"Into the unknown" Darwin by graememooney

I was fortunate enough to have accommodation with a son-in-law of a friend. I was hit by the humidity when I walked off the plane, and the heat seemed relentless. Even although Perth was hotter (42C), the humidity in Darwin made it feel warmer. Don't even try to stay dry, as soon as you have your shower in the morning and walk out the door, you are lashing with sweat. Just remember to stay hydrated.

There was a lot to see and do in the city. Taking the "Tub Bus Tour" was great to see what was available, to get your bearings and to easily get around town.

The beautiful beaches surrounding the city always seemed to be empty. I'm not sure if it's because of the salt water crocodiles and poisonous jelly fish or if it was just the wrong time to be there.

There are day trips from Darwin into the interior. The one I took to Katherine Gorge was awesome. The spectacular gorge and travelling up it in a boat was certainly a memorable experience.

I have a touch of claustrophobia but don't ask me why I went 'spelunking' :P It wasn't really spelunking, it was a touristy thing to do. The opening of the cave was very spacious but as you moved further down into the cave it got smaller and more restricted. The toughest part for me was when we all had to squeeze through a very narrow point, climbing over and under to get through. I just took a deep breath and went for it.
Litchfield National Park was very beautiful. The falls, the termite mounds, all very interesting. As I said, day trips from Darwin were well worth it.

• Pros:Beautiful city, good sites to see
• Cons:A lot of aboriginal vagrancy, which was sad to see.
• In a nutshell:The typhoon that levelled it in the seventies hasn't hindered it from being a great place to visit.