As culturally, historically, and even visually interesting Asia is, there was a collective readiness onboard to reach the shores of Australia and relax a bit in its western familiarity. However, Darwin, named after the famous evolutionist, Charles Darwin, is still a diverse mix of Asian culture and Australian heritage and, while my geographically-challenged mind thought Australia was far from any other continent, Darwin, the capital of the Northern Territory, is on the Timor Sea only 100 miles from the island of New Guinea.
We took off to explore this compact city on the “Hop-On/Hop-Off” red bus. Available in cities all over the world, this self-touring concept is a great way to see the city sites on a narrated looped circuit, and get off and on as you please with the purchase of a pass. We toured around town, went through the exclusive waterfront housing and yacht area of Cullen Bay, and past the Darwin Military Museum.
I hopped off at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory and discovered an arresting exhibit of the contemporary Aboriginal art movement pioneered in the 1970s, which has a strong following in the marketplace today. The art is diverse yet identifiable within each community through the exchange of ideas, a shared set of traditional symbols, and a common color palette. The exhibit featured decorated didjeridus, which are the drone pipes used by northern Aboriginal tribes, painted and carved figures, examples of the “dot and circle” desert painting movement, and extraordinary contemporary paintings and basketweaving. I fell in love with the simplistic, stylistic, and vibrant sophistication of this art.
Crocodiles are no myth in Australia, and the beaches of Darwin are not for swimming due to the common presence of enormous saltwater “crocs”. Darwin maximizes on their existence with crocodile tours and parks for tourists. But, aside from that menace, Darwin is a laid back, rough-around-the-edges blend of outdoor frontier and modern city. Sort of Asian meets Aboriginal meets cowboy meets hippie…all in a big group hug.