Now that I’ve (sort of) figured out the bus system in Darwin, I caught the #6 bus to the Northwest Territory Museum and Art Gallery. Imagine my surprise when I stepped in to see the same bus driver who had been so kind to me yesterday. For variety, he changes bus routes occasionally, and he remembered me–even asking how the fabric store was! For about a mile, I was the only passenger on the bus, so we exchanged pleasantries. He delivered me right to the front of the museum. Open free-of-charge to the public, the visit turned out to be more than worth the $3 bus fare.

Highlights included a plethora of collections: butterflies, parrots, shells, boats, rocks, coral, sharks, baskets, didjeridus (different spelling here), etc.–as well as types of art: aboriginal art, moving video art, papier-mâché art, paintings, wall hangings, and even monster art (!)

The memorable stand-alone pieces included a 20-ft. high cathedral termite dwelling and the popular 17-ft. long “Sweetheart” stuffed crocodile. I understand that Sweetheart terrorized the fishermen of Darwin for years before he was finally captured and killed.

The other memorable display(s) involved the Cyclone Tracy exhibit room. This devastating storm hit on Christmas Eve, 1974, essentially wiping out the entire town. Darwin had to rebuild after several bombing attacks from the Japanese in 1942, so the town had a rough 20th century. It’s no wonder that most of the town’s structures are now made of reinforced concrete. The photo of a twisted railroad signal tower showed that even a riveted wrought iron structure could not withstand Tracy’s wrath.

After returning from the museum, I took my last swim in the hotel pool and then prepared for John’s farewell dinner with the family of the deputy project director. What nice words I heard from this administrator about John’s labors. It’s nice to be so appreciated.

Time to pack. We leave for Melbourne mid-day tomorrow.