Darwin - a perfect short break - Day 1

 Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, is the perfect spot for a short break, especially if you are looking for warmer weather during the winter months.

In July we flew to Darwin and had four nights (three days) to enjoy the many delights before taking The Ghan back to Adelaide, and on home. Darwin is a modern, open and clean city and we immediately felt comfortable.

On the morning of day 1 we did a loop of the Big Bus Hop On-Hop Off route taking in the main attractions and getting a feel for the lay-out of the city.

Then we continued on to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory where there was a huge crowd of school children ... time for a lunch break. There was a spectacular art exhibition, the Telstra  National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards, and we spent ages there looking at the many and varied styles of art presented. Here are a few of my favourites.

We also had a short visit to the museum section which included Sweetheart, the largest saltwater crocodile ever captured. Sweetheart was 5.1 metres in length and weighed 780 kilograms.

From the Art Gallery and Museum it was back on the Big Bus to the Military Museum and the Defence of Darwin Experience. This interactive experience tells of the Bombing of Darwin by the Japanese in 1942. There was a massive amount of information to view but I didn't take any photos inside.

Riding back into the city on the Big Bus and some more views of the landscape, vegetation and attractions.

Walking home from the bus stop we spotted our first street art installation, close up. Darwin is noted for its street art festival, but more on that in a later post.

That evening I had made a booking at a restaurant called Moorish. Apart from great reviews, it serves Spanish and North African flavours and specializes in tapas. Just what we love.

The wait staff were excellent and explained the options for how we could enjoy a selection of tapas. What a superb evening we had with six tapas and a dessert, all washed down with sangria.