ART GALLERY, MUSEUM,BEACHES AND PARKS AT DARWIN - LAST DAY

PLEASE NOTE--- THE BEGINNING OF THE BLOG STARTS WITH DARWIN, AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST. 

The Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory (MAGNT) is the main museum in the Territory.  The museum is located in the inner Darwin suburb of Fannie Bay.  The MAGNT IS GOVERNED BY THE BOARD OF THE ESTABLISHMENT AND IS SUPPORTED BY THE MUSEUMS AND ART GALLERIES OF THE  NORTHERN TERRITORY FOUNDATION.  EACH YEAR magnt presents both internally developed exhibitions and travelling exhibitions from around Australia.  It is also the home of the annual Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Award, Australia's longest running indigenous art prize.

MEET SWEETHEART - A MALE CROCODILE OVER 5 METRES LONG WHO WAS ONCE THE HEAAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION OF THE BILLABONG.  HE MET HIS DEATH WHILE BEING MOVED TO ANOTHER AREA.  THE DOSAGE OF TRANQUILISER WAS HIS DEMISE.  

This gallery features a spectacular display of beautiful decorated boats, canoes and other watercraft that connected Australia with distant lands for hundreds of years.  

Tracing an evolutionary timeline from the beginnings of our solar system, journey through the periods of natural history that have shaped the unique ecology of the Northern Territory. Discover megafauna that once roamed this part of the world and the amazing, often deadly animals of the region. 

A large expensive restaurant with a magnificent view. 

These curlews were so friendly as they roamed the gardens in front of the restaurant. 

They sat for ages on comfortable seats above this beach. 

 fish and chips were enjoyed in a park at Fanny Bay as the sun set. 

Their convenient motel near the airport where they swam and had a hearty farewell breakfast by the pool.
All in all, a great adventure by three like minded ladies in their early to mid seventies!!!  

GEORGE BROWN BOTANIC GARDENS

The Botanic Gardens are two kilometres north of Darwin city.  They cover 42 hectares and are noted for their collections of north Australian and other tropical species.  The gardens are a cool place where you can relax under a canopy of rain trees and tall palms in the heart of Darwin.

The gardens have been in Darwin for over 130 years and have survived World War 11 and Cyclone Tracy. This is one of the few botanic gardens in the world with marine and estuarine plants growing naturally. The Plant Display House has tropical orchids, bromeliads and other exotic flora.  Nearly 90% of the gardens were destroyed by cyclone Tracy in 1974. However with the wet tropical climate and determined work by curator George Brown, by 1979 the gardens had 20% more plants than before the cyclone.

The gardens are named after George Brown who became mayor of Darwin in 1992 and remained Mayor up until his death in 2002. Not only the gardens, also much of Darwin's green, tropical setting is a result of his influence.

ENJOYED A GOOD COFFEE WITH SCONES AT THIS QUAINT
EVA'S CAFE. 

CAN YOU SEE THE CARPET SNAKE ON THE TREE BRANCH? 

After  seeing the Art Gallery and Museum, the girls went to Mindil Beach Markets where they purchased jewellery . The food at the markets wasn't appealing, due to having had a delicious lunch at the Gallery, not to mention the girls were on the tired side. 

Enjoyable entertainment . 

THE BUNGLE BUNGLES

PAMELA'S ACCOUNT OF HER TWO DAYS AT THE BUNGLE BUNGLE. 

Thursday August 24th, Margaret and Karen dropped and ran from the airport for my flight to Kununurra.  Great window seat on the window side with a huge view of the ocean and the outgoing tide.  A red brown fringe to the creeks and swamps of the Northern Territory and WA. No sign of any life from 30,000 feet.  Just and expanse of country.  Channels of brown with green fringes.  The very occasional bush track, snakes from no where to nothing.  We bank of Kununurra irrigation fields, rectangular, dull green salt bush blocks, bright green melon patches and mango trees in regimented rows.  The Ord River breaks into channels of dirty water. 

The town is bigger than I expected.  My room at the back of the Kununurra Hotel is away from the karaoke noises. I had a pleasant walk in the 30 degree heat in the town.  There were groups of black faces sitting in shaded areas of parklands - quiet and shy - The sign outside the arcade to Coles says 'No humbugging'.  The aboriginal gallery is large with some colourful works.  Others, just so.  The modern gallery has a photo exhibition .  It's further down the hot road. A dinner at the pub .  Friday the 25th.  Picked up out front in the shade of a huge bottle tree, 8.15 to the airport.  Four smallish planes take groups of tourists to the Bungle Bungle Mountain.  I am with 12 people.  I am chosen to sit with the pilot on the amazing flight over lake Argyle.  Cattle stations that boarded on the Tanna Myr  Desert. Over other ranges and onto the ranges that stand out.  Land at the gravel airstrip and onto a 4 x 4 bus.  The ranger Jen, an older woman and a young aboriginal guy.  We drove over a corrugated track into the mountains.  

37 degrees, and I walked for two hours.  In an amazing part of my country.  A dream filled.  Made it back to the 4 x 4, buggered.  Fly back as  co-pilot to Kununurra.  Slept well.