Subject: Report # 51 Darwin, Australia February 20, 2016 Saturday Chance of rain & 93 degrees Part #1 of 2 84 Pictures
Report # 51 Darwin, Australia February 20, 2016 Saturday Chance of rain & 93 degrees Part # 1 of 2 84 Pictures
Well, we can finally say, that with four visits here, we can now say we have seen a lot of Darwin. Every time we have stopped in this city, we have taken an organized tour. We have been to the Territory Wildlife Park, Litchfield Park, and Kakadu National Park. So today, we will be staying close to the ship.
For one thing, our time here is limited, because we did not arrive until after 9am. By the time the ship was alongside and cleared by the local authorities, it was 10am. At least the all aboard time was 7:30pm, and we did not have to race back to the ship all too soon.
To begin, today was going to be a scorcher. Although the chance of rain was in the forecast, it never did. It was very hot with temps in the high 90's, if not 100's, and the humidity was high. A lethal combination to be sure. We packed lots of drinks just in case.
We watched the ship sail into the harbor, and discovered that the Pacific Princess was already docked at Stokes Hill Wharf. We pulled in to the opposite spot at Fort Hill Wharf. It was interesting watching the process of docking from the bow. Ropes were thrown by the sailors, so the big ropes could be attached to the pier. Then the gangway was attached and we were set to go. Those guests who had lined up on deck two to be the first off, got their wish.
A shuttle bus was waiting to be loaded with the passengers who were not on tours. A long line had formed inside the terminal building, and it appeared it would be a considerable wait. So we went around everyone, and decided to hike the wooden walkway that extended from the pier and across the harbor with water on both sides. We moved quickly, because we were in the hot blazing sun all the way. If we continued towards the Pacific Princess, we would have ended up at the Darwin Convention Centre. Turning left, we crossed a bridge that tied to the shoreline. This is the Darwin Waterfront with high rise hotels or apartments. On one side is the Waterfront Lagoon, a netted swim spot with a beach. A little further over is the salt water wave pool, a filtered salt water shallow pool with big waves produced. There is a fee to get in….something like $5 dollars to get in. With today's high heat, the pool was quite busy today.
On the other side of the greens, was a series of restaurants and some shops. Everything looked fairly new to us, but we're not sure how long all of this has been here. Being that we were on bus tours, we would have bypassed this entire area, because the bus picked up the folks right outside the terminal. We spotted some possible cafes to go to after our walk.
To access the downtown area, it was necessary to take an elevator from the waterfront to the upper town area. There was a walkway that crossed over the highway below. Then we climbed a series of stairs to reach the main street.
History starts the minute you cross the street. With some maps in hand, we found our way to the Information Center. First we passed many old buildings such as the old church, the Parliament House, Government House, Browns Mart, and finally the Information Center. While here, we found you could get tickets for the Ho Ho bus for $30 per person. That would take you to the high lights of the town. Dozens of booklets and pamphlets were available in this wonderful center. While Bill went to get a map, I spoke to a volunteer ambassador, who gave some most useful information about what we wanted to do today. He armed us with a handful of brochures, and gave us exact directions to the Darwin Botanic Gardens. He did warn us about the high temperatures, which has been a heatwave here for the last few days. He admitted that the increased humidity made the heat almost intolerable. We had to agree.
As long as we stayed under the shade trees and the umbrella we brought for extra shade, we should be fine. Right up the street was the pedestrian mall, closed to car traffic. Smith Street Mall is an open-air block that is lined with shops, restaurants, pubs, and cafes. Some shade is provided with overhead canvas awnings. And the businesses are all air-conditioned. If you walked slow enough, you could get the benefit of the cool air as you strolled on by the doors.
In two places in this mall, were Chinese bands, playing drums in honor of Chinese New Year. They could also have been attracting attention to their places of business as well. We did notice quite a mix of locals from the Aboriginals to the Oriental citizens. For this reason, there is a wide range of cuisine offered in town. The food venues offered every type of Aussie fare, Asian dishes, and even McDonalds. They are everywhere, and are popular because you can usually find free wifi there.
We continued walking uphill towards the Botanic Gardens, following directions to the Gardens Road entrance to the gardens. Hoping we had turned the right way, we ran into the doctor and her husband on their motorized bikes. They told us where the entrance was, and we gave them directions for getting back to town and the ship. They have all the new toys with GPS maps, so they pretty much cannot get lost.
Entering the park, we hiked from one end to the other and back again. The first stop was at the only café, Eve's, formerly a Wesleyan Church, for cold sodas. We had brought some with us, but cold sounded even better. Sitting on their shaded patio did not give us much relief from the heat. There was barely a breeze, which did not help.
The gardens, built in 1870, were full of small fountains, lakes, ponds, and open areas of grassy fields. The trees were impressive and well-marked, so we could ID them. There were some specimens that we have never seen before. At the highest point, we found the waterfall deep in the shade of palms and rainforest. We did run into Bonnie and Paul, who seemed to be doing the same itinerary as us. They seem to enjoy the outdoors as much as we do.
For the size of this park, 100 acres, and the fact that two ships were in port, we were surprised to find few people touring it. There were only seven of us from the Amsterdam, until a tour bus dropped off a group to explore. Only three folks began a walk into the gardens, while the rest ran for the café or the restrooms. Oh, it is so much better being on our own. No waiting or lining up for much of anything.
We could have stayed longer, but we were running out of drinks. We thought if a city bus came by, we might catch it back to town. But we never saw one. Back tracking, we ran into another couple who were looking for the garden entrance. They did not want to walk both ways, so a bus was their first choice too. However, we bet they had to get a taxi instead. Perhaps on Saturdays, fewer buses and taxis run this route.
We slowly walked back, and it was mostly downhill all the way. Back at the waterfront, we found the one place, Il Lido, that advertised pizza and beer. At the bar inside, we purchased our beers and ordered the pizza, margherita of course. We paid for it, and took a number outside to a table under an overhead fan. Within minutes, we had a perfectly baked, most delicious pizza to share. We faced the netted lagoon while we ate, watching some folks cooling off in the water. Sure looked tempting, but we had not worn our swimwear.
It was hard to leave our comfortable seats, but time was getting away from us, and we wanted to try to spend the last of our coins and paper money before we left this final Australian port. We had just the right amount for two cup of ice cream at a place called Trampoline. They even had hokey pokey, but had to get it in the back freezer. Sure was good.
We wanted to check out that wave pool, so we wandered over to it and watched the action. By now, the pool was full of swimmers and floaters in tubes having lots of fun. Two lifeguards stood over this pool, and obviously took their jobs seriously.
On the way back, we passed by two more guards at the lagoon. Had to ask them about the box jellies. They said that this beach and lagoon were netted, and over the last five years, no one has ever been stung. They added that a much smaller jelly was present, but it was deadly. They have had no stings from those either. We would still hesitate to get into that water. All it takes is one, and from what we have seen on TV shows, those stings can be especially nasty, leaving permanent painful scars. Nope, guess it is the aft pool on the ship for us.
We got back onboard by 4:30pm or so, and cooled off in our room, downloading photos for a couple of hours. We also drank at least five glasses of ice water.
We made our way to deck six forward to watch the sun set. It was nice, but nowhere near as good as last night's. The sky had a black streak of rain clouds, which did have lightening in it. It's mesmerizing to watch, as we would find out later on after dinner.
We all shared our excursions of the day at dinnertime. It was nice to listen because everyone did something different. The one entrée on the menu tonight was a funny one…..an Australian hamburger. That came with a slice of pineapple, an egg, and slices of beet roots. One of us did order it, and was happy with the choice. Different for a change.
The show in the Queens Lounge was The Martian, a fairly new flic. A two hour and 22 minute film would end after 12:30pm, and there is no way we would be able to stay awake for that one. Even with the ½ hour back on the clocks tonight, we couldn't do it. Perhaps the movie will come to the TV in a few days. We'll watch it then.
Time to close, since it is midnight, with the time change. Sleep calls…….
Bill & Mary Ann
Arriving to Darwin Harbor
Downtown Darwin
Very, very hot today
Pacific Princess already in port
Modern city
Beachfront, but no swimming
Coming into Fort Hill Wharf
Calm harbor
Terminal building
Darwin Port
Stokes Hill Wharf
Pacific Princess was close by
Coming alongside
Low tide
View from the bow
Lots of people will be in town
The pilot boat
Bird on the light
Tiny fish around the pilings
The crew throwing the lines
Waiting with the gangway
Getting ready to connect
Tight security at the pier
Cormorants on the pier
Small tug boat
Food truck deliveries lining up
Watching from the lower promenade deck
Konnie and Mary Ann
All aboard later today……7:30pm
Many folks will stay onboard today
The air-conditioned terminal
Water around the pier
The walk from the ship to the shoreline
Perfect reflections
The long pier to the bridge
Getting closer to the Princess ship
Turning left to shore
Darwin Convention Centre
Map of the area
Darwin Waterfront Lagoon
Greens around the lagoon
Looks cool, but it was not
Many trees for shade
Walkway around the lagoon
Going up the elevator
Walking towards the bridge
Kitchener Drive
Going up the stairs to town
Lyons Cottage built in 1925
Gardens
Old residences
Christ Church Cathedral
Original was built in 1902, but destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974
Park grounds
Browns Mart, a mining exchange in 1880, now a theater
The Old Town Hall ruins
Built in 1883 & destroyed by the cyclone
Typical native stone building
The Information Center
A fountain outside the Info Center
Selling tickets to the Ho Ho bus
Walking towards The Mall
Many shops
Restaurants and shade trees
Still celebrating Chinese New Year
Many stores here
Looking for pizza
Darwin Memorial Church
St. Mary's Cathedral
Star of the Sea
Stained glass windows
Very modern design
Getting out of downtown
Heading towards Gardens Park Golf Links
Lush greenery
Heading towards the Botanic Gardens
Old growth trees
Geese
Big trees…..great for shade
Run off from the golf links
Lake
OK, where are we?
The cemetery
Grand stands
