34 degrees today and sunny – lovely! We spend the morning at the Aquascene in the heart of Darwin at Doctors Gully. Here, at high tide, hundreds of fish come to shore to be fed by hand. Only open at high tide, this attraction is situated in the grounds of a private residence and visitors can get up close to a host of different wild fish. Bread is provided and visitors are actively encouraged to get into the water and feed the fish which throng the waters around their feet. Meat-eating fish are fed by a member of staff, who provides a extremely interesting and informative commentary. We spent a couple of hours at the centre and saw Diamond mackeral, milk fish, bream, sweet lip, barramundi, toad fish, archer fish, shovel nose rays, garfish, eel tailed catfish, bronze catfish, mangrove jack, crocadilian long toms, and coral cod and probably several others that I can’t recall by name. A fascinating experience and definitely worth the $11 entrance fee.
The hostel has a bar, two small pool and jacuzzi on the a terrace on the 1st floor and after lunch we take a dip to cool down and refresh. After the walk to Doctors Gully in the heat it was just what we needed. Afterwards we take a rather longer stroll passed Parliament House and down the escarpment to Stokes Hill Wharf where we sit a cafe over-looking the enormous natural harbour. Stokes Hill Wharf was bombed by the Japanese not long after Pearl Harbour and there is a memorial on the quayside to the many people who were killed on that fateful day. The wharf area is undergoing a major regeneration and there is large-scale development of a residential complex in progress which will include shops, restaurants and bars as well as a wave pool and landscaped gardens overlooking the wharf area and the harbour beyond. We walk back through the lovely tree-filled Bicentennial Gardens that run between the waterfront and the Esplanade
Darwin is an attractive modern city; the aftermath of the war and more recently cyclone Tracey in 1974 which destroyed some 60% of the buildings in the city have meant that there are few old buildings remaining. It has a laid back vibe, beautiful beaches, inviting sea and lush vegetation. Unfortunately in one of nature’s ironies it isn’t possible to swim in the sea between October and May due to box jellyfish (their sting can be leathal) and during the rest of the year protective suits are recommended. We like Darwin!