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Darwin is the entry point for Northern Australia.
Darwin has changed since
Cyclone Tracy struck
on Christmas Eve 1974,
but it still retains
something of the atmosphere
of a pioneering city,
and, of course, it is
still proud of its extreme
isolation. The population
of Darwin is only 90,000,
but look on a map and
try to find the nearest
city of an equivalent
size. When you have done
that, you will have a
better appreciation of
just how remote this
place is.
Darwin was badly damaged during World War 2, rebuilt and then destroyed a second time with the Cyclone Tracery that struck on Christmas Eve 1974. Darwin was rebuilt and has resulted in a well designed Central Business District with parks and outdoor malls. |
Darwin sits on a peninsula and the CBD in the south eastern area of Darwin. The Esplanade and Lamerro Beach are on the western edge. The backpacker area is on Mitchell Street close to the bus transit centre. The main shopping street is the Smith Street Mall.
Darwin has a pleasant relaxed atmosphere. It is a European city, but there are people here from many different ethnic backgrounds. 23% of the population is Aboriginal. Then there are the Chinese who first came for the gold at Pine Creek, but continued to arrive until well into the twentieth century. More recently, there have been the Vietnamese immigrants.
Stokes Hill Wharf
Stokes Hill Wharf is at the tip of the Darwin city area. On the way there, you will pass an artificial reef and fishing platform. This is a working wharf, but the area also has restaurants, cafes, shops and entertainment.
Doctor's Gully
Doctor's Gully is just to the north of the Esplanade. It can be reached by road or by a path leading from the northern end of the grassy area beside the Esplanade. The first Europeans to visit landed here. The area was originally market gardens, and then it became the site of the first hospital. During the war it was a base for flying boats, and some remains of the wartime activities can still be seen at low tide.
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