March 14, 2026
Darwin turned out to be our favorite city in Australia. We took a walking and eating tour, which included three restaurants. Like other Australian cities, compared to the United States, Darwin appears more open, with more trees and parks. The thing that impressed us the most is what our guide called street art. These are large murals, often multistoried, on the sides of buildings, and there are many of them. Here are several.
Darwin has an ap that you can use to view the street art, and if you open your phone camera and aim it at some of the art, you get an animated version of the painting.
Our tour took us to three restaurants. The first served Moorish cuisine, which included barbequed kangaroo which was flavorful and delicious. Yes, we felt guilty (but not too guilty).
The second restaurant was oriental and served satay and laska, shown in the bowl below. Just the right amount of heat.
The third restaurant served an Australian version of grouper and crocodile.
The crocodile was cut in strips and prepared like calamari. Its taste was a little stronger and the meat was a little firmer. Mal had seconds and thirds, and we did not feel guilty.
Darwin is the capital of Australia’s Northern Territory, and our walk took us by its government house. The entrance features its coat of arms, which includes kangaroos and an emu. These animals were chosen because they can’t back up. We also learned that Darwin was heavily bombed by the Japanese during World War II. This had the same impact on Australia that Pearl Harbor had on the United States. You can see from the photo of a column at one of the corners of government house that the top of the column looks like a bomb, which serves as a reminder.
We also walked by a mall where there was a Chinese New Year’s celebration, complete with dragons.
It was a delightful day.
On to Indonesia!
Dottie and Mal
