Dudes in Darwin

Darwin was named Palmerston until it was renamed Darwin after Charles Darwin, father of the now proven theory of evolution by natural selection, in 1911. It was very heavily bombed in 1942 by the Japanese in preparation for the invasion of Australia, killing 252 people. And it was flattened again. By cyclone Tracey in 1974.

Looking at it now you wouldn't know. Darwin is vibrant, growing, modern. It has an energetic tropical vibe, with lots of tourists, al fresco dining, breezy architecture and drinking. Lots of drinking. When I first visited in 1988, it felt like a frontier town. Not any more - Darwin is cool...in a hot, sunny tropical sort of way. 

In the last day, we have bird watched at Fogg Dam (brolgas!!) visited Crocodylus Park, wandered the esplanade, eaten at the splendid Hanuman, fished, visited the military museum and flopped on the cool hotel beds to recover.