DARWIN During WW2 Darwin was bombed on 64 separate occasions. The first bombing raid was the most intense and sustained, with a heavy loss of life and equipment. The first raid was two sorties by the Japanese. The harbour and ships in the morning and the runway and planes in the afternoon. The extent of the raids and bomb attacks was kept for the most part from the greater population at the time. But fully explains John Curtin’s strategies from that time and the alliance with the USA. So, for Darwin and far north of the Northern Territory is a war town/state and much of the history is still on display in museums and surviving infrastructure. Darwin also lies in the cyclone belt and over the years have been struck by storms of varying intensity; cyclone Tracey on Xmas Eve 1974. Since the benefits of Air Conditioning becoming the norm, Darwin as a city has grown very fast. One of the fastest developing cities in Australia. The city itself is built on a low bluff overlooking the harbour. Having been almost entirely rebuilt twice, and biuldings for the most part are modern. In the early 1870s, Darwin felt the effects of a gold rush at Pine Creek after employees of the Australian Overland Telegraph Line found gold while digging holes for telegraph poles. No old hotels have survived the Darwin’s recent development. The Churches are of modern design. Darwin is a great place to visit in the traditional winter months. Warm and dry. A day trip to Mandorah for lunch is recomended. Be sure to have an extended visit and delight in what this great city has to offer. Diary notes