Darwin Nothern Territory and the WAR.

Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. (The Top End)
It's situated on the Timor Sea and is the largest city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, with a population of about 136,400.
Darwin was originally a pioneer outpost.

The Dutch visited Australia's northern coastline in the 1600s and created the first European maps of the area.

The Bombing of Darwin, also known as the Battle of Darwin on February 19, 1942 was both the first and the largest single attack ever mounted by a foreign power on Australia.  On this day, 242 Japanese aircraft attacked ships in Darwin's harbour and the town's two airfields in an attenpt to prevent the Allies from using them as bases to contest the invasions of Timor and Java.
The town was only lightly defended and the Japanese inflicted heavy losses upon the Allied forces at little cost to themselves.  The urban areas of Darwin also suffered some damage from the raids and there were a number of civilian casualties.
The raids were the first and largest of almost 100 air raids against Australia during 1942 - 43.


More on the Bombing of Darwin [ Here ]

Australian Naval Ship - Darwin.

 Beagle Gulf

The back of the War Memorial which faces the sea.

Below the front of.

Boat Harbour, Tasmania, Australia

Back to Tasmania once again to Boat Harbour Beach which we visited recently.
Population is about 136 people.
The area of Boat Harbour is rich in agricultural, potatoes, bean, peas and cattle, sheep etc.

The beach has such silky sand and is rather white and very clean.
Sea is clear and a delightful colour which is not seen often.

Photos of the sea I use for Wallpapers for the phone, iPad and as screensavers.

The map gives some idea where Boat Harbour is in Tasmania.

Arrived in Darwin NT.

Along way up the middle of Australia, finally arriving in Darwin.
Left home in Launceston, Tasmania on June 23, arriving Darwin July 15 for 10 days in the one place, wow, a bit unusual to stay put for a change.
We headed to the caravan park we had stayed in before.  I had phoned through and booked a site for the 10 days.

 

As you can see above we are partly underneath a huge tree and in the shade in this Tropical city that only has two seasons, dry and wet.  Not many were 'privileged' to have this shade.

The palm trees near by and those berries, well the bats come and eat when ripe.

Mustn't park the vehicle under that, otherwise, the paint work on the vehicle with be ruined with the bats droppings.

We headed towards the city and on the way I took some photos.

The Cyclone Shelter which in underneath the Supreme Court.

I have forgotten what is in this building.

Government House in Darwin.

Just a long a bit there is the wharf, the art depicts the War long ago.

A bay, looks peaceful.

Near this bay there are shops but most were closed even the restaurant to the left was, and all was gone.  Last time we came here it was very busy, but not anymore.

Adelaide River NT

Continuing on our holiday up the middle of Australia.
We stayed at Alice Springs you can view my last 2 posts from 2014 [ here ] [  here ] plus photos which are similar to this years.
We did however go to a Truck and Car museum this year.

Then onto Adelaide River in the Northern Territory.  A population of about 240 people.

Adelaide River was first settled by worker who arrived in the area to construct the Overland Telegraph Line.  During construction, the discovery of  'gold' at Pine Creek (a town below) in 1872 had a major impact on the settlement.

Adelaide River played a central role in the defence of Australia during the second world war. 
In 1939, the town was designated as a rest area for personnel serving in Darwin, Northern Territory.
Military activity around the area increased significantly following the first Japanese air-raids on Darwin on February 19, 1942.

The immediate aftermath of these attacks led to a mass-exodus of the city's civilian population toward the south, an event that would become known as the Adelaide River Stakes.  The allied response was significant increase of forces to rebuild and greatly expand defences in the region. 
A military airfield was built in the town close to the railway station, along with several others in the surrounding district including Coomalie Creek and Pell.  In addition an artillery and weapons range was esxtablished at Tortilla Flats, between Commnaolie Creek and Adeliade River.

The town became an important tactical supply and communications base for all branches of the armed forces.  In August 1942, the Adelaide River War Cemetery was established. Photos below.

While there were numerous bombing raids on the surround outstations and facilities throughout 1942 - 1943, Adelaide River itself was bombed only once, in the early hours of November 12, 1943.  This was the last Japaanese air raid on the Northern Territory.  At the hight of hostilites, there wee up to 30,000 Australian Army and United States soldiers based near the town. 

An ammunition dump, including a spur railway line, was established at Snake Creek, not far to the north.  Whilst the facility became operational towards the end of the war, it was too late to be useful in the war effort.  Additional rail sidings were built at the town station to serve ambulances or 'hospital' trains that brought wounded personnel to the field hospitals in the area.  In addition to many transient units, the 107th Australian General Hospital and 119th Australian General Hospital were set up within Adelaide River.   Taken in part from Wikipedia.

Climbing Uluru (Ayers Rock)

 Climbing Uluru.

People are discouraged by Uluru's traditional owners to climb the rock, but of course people freely climb it without any problems.  You have to be fit and not suffer from vertigo (dizziness) or any medical condition restricting exercise.
The climb is closed when it's windy at the top, which of course makes sense.
There have been about 35 deaths relating to recreational climbing since records have begun.

Photography of Uluru.

The Anangu (the traditional people the Aboriginals who are in the area) request that visitors do not photograph certain sections of Uluru, for reasons related to traditional Tjukurpa beliefs.
These areas are the sites of gender-linked rituals in question.  The photographic restriction is intended to prevent Anangu from inadvertently violating this taboo by encountering photographs of the forbidden sites in the outside world.      Wikipedia.

Last time I visited Uluru I was taking a photo of one of the sacred sites, now called sensitive sites and my camera broke!  Me being me, I just laughed.

 
Aboriginal myth, perhaps!  There are many.

It is sometimes reported that those who take rocks from the formation with be cursed and suffere misfortune.  There has been many instances where people who removed such rocks attempted to mail them back to various agencies in an attempt to remove the perceived curse.      Wikipedia.

At the base of Uluru.

It's a long way up there.

A closer look.  Different time of day hence the change in colour.

Tulips on Table Cape, Tasmania

We, my husband and I have decided that we will take the caravan and ourselves on a week long trip each month.  No point in having a caravan if only used once a year when we will go away again for about 3 months.
Tasmania, the island we live on shall know doubt be visited and towns and cities stayed in as we did long ago...long before digital cameras.

This past 11 days we did just that, had another holiday :)
(I thought this would be a change from travellling up the middle of Australia photos)

We went to Bicheno for 3 nights last weekend, then onto Deloraine for one night, followed by our long stay in Wynyard on the North West Coast.  A beautiful spot, parked right by the sea, about 30 steps and onto the beach.

Table Cape a flat top hill is near Wynyard so it's here that many tulips are grown each spring, mainly for the bulbs of which many are taken to the Netherlands and other places in this world.

I have chosen a few photos to show of some of the tulips.
 

Uluru (Ayers Rock) at Sunset NT

 We are now home, it's easier to show the photos of our 3 months journey in more detail.

There is just something about Uluru (Ayers Rock) especially at sunset.  The colours change as the sun begins to set.  It's a long journey to see it, but worth it for me.
We see the changing colours of the rock plus the sky.

My post whilst travelling is [here]

I'm showing the photos from the end of sunset to the beginning.

The rock is a 863 meters (2,831 ft) high. 

The sun has set.

The beginning of sunset above.

The above photo was taken not that long before sunset began, it's where I stood till the sunset ended.

Kulgera NT

We moved on passing the Northern Territory Boarder to Kulgera for the night passing Cadney Park where is was very busy with many buying Diesel.
The vegetation was 'salt bush' and as travelling one could see the land flat as far as the eye could see.  This part of the country is called 'The Painted Desert".

The Caravan Park at Kulgera where we had NO power or water.. (we had our own)  One TV Channel and it was Analogue which wasn't a good reception.  No phone reception.  We were all packed in here like sardines.

Kulgera is located in the Northern Territory 275 km south of Alice Springs, 21 km north of the border with South Australia. Kulgera is the southern most permanent settlement in the Northern Territory.

Where you get diesel for the vehicles.

An old sign.

We turned off at Elrduna NT to take the journey to the middle of Australia to see Ayers Rock, (Uluru) Passing Mt. Connor on the way.

Kata Tjuta -Ulgas taken from the platform facing the sun.  Kata Tjuta consists of 36 steep sided monoliths, which, just like Uluru, look most impressive at sunrise and sunet.  There are many walks to be walked in this area of the National Park.

Part of the walk away from the platform at looks over Kata Tjuta.