 2-nights accommodation. All because we arrived late last night and they had already closed the till and asked us to come and pay the following morning. By 9:30am! Thanks, guys! No, no, of course we don’t wanna sleep in after the sleepless 25 hours on the lovely coach. Never mind. We get up, have a quick shower, pay for the hostel, get a Darwin tourist guide.. and what do we see!! There’s a free hourly shuttle service to Casuarina Square shopping centre with more than 200 specialty stores. Wow, that’s 10 times bigger than Broome Boulevard! :-) 10 minutes later we’re already on the bus and half way to the shopping centre :D Welcome back to the civilization! :-) Today’s big purchases: a 4GB iPod nano (on sale 20% off) and 250 g of strawberries :P Oh, and of course my fancy green iPod has a fancy croc skin leather case. Made in China, not in Darwin. Shopping being the priority of the day, we stroll down to Mindil Beach (through George Brown Botanic Gardens with over 400 palm species) for the famous sunset markets with 200-plus food and handicraft stalls. Relaxing, with modern didgeridoo music on the background. And these food stalls. Can’t get around. I get myself a premium ‘Made in Darwin’ (that’s what stands on the stall) ice-cream with two scoops: strawberry and rum and raisins. Yummm. And Ann convinces me to get a large tropical fruit smoothie as she’s about to get her second one. Contagious. Elleke, our fellow bar chick from Mangrove who’s now in Darwin, gets one in banana flavour. Mmmm..arkets! :P To conclude our successful shopping day, we stop at the next door tour desk and book a day trip to Kakadu National Park on Tuesday. C’mon, admit these are good purchases!
Day 2. Darwin in picture.The Mall
Parliament House, Supreme Court
Old Government House
Survivors’ lookout
WWII oil storage tunnels
The Deckchair Cinema
Esplanade
And last but not least, and by far the most beautiful.
Sunset at Cullen Bay Marina with a bottle of white Barossa wine :P
posted by kairike at 11:13 PM
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