round and about in
After all that time on the
road, it was good to explore
An oil or gas rig in
Darwin Harbour?
Not producing, but this one
has been brought here for service and repair, reminding us of the vast energy
resources that exist off
At the end of the Esplanade
there is Doctor Gulley. This is a tidal inlet where the ocean fish have learned
to congregate to
come and be fed by tourists.
Or is it the case again, that
the fish have the tourists well trained to feed them????.
Here a sting ray can be seen in
the very shallow waters on the beach.
Some of the larger fish cut
the surface in their skirmish for bread.
Cultivated in a
Then it was on to the famous
Fanny Bay Gaol, which is now a museum.
The gaol is a hot and bleak
place.
I was lucky to engage in
conversation with a previous prison warden who had come to visit the site.
He was an interesting chap and
was full bottle on the history of the gaol.. The building on the left is the mess hall and kitchen, the gaol laundry is far
off in the corner.
Outside the mercury was
hovering around 33-34 degrees.
Inside the thick walls of the cell block,
things are a bit cooler.
At
The Ferry wharf is situated
here and the tour operators for a Darwin Harbor Cruise operate out of the
Many of the houses have their
own wharf and boat.
The marina is protected from
flooding by the huge ocean tides that surge several meters, by a lock that the
boats must use to enter the open ocean. Without the lock the canal layout would
be impossible.
There is a variety of
architecture, but this Balinese style home is more suitable for the tropical
climate.
The boat runs parallel to the
Esplanade
From the boat you can get a good
view of the Northern Territory Parliament house.
Next to Parliament house is
the home of the Northern Territory Administrator, the equivalent of the Sate
Governor.
Illegal fishermen are kept on
their boats under quarantine conditions in
They are eventually deported
and their boats scuttled.
Something different
for those of us from the East Coast, the sun setting over the Ocean.
The lights of Parliament House
Mylilly- a small enclave of houses on the road to Cullen Bay that survived
Cyclone Tracey.
These are set in lush tropical
gardens and are preserved by the Heritage Trust.
.
Inside this original floor
was found below coverings when the house was being restored.
Natural ventilation was the
key to surviving in the days pre air conditioning.
This house is open to
tourists, the others are still used.
On the
footpath a reminder of more prehistoric times.
A reminder of
Kakadu
day 1
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