Who would've thought that my first step on Australian soil would be taken in sunny Darwin? When we got off the inaugural SilkAir flight, the heat was the first thing that I remembered. The locals, though, were definitely warmer. Their hospitality was amazing. They greeted with, "How's it going?", which is not only a "Hello!" but the beginning of a conversation.
We made our way to Medina Grand Darwin Waterfront & Vibe Hotel Darwin, which was located at the Darwin Waterfront. We felt like we were in another world as we made our way there by coach. It wasn't crowded, the buildings didn't tower over us and the traffic was smooth. Immediately I felt more relaxed.
Upon checking in to the hotel, we had a wonderfully expensive (by Singaporean standards) lunch at the Curve. It was well worth the money - especially my tapas of sausage and prawn. It was delightfully flavourful, with the strong sour juices soaked up by the slightly salty sausage and the fresh prawns, that were slightly more dry than expected. It was almost as if every fibre of the prawn could be tasted!
We made our way to the Darwin CBD area where the streets were uncomplicated and quiet. It was approaching 6pm and the shops were closed. It seemed that most people had gotten off work as the area started to transform, flirting with its charming night-life of pubs and restaurants.
The first attraction we visited was the Crocosaurs Cove - a zoo for crocodiles in the middle of the CBD! It was home to the famous Cage of Death, where visitors were housed in a glass tank before being put into the enclosure with crocodiles the length of a bus!
It was cleverly chosen for SilkAir's launch event of this new route to Darwin. We had the chance to rub shoulders with representatives from Tourism NT, listen to a snippet of Aboriginal music, munch on crocodile meat, drink some beer and make merry. The highlight, however, was when we got to feed the crocodiles with a fishing rod. The crocodiles were young, probably about 2-3 years old and an eighth of meter in length. We were thrilled for the opportunity to be in such proximity and interact with these creatures.
The next morning, we went for the Batji Walking Tour, where we got to learn about the Larrakia people. Robert brought us on the tour and shared interesting facts about the Aboriginal culture, such as showing us where "Woman Land" and "Man Land" were and how they used fire and smoke signals to communicate with other people from across the sea. He also did a special welcoming ceremony for us. Being welcomed by the Aboriginal people was not just permission to be on their land, but to also bless us with a safe journey ahead.
Shopping was something we were familiar with and we had the chance to take a look at the luxury items from Di Croco and Paspaley. The former sells products made of crocodile leather while the latter housed gorgeous pearls. It was a relief to be in a place with air-conditioning. I'm an outdoors person but it was truly hot! I had my eye on the crocodile laptop case and got to try on a manly pearl necklace while having a flute of champagne. Some of the leather stuff like keychains went for about 25 - 35 AUD. I regretted not getting them! The pearl necklace was about 7000 AUD. Well, I'll get that too - it's only a matter of time!
Before having our lunch at Il Lido Restaurant, we went for a splash at the Wave Pool which was situated at the Waterfront, just in front of our hotel. The crowd was relatively young, playful and out for a good time. The guys on duty were terrific as well, helping us get up on our boards as we body-surfed the waves. It was a terrific experience - I went at it again and again and was amazed at how far I could ride the wave!
My next aim would be to stand up on the board and really surf! I wonder when that would happen. Haha...
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