Karen Hechinger

Despite the fact that Mike's flight from Cairns to Darwin was delayed (again & again), from a 6P arrival, to the possibility of being cancelled, to then an actual midnight arrival, we hit the ground running on our first day in Darwin. Armed with caffeine & walking shoes, we acclimated ourselves to the town with a stroll down to the waterfront, along the esplande, and through the main strip in town, before grabbing a quick swim at the hotel pool to cool off, then a drink at a rooftop bar with 360 views of the harbor.

Darwin is the northern most city in Australia, thereby closest to the equator. There are 2 seasons in this northcentral part of the country: wet season & dry season. We are here during dry season, during which daytime temps range between 85-95 degrees with oppressive humidity . (This is dry season?) I can't imagine being here in “summer” (Dec – Feb). One of the vendors told us many businesses completely shut down in summer due to a general lack of interest in being anywhere near this place at that time of year. I asked a few year-round locals how they dealt with the oppressive heat, and the answer was usually something like "you just get used to it". Despite the inevitable incomprehensive stare they get from me, I do appreciate that this is why I travel - to appreciate cultures and thoughts that are different from your own.

The city of Darwin is a small, walkable city, population 150K+. Its draw, seems to be not really what thr city has to offer itself, but rather its proximity to other locations. It is a gateway to a few national parks, as well as to the outback. Mike and I toodled around the city, and in our efforts to come up with one word to describe it, and I think we agreed on "unremarkable".

Despite that, we love exploring and are having a blast!Read more