Esplanayd? Esplanaahd?

Bicentennial Park is the park that runs along the length of the CBD, on the coast. It sits between the Waterfront and the naval base. This old photo (borrowed from the internet) shows the city layout really well. I've circled Bicentennial Park. Technically the Esplanade is the street that runs alongside the park, but most people refer to the park as the Esplanade. Esplanayd? Esplanaahd? Whatever.

I work on the 11th floor of the Mitchell Centre. Our kitchen window overlooks the Esplanade, as well as all the splendid daily happenings in the harbour.

Bicentennnial Park has walkways, adult and kids' outdoor gym equipment, picnic benches, trees and scenic outlooks. And birds, of course.* I really like the park benches with their floral shading.

The walkways are ideal for scooting along. Luke took this video when he popped up to Darwin in February. Look at that lush grass (and those clouds) in the Wet!

Bicentennnial Park is the site of the Cenotaph and the commemoration of the Japanese bombing of Darwin in 1942, which I've described in another post.** One of the ships sunk in that attack was the USS Peary, a destroyer in the US Navy, with the loss of 88 men. A 4-inch deck gun was recovered from the wreck and is now pointed at the spot where the shipwreck lies. Barack Obama visited this memorial while he was president.

There's also a memorial to the German explorer Ludwig Leichhardt, who found a route from the Darling Downs to Darwin in 1845. It took him 15 months to travel 5000 km — in circles for part of the time. Leichhardt is now most famous for disappearing mysteriously in 1848 along with seven men, 20 mules, 50 bullocks, seven horses and masses of gear. All that's ever been found is a small brass plate that was attached to his rifle, stuck in a baobab tree.

At the Doctor's Gully / naval base end of the Esplanade is Aquascene, a nature reserve bay where one can feed the fish at 5 pm. Fish come in with the tide and people throw bread to them. It’s $15 entry per person. One of my colleagues described it as a business run by grumpy people who are constantly trying to protect people from being stung by box jellyfish, gobbled by crocodiles or impaled by sting rays. So I guess I’d be grumpy too.

* https://jajustus.wixsite.com/website/post/birds-of-character

** https://jajustus.wixsite.com/website/post/more-bombs-away