Darwin ... and rescue at sea

One of the truly pleasant (and I would say unexpected) aspects of this voyage is the introduction to some very enjoyable cities and towns in both New Zealand and Australia.   Part of the pleasure comes not just with seeing a new place, but gaining a better understanding of its significance on this earth, its views of the outside world, and the history it has experienced that helps comprise the soul of the community.

 

I really knew very little about Darwin, Australia, but I sail away from this community of 90,000 inhabitants with respect and admiration.  On the surface, it is a clean, contemporary town with a small yet vibrant downtown.  It is the largest city on the north coast of Australia, and it is deeply in the tropics.  Those two facts have had more influence on modern day Darwin than perhaps anything else.   Because twice in the past 73 years, Darwin has been destroyed.    Not just damaged, but pretty much wiped off the face of the map.

 

Among the places I wanted to visit in Darwin were the underground oil storage bunkers from WWII.  In the cliffs adjacent to the port and wharf, a maze of underground tunnels were dug in 1942-43.   The walls were sealed in metal casings, and it is here where the Australian military planned to store fuel.    The need for the underground bunkers became apparent in the days following Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor.  That's because after their successful bombing mission in Honolulu, the Japanese pilots turned around, refueled, reloaded, and took aim on Darwin, a strategic military port for Australia, the US, and the allies.  A relentless attack in December, 1942, destroyed the above ground oil storage facilities in Darwin, the airport, and most of the town.   Darwin became known as Australia's Pearl Harbor.  Loss of life was significant, and throughout the war, Darwin was bombed frequently.   Thus the need for underground fuel bunkers …  and thus, the need to rebuild most of the city after the war ended.

The next place I wanted to visit was the Northern Territories Museum, which in addition to housing impressive exhibits of cool Aboriginal art (no photos allowed there), they also had an eerie exhibit of the events of Christmas Day, 1974.   That's when Cyclone Tracy took dead aim on Darwin.  Absolutely nothing was left of the town.  Winds measured at 220 miles per hour leveled everything ... homes, downtown, city hall, the Parliament building.   TV News video and still shots from newspapers reminded me of the devastation following the tsunami in Japan.   But actually, it looked worse in Darwin. Because of the total destruction again less than 40 years ago, Darwin has rebuilt into one of the most modern cities I have ever visited.  

 

Not that that's a good thing, but just reality, that mankind (through war) and Mother Nature (through the elements) have forced more hardship on this particular community in 30 years than most others ever experience.

Another highlight of Darwin ... one of the most beautiful botanical gardens I have visited anywhere.   Including a rain forest, orchid garden, and tropical oasis, it really was stunning.   The variety of flowers and plants truly made it a natural experience to remember.

Our stay in Darwin was too short and a bit rushed.   But perhaps a brief visit is best.  Here's why:   It is mid summer here, it is the tropics.  Humidity is at 100%, and we passed by a bank where the temperature read 37 degrees (99F).   It was bearable to a point.  Then it became uncomfortable to be roaming around in it.  So, why not go to the beach?  That's another problem.  The beaches looked nice, but they are off limits.  The ocean here is filled with poisonous jelly fish and ... there are apparently a lot of hungry crocodiles that have been known to wander down the shoreline and attack unsuspecting sunbathers.   Being a Sunday, there were lots of people at parks having barbecues, playing soccer, and obviously better acclimated to the heat and humidity than me.  But the beaches were empty.

Now, two days at sea.   Time for reading (two books completed, now starting a third), relaxation, reflection.  Life is precious, enjoy every day.

Update:  On Monday, our first day of sea after Darwin, the captain came on the PA system and announced the ship was changing course and streaming full speed toward Milingimbi, a small town on Australia’s north coast.   A crew member had suffered a heart attack and needed to be airlifted off the ship.   Within three hours, a spotter plane flew overhead as a rescue medical helicopter set down on the ship’s front deck.  This morning, we were told the crew member was flown to Darwin where he is in serous, but stable condition.  For those of you who have known me for many years, you may remember the same thing happened to me when I suffered a ruptured appendix while in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.   The Holland America ship we were on had to change course toward northern California, and when we were within range, the military sent a rescue crew out from Moffat Field to pluck me off the ship and take me to Stanford.   

Then Monday evening, a waterspout formed a few miles off the port side (left side) of the ship.  It was fascinating to watch, with nothing but blue ocean waters in its path.