Fannie's and Dick's

Did I mention that it’s been wet? In the odd break between showers / downpours, we’re figuring out the layout of the city.

Like Sydney, Darwin is perched on a large harbour, with inlets and bay-lets (bay-bies?) stretching like fingers inland. The city is surrounded by water on three sides. The best-known beach (to newcomers like us, anyway) is Mindil Beach, in Fannie Bay – bearing in mind that any NT beach is teeming with dangerous creatures and is most inhospitable to humans.

Bays abound. There’s Fannie Bay, Cullen Bay and Frances Bay. Fannie Bay was named after an Italian opera singer by a 19th century British surveyor. But perish the thought of high culture. According to my colleagues, Darwin’s most famous nightclubs were called Fannie’s and Dick’s – with Booby’s next door for takeaways!

This is a view from the balcony in our current apartment in the CBD, on the 23rd floor, looking towards the Esplanade. The Waterfront (and Frances Bay) is to the left of the photo; Cullen Bay to the right.