14th Sept - Darwin

Today we decide to do a bit of sight seeing and drive over Fannie Bay way and end up at East Point, a nice drive along the coast.   We stumble on the Military museum and decide to take a look.   ($12pp entry)   It is well worth the visit with a fantastic display for all to enjoy and you get to realise and appreciate just what a significant part Darwin played in WWII when Japan tried to invade.  There is also a smaller but still great museum at the Alice Springs RSL.   It's been a while since we have seen any highrises, this Darwin city.

My Darl likes to play, he loves to play on the artilary displays any chance he gets, it brings out the little boy in him!   Here he is ready for action.. The grounds surrounding the museum are dotted with other wartime buildings, the grass well manicured and dry, it would be a picture after the rains when the grass is green.   Little had we realised that there were twice as many bombs dropped on Darwin as there was on Pearl Harbour.  64 air raid attacks.  188 planes first attack most devastating, the raids continued for some time after that over 1942/43.

Here he is again amongst the camouflage.   They have a video playing in the museum of an old digger recounting the events of the day Darwin was initially bombed by Japan.  Also, an old war time video running of this time.   During this period there was over 1/2 million military personnel in Darwin/NT area.
We got a little lost making our way back to camp today. Did a couple of loops of the city, until we got our bearings again. It pays to remember to take your maps out.

We were comtemplating going to the in house toad races tonight, not that keen as my Darl wants to take along his pitch fork, but we are saved.  Got in touch with my cousin Marie and she takes us over to Fisherman's wharf, another busy spot, for tea with her brother Bernard.  As we were walking to outside the park, we heard some sirens going off and to our surprise they were pulling in to our park??   2 Fire trucks, a police car and 1 ambo on standby out on main road.

We went back in for a little investigation and apparently it was a gas leak in a 4WD vehicle.   We made sure it was all under control before we left, though there was several camps between them and us.  We sat by the waters edge and were amazed at the huge fish swarming the waters, they were competing with the seagulls for the potatoe chips being fed to them, a whole new meaning to fish and chips on the go!  Also saw a dolphin swim by.  Marie is working at Tanamine gold mine, driving trucks underground, Bernard is in the RAAF currently based in Darwin.