FISH FEEDING @ BOTANICAL GARDENS @ CHINESE TEMPLE

We went to Doctor's Gully to participate in the fish feeding. Doctors Gully originally was leased by Carl Atkison on 1945. He was a deep sea diver and won huge contracts working on Allied ships sunk in Darwin Harbour during the raids of 1942. Prior to WW11 Doctors Gully was a market garden owned and cultivated by Ah Cheong brothers. Since the attack on Darwin in 1942 the Air Force declared Doctors Gully the new northern base for the flying boat squadrons. The Catalina's played a vital role laying mines in enemy ports. In 1958 Carl Perron began feeding the fish that came to the shore at high tides. Since then the Perrons maintained the fish feeding ritual as a hobby for two years. Regular feeding led to increased species and numbers of fish. It is now a tourist resort. They also have numerous statues that add character to the place. We then went to the Botanic Gardens and had lunch. We then viewed the tropical vegetation, as the gardens are one of the few botanical gardens in a tropical region. Different sections of the garden include a rain forest gully, a wetland, a coastal zone and a mangrove boardwalk, The gardens were renamed in recognition of George Browns 32 years service in the development of Darwin. We then went to The Chinese Temple. This centre has worshipers who are Taoist, Buddhists and Confucianists. This temple has a very chequered history. Originally built in 1887it was destroyed by the 1937 cyclone. Japanese bombing raids in 1942 and then Cyclone Tracy in 1974. Now beautifully restored. It is worth a look.