Day 12 Sunday 27 April 2014

So now I'm down to a list of things I want to do. Today it was the WWII oil storage tunnels (I know how to live) and the Chinese Temple and museum, all three things being close together in Darwin. I was delayed in getting out as there was an important e-mail to deal with. Life continues whether you want it to or not.

The oil storage tunnels were a reaction to someone realising that sticking your supply of oil on top of a hill wasn't perhaps the safest move when the enemy were prone to flying in and bombing you. As it was the tunnels were never actually used for their intended purpose. Sounds like arguments about budgets, politics and all that usual stuff. However, they are there and you can go in. Mind boggling to think that they were dug by hand in this stifling heat. And how did that cane toad get in?

I found the Chinese Temple and museum but, despite a sign saying the museum would re-open at the end of March, it was definitely closed. The temple was very red and had lots to look at. I'm afraid that I'm rather ignorant of Chinese religion(s). The building was a fairly typical brick built, corrugated roof on the inside with tiling on the outer layer to make it look more Chinese style.

So, I pottered about and did a little shopping and using the wifi at the library. Back at the YHA, I did my now customary swim before dinner. The pool is pretty tiny, perhaps 10 metres, and I'm upto 40 lengths. It's exercise. It started to rain. It then RAINED. After that it got really heavy and we had lightning too. This despite a man at the pub (I didn't go in just chatted to a friend) saying the dry season had now arrived and there wouldn't be any more rain. The rain was so heavy you could hardly see through it! As a result, I had to eat my dinner indoors - only the third meal inside since I arrived! I was sure that my washing would dry out again quite quickly in the morning but it did mean I had to wear trousers rather than shorts the next day. The place is full of young people looking for work in the imminent dry season. It seems that the population of Darwin increases by some ridiculous amount at this time of year. My room mate was over the moon to get a kitchen job at a restaurant on Stokes Hill Wharf. Eventually the rain stopped.