After six days in the outback, Darwin was a welcome sight, we were all looking forward to a shower, change of clothes, and a scrumptious dinner at one of Darwin's restaurants.

Darwin, located on the "top end" owes it's modern look to Cyclone Tracy which devastated the city in 1974. It is the Capitol of the Northern Territory, located at the very northern tip of the continent, it is 925 miles north of Alice Springs, 100 miles west of Kakadu and 158 miles west of Jabiru. The city has a small town feel, being very flat and condensed because of this it seemed small, however it was by far the largest city we had seen in days!

Darwin is particularly suited for families and couples, accommodations are plentiful, most hotels are 3-5 star and of post Tracy construction. Being fringed with beaches, including Mindil and Fannie Bay, Darwin is located on a bit of land overlooking the Timor Sea and surrounded by mangrove swamps. Box jellyfish are the main attraction Oct. to May and should be avoided at all costs.

Shopping is nondescript, they offer a good place to shop for aboriginal art as well as a refuge from the summer heat. Darwin is a jumping off point for excursions into the outback including Kakadu National Park, Melville Island, Arnhem Land Aboriginal Reserve, as well as tours featuring crocodile , waterfalls and bird life.

Foregoing the shopping and since we had already visited all of the aforementioned sites , it was time to hit the beach for a little relaxation. What a beauty!! Miles of sand and sun,not to mention the topless ladies, a sight to behold! The rest of the day was spent photographing the beautiful water, sand and sunset! Because of the stingray problem, not many people were in the water, but we didn't mind, there was just too much beauty to photograph to worry about swimming.

As the sun was setting it became time to head back to the hotel, only problem was, no one could remember where we were staying! Looking at the key didn't help much,as there was no name on it. Luckily , we thought it might be a Six Flags Hotel, flagging down a cab driver, he took us straight to our hotel.

Several members of our group were waiting as we arrived, we had bid farewell to them this morning as they were going for another day of sightseeing, however after traveling for about 10 miles, the bus broke down and they returned to our hotel.

The bus had developed engine problems two days earlier in the bush, there was a smell of hot metal and it over heated before stopping, I didn't think at the time there was a snowballs chance it would start again, however it did and safely brought us to Darwin before breathing it's last gasp!

We had all donated money for beer and food before leaving Alice, so it was decided to take the remaining money and dine out, an Indian restaurant was selected, the next two hours was spent pigging out on Barramundi, crocodile, Prawn, and Shrimp, all of which was washed down with $50 a bottle wine, what a meal!!

Off for an evening of partying at the Sportsman's Bar, a local waterfront hot spot, jitterbugging until 4 AM, then back to the hotel for a nap and arising in time for a 7:30 AM flight to Cairns.

Gary has traveled to many parts of the world, see more articles and photos at: http://www.travelnsnap.com