Sunday

Sunday -Jon's Birthday and a day on the hop on hop off bus! We got up and ready and went out to find the bus stop to go to the crocodile park with the intention of having breakfast on the way. We got to the bus interchange only to find buses don't run on Sundays. The V8 Championships are on here and the only buses are the ones to go to the track so we needed a re think. We saw the hop on hop off tourist bus and after a chat to the driver decided to buy tickets and see the sights on that. She told us about a place on stop 7 where we could have breakfast and it was also the Northern Territory Museum so we decided to make that our first stop. We travelled through the city which is really small but very nice and we had a commentary on the bus. We arrived at our stop and went to a very nice cafe overlooking the harbour and got a table right on the front outside. I had muesli and yoghurt and Jon had eggs Benedict and it was lovely, very popular and we were lucky to get a table. We then went into the museum which was really good. They have a stuffed croc there that had been caught in the river with the intention of moving it to a reserve but it had died as they caught it. It is called 'Sweetheart'! And is huge! There were lots of interesting things to see, birds, reptiles, shells and Aborigine tools etc. one of the displays was about Cyclone Tracey in 1974. I had read about this and it happened on Christmas Eve and devastated Darwin. One of my friends daughters lives here and she told me she didn't know if she was dead or alive for two days! At that time most of the houses were wooden and built on stilts and they had all come crashing down. The pictures and films of it were dreadful. The city was rebuilt and the houses are now more substantial. There are four houses left that survived the war and Cyclone Tracey and are now a protected National Trust site which we drove past on the bus. As we came out of the museum the bus was there and so we got on in the hope we would get back to the fish feeding site near our hotel which is only open at high tide, we made it with ten minutes to spare. As they were due to close they let us in for half price. It is just a bay on a fish reserve and some clever people have cashed in on it. We had missed the feeding of the 'meat' eating fish but we were able to walk down the causeway and paddle in the water to feed the fish with bread. The fish were amazing and come right up to your feet. One little girl was actually feeding them by hand as opposed to just throwing it in like I did. I was really glad we made it. We then walked back to the bus stop and another bus was just coming along so off we went again and got off at the museum, our first stop. We had a look around and walked down to the beach area. I told Jon that people didn't swim in the harbour for fear of crocs but he said I must have got that wrong! He really should know better than to disagree with me! I never argue about it but one way or another we find out and I am usually right! We caught the next bus out to East Point where the war museum is. On the way the commentator told us that people don't swim in the harbour as the saltwater crocs often come in along with box jellyfish! I rest my case!! One day he will learn! I do a LOT of research before we go on these trips and he should trust me! Lol! Once off the bus we went into the cafe and had lunch. It is so nice to be able to sit outside and be warm. We then walked around all the outside exhibits and it was fascinating to learn all about the part Australia, and especially Darwin, played in the war. So many air raids. The film Australia makes more sense now and I want to watch it again along with the Thornbirds. We watched a film about the first bombing of Darwin and it was very moving, poor people didn't expect it and were so shocked by it. We had to wait half an hour for the next bus to get back to the city and we got off at the Waterfront which is a lovely area near the port, Darwin Harbour as a whole is huge. As there is no swimming allowed on the beaches they have built an artificial beach which is lovely. They don't have waves on the beaches in the harbour so a lovely wave pool has been built. The whole area is landscaped and very nice with young people relaxing and families playing games. There is a walkway, four floors up, back to the CBD which we took and on the way we passed the courts in lovely old stone buildings and the cathedral which is very modern. We walked back to the hotel very tired. We were given vouchers for warm cookies yesterday when we arrived. There were none ready so we used our vouchers today and got our cookies and went to the room and had a cup of tea with them and they were very good. I later went across the road to the viewing platform to watch the sunset which was very nice but not spectacular. We went out for dinner and the town was very busy with all the people from the V8 races. We decided on the Ducks Nuts (means the same as the Bees Knees apparently) for dinner. We had a lovely meal sitting outside watching the world, all the 'merry' V 8 spectators, suspicious Aborigines and goodness knows who else pass by. I don't think Jon will forget this birthday. Our waitress, Julia from Germany, was really lovely. She was so helpful and gave us lots of information about her life here in Darwin and how the Aborigines really are and all enjoyed with a bottle of Mrs Wriggley's rose wine. We walked back to the hotel after a lovely day. I just hope we can get to the crocodile park tomorrow. Our flight is not till 8.00 so we have the whole day