I was looking forward to returning to Darwin after a long absence. Darwin is a city that for its whole existance could be described as a modern city. Established as a settlement in 1869 it was soon Australia's link to the rest of the world with the first overseas telegraph station opened in 1872. The city was rebuilt after being bombed in 1942, and then again after being destroyed by Cyclone Tracey in 1974. In the past 15 years the rebuild has been more gradual, but we found ourselves in a city we barely recognised - and that is not altogether a bad thing!
We had decided to come a day earlier than planned into Darwin, and spend a day relaxing after our busy tour through Kakadu. We were all a little weary of travelling, and a bit of caravan park luxury (and washiing machines) was very much in order.
Our first stop was the Rapid Creek Markets. The tropical fruits and vegetables on display, coupled with the aromas from the food stalls was vaguely reminiscent of a South East Asia market - without the enthusiastic haggling! We enjoyed a fruit smoothie - first treat of the day.
Our next stop was Casurania Shopping Mall, a typical mall with all the same shops you find everywhere - but we weren't here for the shopping. We had a little surprise for the boys up our sleeves. We told them we were looking for a new pair of shoes or some such guff. When we went up the stairs to the cinema, the game was eventually up, and we took the boys in to see a movie. They didn't know the movie until the opening scene - and were thrilled with the choice. How to Train a Dragon 2 was extremely well received.
