9 July 2014

What an incredibly hot but slow and relaxed day today was, no where near enough air conditioning about I think, I'm not sure how people who live here stand it really and it is not even the hot season, perhaps it is me I have always preferred the cold I just don't function in the heat. To start the day I did a drive around town and some of the suburbs, actually looking for a car parts store as I wanted a few things, not least a hammer and some decent tent pegs, the ground here has really tested the ones that came with the tent and found them very wanting (it's amazing what you can get at the car parts store now). I did spend some time calling mechanics to see if anyone would change the oil for me today as I am not permitted to do it where I am staying and it's due to be done, but everyone was sorry no next week is the earliest "they could even think about it" as one fellow said. Thus the car parts store I needed to get a pan to drain it into when I get a chance to do it somewhere.

Mission successful, so I then proceeded to the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre for a look at the collection of aircraft they have. Everything is mostly all in one hangar and as they have a B-52 in there as well you can guess space is at a premium, but they have still managed to get some good exhibits (aircraft, there are other things, but lets face it we are there for the planes) in there.

 The B-52 Stratofortress, were also known as BUFFs, Big Ugly Fat Fellows (or something similar to that)

 Spitfire under the B-52's wing

 Spitfire "Grey Nurse"

 RAAF Sabre

They even have a nod to the old Ansett days for those of you that remember them, they have a display case with some old Ansett items, coffee mugs, 1st Class dinnerware, seat pocket emergency cards, even a complete set of metal cutlery. Better yet though from the even older days when there was still a bit of "glamour" about flying and some pride in corporate identity,I remember these and have used them too

 How cool is that, spats, hubcaps and it's even got fins!

 No guessing who you were flying with.

Certainly more class that the welded aluminium stairs they push around by hand now.

Leaving the museum it was about 1130, so a bit of time spent there after all, I decided to head to the Waterfront area again for look at the wharf. After several wrong turns, I think the signs were made by locals who already know the way to get somewhere and as such just pass over putting signs up where they know not to turn, which doesn't really help the tourists who know the general direction but have to guess the rest. Anyway I found the Stokes Hill Wharf and was even more surprised that there were very few cars and it was fairly much lunchtime, so fish and chips it was to be. I actually asked for flake and chips as I thought it would be a travesty battering Barra, so the fellow said sorry no flake today, would Barra be ok, go figure, down south you'd be hung for battering and deep frying Barra.

 From the Wharf looking back to the new waterfront development as pictured yesterday.

 Surprisingly clear water here too.

 Look they actually still tie up along side. I wonder if a long time ago a dockworker had ever thought "one day this place will be a really trendy place to have a few eateries and lots of seating"

They certainly get a good roll up of customers, both lunch and dinner.

  Now whilst not the flashest looking fare it was quite good and you can't beat the view from my table.

Following lunch it was time for a walk to slightly counter the effects of the fryer and back into town I headed with a stroll down the Esplanade and all around the streets. Every now and again you can catch a glimpse of the older Darwin, but most of it is being remade now with lots of apartments, though not the stupidly high blocks you get elsewhere around the country, as such the old areas are hard to get pictures of as they are partially covered by either new buildings or hordings screening building sites.

 Darwin ,Navy at one end of the Esplanade

The Esplanade (Bicentennial Park)  park stretches the whole length of town along the cliffs

 Old backpackers will be pleased, Mitchell Street has not changed and is still a mecca for cheap accommodation and lots of booze

Name of the bar pretty much sums up Mitchell Street

Back into the Count and we were off to follow the coastline on the north side of town through a few of the suburbs starting with Cullen Bay and ending at Nightcliff, not a long drive but some quite different areas. Cullen Bay has a feel of a manufactured village to it, sort of like Palm Cove at the Gold Coast used to have before that mining guy bought it. Nightcliff is more real and relaxed about it, real houses and people, around the shop strip looks a bit nasty, but plenty of apartments are going up along the shore so it can't be too bad. There are some areas that still have the high, pointy topped fences, but they are more uncommon that normal here. Good views and interesting shorelines all around though.

 Ferry terminal inside the Cullen Bar harbour wall.

 Cullen Bay is a exclusive estate area (though not fenced) and the mooring bay is accessed by a lock system from the walled harbour.

 Cullen Bay main street.

 Main boat mooring at Cullen Bay.

Cullen Bay foreshore, there is a bit of a beach lower down.

 The city from (sorry I forget the name of the place, I'll edit once i find it)

 Coast line is interesting, good thing you can't really swim, cause there is not much beach about.

 Nightcliff jetty and boat ramp, lots of rock shelves in the area.

 Nightcliff coastline

Tomorrow it is back to Katherine, I will try and locate some different things along the way, I know I can do a run through Jabiru and the edge of Kakadu, but I am debating that given the number of Road Trains I saw turning into to road really put me off it, there is a Uranium mine there after all...