Eggs on toast with a flat white coffee and a green smoothie at Eva’s Cafe in Darwin, Australia. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
A former Wesleyan Church that survived the World War II bombing of Darwin provides a shady spot for a bite to eat beneath a lush green canopy in Australia’s Northern Territory.
Eva’s Cafe occupies the old church. The wooden building was moved to George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens in 2000.
The church was designed in Adelaide, South Australia, and shipped to Darwin in 1897. During World War II, it served as the chapel at the former HMAS Melville naval base and survived the port’s bombing by Japanese aircraft in February 1942.
Eva’s is next to the garden entrance and parking lot, just north of Darwin’s city center and a short walk from Mindil Beach, which hosts a popular weekend market.
Eva’s Cafe operates from a building that served as the chapel at the former HMAS Melville naval base and survived Darwin, Australia’s bombing by Japanese aircraft in February 1942. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
The cafe has a selection of sandwiches, baked goods, salads, fruit juices and more, with the option of eating inside or on one of two large patios.
Eggs on toast for $14.50 Australian dollars – about $.9.84 – with a flat white coffee ($4.90) and a green smoothie ($9) provided a tasty lunch during a break from covering the Pitch Black airpower drills at the nearby Royal Australian Air Force Base Darwin in late July.
The toast was made with fresh brown bread, the coffee was expertly brewed and the smoothie had plenty of healthy ingredients, including avocado and honey.
Alcohol is an option. Beers cost $8.50 and cocktails are $16.
You can walk off your meal on one of the shady trails that traverse the gardens, which were established on their present site in 1886. You can learn about the plants growing in the gardens at a nearby information center.
The George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens contain a collection of Northern Australian flora, including mangroves and vines as well as introduced tropical plants such as palms and gingers. (Seth Robson/Stars and Stripes)
There’s a pond with fountains next to the cafe where you might see some unusual Australian birds.
The gardens, named for former Darwin Mayor George Brown, contain a collection of Northern Australian flora, including mangroves and vines as well as introduced tropical plants such as palms and gingers.
If you have the energy, the trails in the gardens and nearby streets provide a shaded running track that links up with trails along the coast.
Eva’s Cafe
Location: George Brown Darwin Botanic Gardens, Gardens Road, Darwin, Australia
Hours: Open 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends.
Prices: Breakfast and lunch options max out at $25.
Dress: Casual
Directions: Just inland of Mindil Beach and north of central Darwin. Electric scooters and bicycles are available for rent throughout the city.
Information: www.botanicgardenscafe.com.au
