Rich is there to meet me with Andy. They take me to the Beachcomer Hotel Bar in the area of Nightcliff. I am going to like Darwin. A huge bar. A blend of smart and scruffy chic. I ordered some beer in my best English and the young barmaid kept saying pardon - could you say that again - ha ha!
About Darwin. Capital of the NT - the huge Northern Territory - size 1.3 million square kilometers but a tiny population of 250000 and over half live in Darwin. NT is extremely sparsely populated - known as the real outback - aboriginal land. ( more stats on comparing England with NT.) NT is 11 times larger than England. England's population is 56 million. NT as I have said is a quarter of a million. Darwin itself - the city at the top - has a tropical climate. Majorly hot with a wet season and a dry season. I am here in the wet season.
Darwin apparently has a population of 150000 people but you would never know it. It is low rise and spread out with huge areas of open land and parks. It is easy to feel you have left the city and entered the countryside.
Rich and Andy have lived in Darwin for almost 6 months so they know their way around. They are both working as doctors - sometimes flying hundreds of miles to do outreach work at isolated aboriginal communities. Andy has been part of the flying doctor team that covers a vast area).
Darwin seems very laid back. Rich and Andy explained they say there are three types of people come to live in Darwin. They will be one of the 3 M's. The M's are Mercenaries ( for the money ) Missionaries ( to work in the public services - like the hospitals ) and Misfits ( who don't fit in anywhere else.
In December 1974 Darwin suffered a direct hit by a tropical cyclone named Cyclone Tracy. It destroyed 70% of the buildings and 80% of the houses. It created a national emergency and a large percentage of the population were shipped out. Subsequently Darwin has been rebuilt using better construction methods and this fresh start has made Darwin a well planned place to live.
Be under no illusion however - Darwin can be harsh. It has a tropical climate. It is very isolated. Alice Springs the only other city in NT ( apart from Palmerston which is effectively a suburb of Darwin ) is 15 to 20 hours away by road. A flight takes 2 hours. There is very little in between except brutal hot terrain with plenty of nasty things that can hurt you - ha! This is aboriginal territory and much of Crocodile Dundee was filmed in Kakadu National Park and Arnhem Land. The hardest bit to get my head around is the sea is effectively a no go area. There is the Box Jelly Fish - a lethal threat in season - there are sharks of course - but also saltwater crocodiles. They are huge killers.
But Darwin is increasingly popular. Property prices are increasing. Why ? It is laid back smart in the city. A cool place to be. What it really offers though is an authentic unspoilt outback. Real wilderness on the doorstep. Superb National Parks within an easy drive. In an increasingly under pressure world NT is stable, unique and special.
Rich and Andy arranged a Barramundi fishing trip for us in huge Darwin Harbour. We followed the tide up muddy creeks in search of these prized fish. This was crocodile territory. Alas we never got a Barramundi but tiddlers. It was a great afternoon.
On another day we drove to Lichfield National Park and trail walked through the monsoon forest to reach a gorgeous isolated water hole fed by a waterfall that you could swim in. The crocs could not get to it ! A wonderful setting and priceless cool water on such a hot walk.
Rich and Andy then went to a great effort to take me for an overnight stay in a lodge in the incredible Kakadu National Park. It was a long drive but so worth it. It is a World Heritage Site. Apart from anything else it is enormous - the size of Wales. Most of the land is owned by Aborigines. It is famous for it's wetlands, it's incredible bio diversity - it's wild life and amazing rock formations.
We went on a truly memorable boat tour on linked billabongs and the Alligator Rivers (misnamed as there are no alligators). I post some photos below.
A quick explanation of billabongs. Billabongs are typically oxbow lakes - normally not fed by a river anymore. However in NT and definitely in Kakadu in the wet season the water level increases and the billabongs flood and link with the river and therefore the sea. Consequently the huge salt water crocs move in. Freshwater crocs are smaller and less ferocious.
Perhaps the most special time of all was when we climbed up to the Nawurlandja lookout. The view was one of the most special I have ever seen. We were blown away. It was emotional. We were in the middle of one of the most extreme places on earth. Maybe only a handful of people if any in the huge spread of land before us. A land with an ancient history. Totally unspoilt. Totally natural undeveloped and environmentally stable. A total privilege. Such a special thing to do with Rich and Andy. We shook hands. Rich and I shared a huge unspoken hug - and I said thank you and really meant it.
Here are some mob photos:-
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| Beer in arrival Darwin. With Rich. |
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| Fishing Darwin Harbour for Barramundi. |
In and around Darwin
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| Sweetheart - an enormous Saltwater crocodile caught in Darwin Harbour after attacking boats. |
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| View from Nightcliff - Rich and Andy's base for 6 months |
Lichfield National Park reward for a very hot trek - an isolated crocs free cool waterhole.
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| This watering hole is full of crocs in the wet season. They apparently test for crocs by baiting them for 3 days. If they do not catch one they declare the water safe to swim ! Shots of Kakadu |
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| A huge crocodile |
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| A fantastic place to be. Emotional. |
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