18. Darwin

Wednesday, 31 OCT 2012

It took three days to cruise from Cairns through the Great Barrier Reef, around Cape York and the Torres Straits, and across the Arafur Sea to reach Darwin. Darwin is quite a modern city of around 100,000 population. It has to be, since it was essentially wiped out twice in the twentieth century. Actually, the repeated bombing by the Japanese during WW2 (more than 70 bombing and strafing attacks) didn't come close to totally destroying the settlement of, then, 2000 people, but it did extensive and repeated damage. Later in the war, as Australia built up military facilities in the area, they became the main targets rather than the town. By late 1943 the defensive capabilities had become effective and the Japanese had lost interest, as well as most of their military position in the nearby parts of Southeast Asia, and the bombing stopped. Thank the Americans for Guadalcanal.

Sunset while anchored near Sharrod Island:

 

Paula relaxing in a deck chair:

Entrance into Darwin Harbor:

Red carpet welcome to Darwin:

Paula using good cell phone service to talk to our progeny back in Michigan:

This is Fanny Bay at low tide. Tides here are 6-8 meters (20 feet). And it's really hot here - 37 C, the same as normal human body temperature.

 

 

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