TOD Tour 2.0 Day 56 - The Big Red Bus & The Defence of Darwin

It has long been our habit in large cities in which we are going to spend some time, to travel on a tour of the city for an overview. Darwin, as is the case with many cities, has the "Hop On, Hop Off, Big Red Bus", which allows tourists to travel the whole circuit of their twelve stops or to just jump on and off as it suits them.

The basic deal is 24 hour ticket but we chose a discounted 48 hour ticket instead.

Before we even got to the city to take up the tour, we were delighted to find out that as a senior, I can travel on public transport for free. Sue - still a few months short - took a $20, seven day, unlimited trip ticket instead. We intend to use the bus system here as much as possible and leave the Forester parked beside the van. With a bus stop 100m away and the price right, why not.

The Darwin interchange is right around the corner from the BRB, so we were soon off for our circuit of the city, making note of things we'd like to see. We were back to the Smith Street Mall in time for lunch and chose a cafe recommended by out BRB driver. It was a good cafe, with a good range of healthy choices but I found, as I always do, selecting food on my restrictive diet both difficult and embarrassing, so I was soon out of sorts. My sandwich arrived and it had stuck to the paper napkin, so in the end, I couldn't tell if I was eating chicken or paper napkin.

Did you know that paper napkin tastes like ... well ... a lot like chicken.

Lunch was forgettable and expensive but you get past these things.

The Australian flag rescued from
RAAF Base Darwin after the attack

After lunch we got back on the BRB and traveled out to East Point and the Military Museum and the Defence of Darwin Experience. For the pitiful sum of $15 we were treated to one of the best museum exhibitions we have seen. Using a variety of video and audio techniques and basing much of the material on original letters and testimony of those who were there - including Japanese pilots - it was incredibly moving. The big story is told through little stories and it proves to be most effective.

I could quote many examples and you might find my choice strange but the story of Hajime Toyoshima was compelling. A junior pilot on his first combat mission, he was returning to his aircraft carrier when his plane began failing so he crash landed on Melville Island. Surviving the crash, he was captured by aboriginal man Matthias Ullungura and taken across Melville island on foot and then transferred to Bathurst Island by canoe, where Ullungura handed him over to RAAF officers. From there, he was taken with other internees to Cowra, in NSW, where he was one of the instigators of the infamous Cowra Breakout. Toyoshima died in his attempt to escape.

The Japanese spread 1941-43

You could spend hours watching the audio visual presentations, or reading the individual stories of where people were and how they experienced that first raid on 19th February, 1942 and in fact, we did. However outside are several other buildings with memorabilia, weapons, uniforms, even a whole room in tribute to Australia's Vietnam involvement. There is also the reconstructed 9.2inch gun emplacement: a big, circular bunker with its giant replica gun and the rabitt warren of room beneath.

Click for today's photos

This is a really clever and rather fabulous museum and one that enthralled us.

We caught the last loop of the BRB back to Smith St and a few minutes later were on our way back to the caravan park on the #8 bus.

A good day.