Friday 20 – Monday 23 June 2025

We move this morning from the Outback Spirit sponsored Hilton Gardens Hotel to the more downmarket Ramada Zen Quarter. A little too much Zen for us but at least it’s cheap Zen. The compendium in our room invites us to “Meet Zen and Zeena, our world famous frogs, resting at the front of our hotel”. I introduced myself to these world famous creatures, but they appear to have well and truly croaked

Our four days in Darwin are somewhat diminished by Cherrie being under the weather. She has what she calls civilisation bug so much of her time here is in bed. On Friday she is feeling ok and so we do the HoHo bus. We always have this laugh in every new city, buy the overpriced ticket on the topless bus, do the full 90 minute round, to familiarise ourselves. We find it really useful. Having hopped on and off at the same stop we then walk the short distance to Parliament House, colloquially referred to as the wedding cake – it’s square, full of fruit and nuts who are soaked in alcohol

It’s a lovely building, both inside and out, but very quiet today as parliament is not sitting. A walk around town demonstrates how well Darwin has been rebuilt post Tracy, with cyclone proof apartment blocks and high rise buildings which are actually quite attractive

In this vibrant city, street art takes pride of place

On Saturday, far too early for we holiday makers, we meet Cherrie’s cousin’s daughter, Georgie Gilder and her partner Jimmy. They collect us at 8.15am and we head off to Parap Markets, where we get the much needed coffee hit. Then a search of the myriad of food stalls before settling on the perfect breakfast. Açai bowl for her, Cambodian pancake for Georgie and me and fried rice with lots of unlikely breakfast foods for Jimmy. Typical bloke. Back to Georgie’s lovely apartment, a couple of blocks from the market for some real cutlery so we can eat. Georgie and Jimmy drop us at the new Charles Darwin University Campus in town, in front of which is a rather large boab tree

Their Midpul Art Gallery is showing an exhibition from Jilamara Arts on Melville Island.

Fortunately none are for sale.

Then, over to the MAGNT (Museum and Art Gallery Northern Territory).

Yikes, what a vision

And how lucky we are to be here to coincide with the 2025 Telstra NATSIAA (National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award) the country’s longest running and most prestigious art award of its kind. There are 71 finalists to wonder over, and so many different styles from so many communities across the country.

This image above shows the front and reverse of this metal etching from Yirrkala. As a bonus, we get to vote in the People’s Choice for this years award.

This fabulous facility is far more than an art gallery – it is indeed a museum too. We didn’t miss (or photograph) Sweetie, the giant crocodile who died of natural causes whilst being trapped in 1979. 5 metres long, he weighs in heavier than me, at 580kg.

There are all sorts of other museum exhibits too, but so much to take in that we got sensory overload. However, the Cyclone Tracy exhibition is wonderful, and quite moving. A whole room of exhibits, movies, recordings etc.

All in all, Saturday was a great day in Darwin.

Cherrie did manage to extract herself from bed for the famous Mindil Beach Markets on Sunday evening. A feast of food vans, together with some stalls, some tack, some camels, some music from Crocodile Country, some more tack and, of course, a beach sunset accounted for not quite two hours before retiring to the sick bed

I did a few solo things. Visited the most uninspiring volunteer run, Bombing of Darwin Museum, where I was treated to bomb fragments, an out of order interactive display, old photographs, and expired David Jones shop window dummies resplendent in ill fitting uniforms. Even the 13 minute movie, announced via an air raid siren, is below par. By my par anyway.

A visit to the Darwin Waterfront was pleasant, with lots of restaurants and a man made swimming beach.

My visit with two old pals who are now CEO and Operations Manager at the Darwin Entertainment Centre was a highlight of Monday for me. Lovely to catch up with colleagues, who welcomed me warmly. At my request I got a tour of the centre, which is exactly as I remembered it from my last visit there, in 1993. Even the same carpet, but that is getting changed soon. And not a moment too soon.

We leave Darwin before the sparrows have woken on Tuesday morning and will be home tonight.

The winter weather in the top end is balmy!

Fabulous holiday. Thanks for turning 70 Cherrie.