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PUBLISHED PRINT:
The Newcastle Herald | Newcastle | 18 June 2011 PUBLISHED INTERNET:
ACCOMPANYING IMAGES Accompanying images were taken by Sandra Burn White, a freelance photographer whose work forms an essential backdrop to John Rozentals' travel stories. She has also built an extensive album of images which are available for purchase and can be perused on her site: www.sandraburnwhite.com.au
Looking back to Wharf Escape from the waterside promenade.
Darwin's Wharf Escape ... alfresco dining with a wonderful view. Photo courtesy Wharf Escape.
Above and below: Rooms with a view ... Darwin's Wharf Escape.
Above and below: Luxurious accommodation ... Wharf Escape is all about attention to detail.
Christ Church Cathedral ... fascinating juxtsaposition of old and new.
Char Restaurant.
Crocodylus Park.
Mean and very, very dangerous ... close up at Crocodylus Park
Northern Territory's Parliament House ... an impressive entry into Australia's political arena.
Kakadu National Park.
Matt and his chopper, Jabiru Airport, Kakadu National Park.
Above and below: Kakadu National Park.
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Destination: Darwin & The Top End ... JOHN ROZENTALS finds plenty to like during his first trip to Australia's Top End. Images: SANDRA BURN WHITE I remember, back in very last days of 1974, a horde of Darwin residents descending on Sydney’s Callan Park Hospital, then still a major psychiatric centre. They weren’t mad; they’d just been blown south by Cyclone Tracy to wait while their homes were rebuilt. Most of them returned to the Top End to enjoy life — along with children and grandchildren — in an attractive, reinvigorated, vibrant city. Any scars remaining of Tracy have been selected to show Darwin’s resilience in the face of such an unwanted visitor, no more so than at the Anglican Christ Church Cathedral, whose modern timber-and-glass edifice rises powerfully from old stone remnants. Just across the street is ultimate evidence of the city’s brash confidence — a most impressive, ultra-modern Parliament House that screams for recognition of full statehood rather than secondary territorial status. A few years ago you’d almost have had to repel down a cliff face from the CBD to reach the old port area. These days it’s a matter of stepping into a lift for a leisurely ride down to the Darwin Waterfront — a classy precinct of modern apartments, tourist accommodation, restaurants, boutiques, conference centre and wave pool. Our accommodation there, Wharf Escape, isn’t your normal five-star, big-city hotel. It’s much better than that — a privately owned, three-bedroom (one king and two queen) apartment, with expansive lounge/dining room, fully equipped kitchen and sweeping veranda. We’re not going to bother, but it is tailor-made for executive entertaining. We’re shown around by Nicolette Agipatos, who in partnership with her husband Agi, a local construction contractor, has purchased two prime apartments for use as holiday accommodation. At about $275–550 per night, they’re certainly not backpacker stuff, but you are getting full accommodation for up to three couples in Darwin’s best location — and I reckon that makes it much better value than any classy Australian inner-city hotel charging $300-plus per night per room. Before heading to Darwin I’d rifled through my 1990 Third Edition of Gregory’s Touring Australia. While box jellyfish were mentioned as a wet-season threat to swimmers, crocodiles didn’t enter the equation. My, how rapidly things change. Just 20 years later, swimming is ill advised virtually anywhere in and around Darwin —beach, stream, harbour and estuary. So we spend the afternoon, about 25 kilometres north-east of the city, at Crocodylus Park, to see just what these feared and threatening creatures are about. And what an eye opener it is. The speed, power and cunning of these enormous reptiles is, quite frankly awesome and terrifying. You can easily spend two or three hours taking in the museum, the series of “infested” cages and the feeding demonstrations, plus a small zoo containing kangaroos, turtles, emus, etc. Highly recommended. Forget Jaws. In this case you’re not safe out of the water either. Dining wise, there are ample choices in Darwin, as long as you're not after a Chinese takeaway on a monday night. Char is one of Darwin’s most highly rated restaurants — owned by John Kilroy, also proprietor of Brisbane’s Cha Cha Char and Jellyfish. The latter fared badly during the recent floods and while waiting for things to dry out, Kilroy brought the renowned Jellyfish seafood team to Darwin and added a page of surf to Char’s already renowned turf. The result is an expansive, versatile menu and sublime food, backed by a great venue in Darwin’s old Admiralty House and extremely professional staff. We enjoyed some wonderful food ... a tian of tiger prawns, crab remoulade, avocado, lemon; chilli salt squid, peppered watermelon, rice wine; whole baby barramundi, crispy fried, soy and spring onion dressing; aged eye fillet, potato puree, pea and broadbeans, crispy prosciutto, horseradish cream; confit chilli-spiced pineapple ginger crumble, star-anise icecream; and a selection of cheeses. In terms of getting out of Darwin, the single must-see, must-do, absolutely must-must-must is Kakadu National Park. Its main centre, Jabiru, is nearly 300 kilometres east of Darwin but the drive is no burden — sealed, mostly straight and with a 130 speed limit. The place is just so lush after the wettest wet season in white memory, with vast stretches of water connecting rivers and waterholes, and I’m sure providing the crocodile population with the opportunity for added strength from real breeding diversity. As if they need it! We’re there for a helicopter flight with Coolibah Air. Our pilot Matt exudes a friendly, confident nonchalance that is immediately comforting to a couple of helicopter virgins, and just a few minutes later we’re airborne — loose items stowed away, headphones on so that we can chat and take in Matt’s excellent commentary, windows removed for maximum view, seatbelts tight for exactly the same reason, Sandra’s camera ready to launch into full power mode. And what an exhilarating experience it is. Trust me. If you’re heading for Kakadu and don’t do a chopper flight you’re largely wasting your time. “We’ll start by heading to the escarpment,” says Matt, leaning the machine forward and accelerating past the gigantic open-cut Ranger Uranium Mine towards the distant red-orange-green cliffs. We’re prepared for a rush of scenery but we certainly aren’t prepared for how long that rush is going to last. Instead of leading to a flat plateau, the escarpment just seems to go on forever, outcrop after outcrop of orange-red rock, decorated and separated by the most verdant, luxuriant foliage, occasionally brimming with gushing waterfalls and eventually giving way to vast tracts of shallow, marshy lakes that will disappear over the next few months as the “dry” takes hold. Sandra’s in a quandary. She’s so busy snapping that she’s missing the overall experience. But if she stops and takes in the overall experience, she realizes just how many photo opportunities there are. Bugger it, she decides, and keeps on snapping. Our half hour passes just so too quickly and it’s “watch your heads as you get out” and a handshake and coffee before we head back. Refuelling car and bodies takes place at the Bark Hut Inn, near Mary River, I guess about 75 kilometres east of Darwin. It’s old buffalo and cattle country and the burgers are good. But nothing, believe me, nothing, for a long time, will match the exhilaration rush of sitting in a chopper and climbing the Kakadu escarpment. Stick it in your wish bucket and make sure you achieve it. DETAILS Wharf Escape: Phone 0434 354 299 or visit www.wharfescape.com. Crocodylus Park: Phone (08) 8922 4500 or visit www.crocodyluspark.com. Coolibah Air: Phone 0428 867 348 or visit www.coolibah-air.com.au. Kakadu National Park: Phone 08 8938 1120 or visit www.environment.gov.au/parks/kakadu. Northern Territory Tourism: 08 8951 8471 or visit http://en.travelnt.com. Char Restaurant: www.charadmiralty.com.au DISCLOSURE; John Rozentals and Sandra Burn White were guests of Wharf Escape and Coolibah Air. |
