As well as Darwin’s two main seasons, this is a town characteristed by two distinct faces. One is a familiar face of comfortable constancy, while the other is the changing face of rapid growth and expansion. I can wander through certain sections of the city or suburbs and feel like nothing has changed since I was a teenager, while in other areas, entire suburbs or industrial areas would pop up in between visits.
Although most of my preferred haunts of the 90s have long since passed into new incarnations or disappeared entirely into the ungoogleable ether, there are still a few of the old reliable stalwarts that keep things feeling the same as they ever were.
One of those Darwin landmarks has to be The Cool Spot in Fannie Bay. Perfectly perched near the turn off to East Point, this is a cafe boasting glorious views over the yacht-speckled aqua blue waters of a palm tree lined tropical bay (enough adjectives to fill a travel magazine right there). The undercover outdoor seating is often filled to capacity on dry season afternoons (the same can be said for the air-conditioned indoor seating during the buildup) but I’ve always managed to find a cosy spot somewhere, even during peak times.
This locationally blessed cafe is best known for its gelatis and desserts menu, but also serve a decent range of hot food and salads. They may say you can’t go home again, but if you’re lucky you can still find a couple of those old cafes that you used to enjoy.
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