The Provincial Homemaker

Well, I am afraid to say the Willows have found things a little slow round here the last few weeks.  We have been potty training - WITH SUCCESS!  So, our orbit has been very close to home.  But, with everything in hand now, this weekend we decided to show the Willows a little bit more of Darwin.

Alas, we didn't make it to the crocodile park because by the time we got out of church on Sunday it was just too jolly hot to take the children out.

Anyway, on Saturday we hit the city with the Willows in tow.

First stop was the USS Peary memorial.  We thought it important to highlight Darwin's wartime history to the Willows, it being the 70th anniversary of the bombing of Darwin by the Japanese this year.  On 19 February 1942, 242 Japanese aircraft bombed Darwin and its harbour.  Darwin was subject to another 63 bombing raids over 1942 and 1943.

The 19 February raids killed at least 243 people including 91 souls on board the USS Peary that was sunk in Darwin harbour

Although, the Willows are British their long term host is American so they felt they should pay their respects at this memorial.

[I hasten to add, I had intended taking some photos of the Willows and Darwin harbour but the man who was sleeping rough beside the memorial was already giving me some extremely strange looks as I was photographing the Willows on the gun!]

Of course, no visit to Darwin is complete without soaking up some sun under the palm trees on the Darwin foreshore. 

Next, the Willows checked out some accommodation at Mandalay house.

Can't see them?  They are hiding on the fence.

Then, off to take in some aboriginal art in the city centre.

After all that sight-seeing the poor Willows and Ginger were stifling so they took a well earned rest under a Frangipani tree which shades Lyon Cottage, built in 1923 for the British Australian Telegraph Company.  And which, unlike much of Darwin, has survived both bombing and Cyclone Tracy!