Tunnels underneath Darwin

I woke up still feeling not the best but made my way to a local café for an açai bowl packed with fruit and an immune buster juice. My plan for today is to do a bit in the morning, nap, then do something else in the afternoon. Basically, a quiet day. It’s a beautiful sunny day up here in Darwin and with that it’s hot 🥵! After breakfast I walk back to my hotel to freshen up before heading out to explore a little.

I decide tonight to check out the WWII oil tunnels under the city this morning. I figured that it would be out of the sun and normally underground is a pretty constant cooler temperature. I start walking there along the foreshore of the harbour but then decide to take a beam scooter instead. I really enjoy using these to explore places as they are relatively cheap, speedy and easy to stop places if something takes your eye. It’s a shame we can’t have nice things in Melbourne (like scooters).

I zoom along the foreshore feeling like a giddy school kid on his first ride and quickly arrive at the harbour and tunnel entrance. I pay my $10 entry fee and the lady looking after the tunnel informs me that it is quite hot inside so to take it easy and sit under the fans if I get too hot. Hot? Underground? Not what I was expecting but okay.

The tunnels were built during WWII as an oil storage that was a bit harder to bomb during air raids. Built using hand tools in a constant 32 degrees and almost 100% humidity would have been horrendous. I’m glad for the fans as I walk through, something those builders of this tunnel would have appreciated if they existed back then.

I slowly wander the length, reading some of the information about the history. I do find it a bit disappointing that when describing the area, it all starts from the 1800’s and pretty much ignores the First Nations history, but you get that I guess from colonial history telling. Although war history isn’t really my vibe, I do like the brutalist structure that remains and like how it’s been turned into an attraction.

Water is leaking in from many parts of the walls, which makes me wonder how the oil and water, which don’t mix, mixed back in the day. It’s not a long visit, but I’m glad I checked it out. Visit complete, I consider continuing on exploring to the art gallery but decide to take a chill back at my hotel instead. No need to burn out on morning number 1. My watch thinks I’m cycling as I effortlessly scoot back to my hotel for some much-needed hydration and cooling off.Läs mer