Australian Outback Adventure Days 11/12 - Darwin

Australian Outback Adventure - Day 11 and 12 - Darwin

Monday, October 29, 2012                                                                                    Day 11 - Northern Territory Museum and Laundry

Unlike the other legs of the trip, we did not gather the last night of our Outback Adventure with our guide and group for a goodbye dinner.  A small ad hoc group gathered together, while others were delighted to just go "home" to a cool room, showers, and rest.  Our new "home" was the Palms City Resort.  Our room had a kitchenette, airconditioner, and balcony...heaven.  The resort also had a laundry facility only a few steps from the swimming pool.

Exploring on Our Own

We were now on our own.  After a sleep in until 8:00 a.m. we lounged around and had a leisurely brekkie (Aussie talk for breakfast) in our room.  By the time we ventured out it was close to 11:00 a.m. and already sweltering.

Russ and I made our way to the bus station  enjoying the beautiful parkway and historical monuments.





Lest We Forget Monument to World War II Veterans.  Did you know Darwin was Bombed by the Japanese?

Flame Tree - Ponciana in Full Bloom




Telegraph Jump Station Connecting Darwin to the Rest of the World

We caught a bus out to the Northern Territory Museum.  Bill Bryson remarked in his book In Sunburn Country (American Title) or Down Under (Australian Title) about his specific visit to this museum to see the Box Jelly Fish display and became thoroughly engaged in the Hurricane Tracy exhibit that devastated Darwin in 1972.

The bus we took out to the exhibit dropped us a couple of blocks away which necessitated walking in the noon day sun.  By the time we made it to the museum, we were hot, sweaty, and in need of a cold drink so we made our way first to the museum cafe. 

Meetup with one of our Adventure Mates

We had just ordered when one of our fellow adventurers, Claudia from Hamburg, walked in as bedraggled as we. Claudia had spent the morning at the botanical gardens, a place where there were supposed to be an outstanding display of orchids.  Claudia enjoyed the gardens, but informed us that the orchids were spent and disappointing.  We promptly crossed the gardens off our list.

After lunch, we all went our separate ways in the museum, meeting up a couple of times in different locations.  Indeed we saw the box jelly fish, Aboriginal Art, and Hurricane Tracy Exhibit. Sorry, but we couldn't take any photographs in this museum.

Virtual Hurricane Experience

In the hurricane exhibit, there is a small dark room with surround sound of the noise of a hurricane ripping a city apart.  The room shakes, vibrates, and groans.  It seemed very realistic and would definitely be terrifying if it were a real hurricane, and there was no easy exit from the uncertainty of what would happen next.  For us though, the exit was easy.  Our thoughts go out to the people on the East Coast of America who are currently bracing for Super Storm Sandy due to hit them later tonight.  The storm has been dubbed the Frankenstorm.

We took the bus back to Darwin, bought ready-made salads and a bottle of wine at the super market and walked back to our hotel.  Making ourselves wine coolers, we headed down to the pool to cool off while our laundry was washing and drying a few feet away in the laundromat.  There was shade on the pool and the water was not particularly cold, but it was refreshing.  Afternoon turned to dusk, and we headed back to our air conditioned room.

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Day 12 - Northern Territory Parliament, Waterfront, Fish Feeding, Geocaching, and Deck Chair Cinema.

Today is the last day of our Northern Territory Holiday, so we cram as much in as we can. Not to be disappointed and let down by city life, we go where we know their will be some real outback adventure...the Northern Territory Parliament.

We arrive after a brief look at some historical government buildings,

Historic Ruins ofTown Hall Today

NT Prime Minister Lives Here



Government Administration Building

at the Parliament building just before 10:00 a.m. and check through security. We climb the stairs to the visitors' gallery just as the 1 hour morning question and answer session begins.

Unlike our legislature, members of opposing sides sit facing one another - quite nice we think.  The majority party sits on one side with their head minister and ministers of education, business, health, finance, etc.in the front row (analogous to the ministers would be the chairs of our subcommittees).  Lesser ranking and  novice members sit in the back row.  Across from the majority party sits the minority party or the "shadow" ministers.  The shadow ministers mirror the majority party ministers presumably to balance any discussion, but in reality as a counterpoint barb for every discussion.  A member of the majority party is the speaker of the house and tries to maintain order of this raucous group.

Photo from television - no cameras in the chamber

Members may ask questions of their own party or the opposition party, and of specific members of the party.  Lesser members of the majority party are clearly given scripted questions to ask of their own members.  The hour is consumed by grandstanding, derisve laughter, snarking, and members degrading each others viewpoints.

The local radio show broadcasts these non-productive sessions so everyone is trying their hardest to come up with a fiery 15 second sound bite. It's amusing but really quite a waste of time.  We thought perhaps since there was just recently a change during the last election 9 weeks ago of the majority party, that this was just a continued prologue of a new administration.  One of the educational guides said "No, this has been going on for the last 10 years."  So it seems that this is the feisty tradition of the Northern Territory.

We were also informed that the real business, much like our own, comes after the morning snark session, when bills are read and discussed.  But by then the key ministers have gotten up and left.

Regardless of the continent, it seems that our politicians relish in being polarized and casting blame than coming to centrist solutions and compromise.  Very interesting and disappointing for those of us who expect better from our government.  It's a lose/lose situation.  We finished our two hour stay at the parliament with a tour of the library and art exhibits.

Darwin Waterfront

Our next stop was the Darwin Waterfront.  It is a lovely area with a wave pool and restaurants.

Wave pool in the foreground

We briefly met up with Claudia who was also sight seeing.  A quick look around and we headed back to our room where we could eat lunch and cool off.  After a rest and a swim, we headed out again around 4:30 to pass by a few more monuments

and to find a couple of geocaches and visit Aquascene - a fish feeding cove where tourists get to feed the fish bread. 

We quickly found both of geocaches we were looking for then headed to Aquascene for the 5:30 (high tide fish feeding).  The sun was setting on the west facing shore, and it was uncomfortably glarey and hot.  For children and those who have not come up close and personal to fish, this may be exciting. It was pretty ho hum for the two of us, having hand fed large sting rays and diving during a shark feed.

We met up once again with Claudia at the fish feeding for the last time before we departed from Darwin. Claudia was on her way to New Zealand before returning to Germany.   There was some lovely statuary at Aquascene and we took a commemorative photo of the three of us.

We could only tolerate 20 minutes at the fish feed and we headed downtown to Monsoons for a beer and fish and chips.  From there we spent our last evening at the Deck Chair Cinema.  This shaded grotto on the Darwin Bay is filled with low slung canvas backed deck chairs.  We hadn't thought it would be packed, but it was,  and we were glad we arrived a half hour before the show began.

With ice cold water in hand, we could have had wine or beer, we located some chairs mid-section and settled back to watch The Saphires. This is a true story of an Aboriginal all girl singing group similar to the Supremes that made their debut singing in Vietnam in the late 60's.  We throughly enjoyed the movie and outdoor ambiance of our last night in Darwin. It was quite fun, almost like a drive on a warm summer evening without the car.

We left Darwin the following morning and arrived back in the cooler, dryer climate of Brisbane.   We had a great time, and would definitely recommend the Way Out Back Tours to our adventurours friends, as long as you can read between the lines and know that it will be an adventure in the top end of Australia, not the top end of glam-camping.  Cheers!

All is Well with the 2 Sail R's now back on SV Worrall Wind.