Spending up big

Today we made our way back through Litchfeild National Park and on to Darwin. We started our day with a short stop at Wangi Falls, one of the park's most popular locations. Here the falls plunge into a large, deep pool that's popular with swimmers. We also discovered its a favourite roosting spot for native Flying Foxes. We could see hundreds of them hanging from trees along the water's edge.


Our next stop was Tolmer Falls. The falls can only be viewed from a distant lookout as the gully floor and its many caverns are home to a couple of rare bat species; including the Ghost Bat, Australia's only truly carvivorous bat. While the view of the falls was spectacular, I was almost more taken by the opposing view across the edge of the plateau. There's something magical about Australia's varst blue skies and ever distant horizon.


We made Buley Rockhole our final stop before heading to Darwin. This is a series of small waterfalls and rockholes upstream from Florence Falls. They make ideal swimming holes - and as the heat of the day was rising - were the ideal place to end our Top End tour. Garry and I spent a leisurely hour soaking up the fresh river water in our own private plunge pool before reluctantly packing up to make our camper van return deadline.


As we drove north we were surprised to discover the side of the road was also home to numerous abandoned World War II airstrips. I counted at least four on the way north. We arrived in Darwin with 20 minutes to spare - or at least - we thought we had 20 minutes. Garry soon discovered we were actually a day late returning our vehicle. He'd miscounted the number of hire days.

One hefty penalty and an extra day's hire later and we were A$320 poorer. The error also meant that our Darwin hotel charged us a cancellation penalty and we had to rebook our room at a less favourable rate. That extra day has proven rather pricey. However, this evening's ocean-view sunset has more than made up for the extra expense. Moments after taking this photo the sun transformed itself into the largest glowing red ball I've ever seen. The ultimate way to farewell another Summer vacation.

Darwin remembers

On February 19, 1942, a military force attacked mainland Australia for the first time in recorded history. On this fateful day a strike force of 188 Japanese aircraft bombed the town without warning. During a 20 minute period, more bombs were dropped on Darwin than at Pearl Harbour two months earlier. A second raid several hours later attacked and seriously damaged the nearby Australian Air Force base.

At least 292 people died that day, including sailors from 21 ships that were destroyed or disabled. The town’s civilians were evacuated soon after. Incredibly, the area endured a further 62 raids before the Japanese turned their attention elsewhere. Sadly, Darwin’s destruction made headlines again in 1974 when Cyclone Tracey swept in on Christmas Eve, resulting in an emergency airlift evacuation of more than 8000 people over several days. I recall this event vaguely thanks to a pictorial story in a Women’s Weekly magazine my mother purchased at the time.


Today both destructive events are memorialised in and around Bicentennial Park which fringes the city’s coastal headland. Garry and I took a casual stroll to view the many monuments on our first evening in town, as well as the Territory's striking legislative building. We started our walk outside the old Town Hall. Here the broken shell of a stone building is all that remains, bearing silent witness to the cyclone’s awesome power.


Nearby is Christ's Church which also bares Tracey’s scar. A striking modern building is entered via a traditional stone porch. This was the original church’s only surviving structure. It was hard to believe that such study stone buildings could be so utterly destroyed. Tracy was clearly a frightening event for those caught in its midst.


Further along the headland we came across several sites immortalising the Japanese air raids. Perhaps the most poignant among them was Cenotaph, where plaques remembering the region’s war dead are set in an arc overlooking the harbour. In the distance we could see a visiting US warship at berth. I found it hard to believe that more than sixty years earlier a similar vessel, the USS Peary, had sunk in the same harbour after being struck by Japanese bombers. The event is remembered nearby with a gun salvaged from its sunken wreck. It was here we paused to watch the sun sink below the horizon.

Tomorrow morning we collect our self-contained camper van and head off into the heart of the Top End. Our itinerary includes Kakadu, Katherine Gorge and Litchfield National Park. Stay tuned for plenty of crocs, sunshine and dust.

UPDATE
Here it is – our temporary home on wheels. Garry has done his research. Our chosen van boasts a hot shower, toilet and even air-conditioning.