Darwin

I'm a bit out of sequence, here, but such is life on the road. Darwin proper has about 110,000 people, but with the suburbs come closer to 150,000. It is growing, with new condos going well into the $700,000 range, and higher. The lifestyle is drawing people more than employment per se.

The first pic is of one of the most famous pubs in Australia (from a calendar I saw in the Darwin airport store). It would be very familiar to those Americans who frequent sports bars. Beers were $5, but were a full pint versus the 12 ounces we are used to. Just in case you were curious.

But across the street was my favorite bar. Too bad they didn't even have coasters with their name on it.











Outside of Darwin is a set of military communications antennae. Darwin has a sizable base that houses the Navy, Air Force and Army, all in the same place. Must make for interesting parades. Anyway, this site is very popular for weddings. Why? For the answer, you'll have to scroll to the end of this post.














Speaking of the military, Darwin was bombed by the Japanese some 64 times (http://www.diggerhistory.info/pages-battles/ww2/darwin.htm) after the attack on our Pearl Harbor. There is a significant emphasis on remembrance in the city, and certain sites are included in a city tour, including tunnels dug to store oil. The tanks in the town had tops painted white, which made them quite visible to the bomber pilots. So rather than do something about that, the local government commissioned the digging of enormous tunnels in which the oil was to be stored. Unfortunately, the digging took so long that the war was over before any oil was pumped in. They are now a tourist attraction. Sorry - no pics of these. But I do include here a picture of a strip of bare ground that runs parallel to the Arnhem Highway, which was an airstrip during WWII. Much of it has disappeared into development and highway, but a long section has been preserved.















As for why the antennae site is so popular for weddings, ...
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if you marry there, you are guaranteed a good reception.

(I know - I have no shame.)