Day 149 - Friday 26 May - Hanging around town

Day 149

Friday

26 May 2017 – Began The Bourbon Kings by J R Ward. I think this one will be a bit trashy as it was an apple freebie, but I will give it a go.

Darwin

So the alarm went at 7 this morning but we were awake before it went off, guess we have accustomed ourselves to the early rise. We got out, had breakfast and then took the car to the mechanic in Palmerston for it 90000km service. They needed the car all day, which meant we would be relying on the bike to get around today.

Once back at the van, we put through our washing before taking the electronics to the pool area so I could actually connect to the park internet and load a few bits on. There was a cool breeze blowing which made it quite pleasant to lay around on the chairs.

We did eventually go for a swim, taking advantage of the fact we hadn’t seen anyone else. There had been a steady stream of vans leaving today and the park had thinned out considerably.

Just after 11am we returned to the van, changed and then jumped on the bike to head in to town. We parked near the waterfront and then proceeded to just walk. We made it to Survivors’ Lookout, so named after the gathering of townspeople following the bombing of the harbour.  We then wandered the streets, walking through the civic gardens and on to Bicentennial Park.

It was beginning to warm up so we made our way down the main pub street passing a poster advertising a free Garrmalang Festival concert for tonight. We wandered into Six Tanks and ordered a drink, happy to sit out on the front deck and take in the view.

When we had finished, we walked back to the bike and returned home to have lunch and bring in the washing. We then sat outside and to enjoy the weather and read our books.

Just after 2pm we jumped back on the bike and drove out to Palmerston to check on the car before we did a quick grocery shop and stopped in at the movies to watch the latest Pirates of the Caribbean move. It kept us entertained for a couple of hours, but wasn’t that fabulous. 

By the time the movie had finished we were ready to collect the car and return home. We didn’t stay long as it was already 6pm and the free concert had started. We were back in the car and on our way to the city once again.

After finding a place to park, we walked to the Entertainment Centre where the concert was occurring in their outdoor courtyard. It was already packed and I struggled to see much. They had Aboriginals showcasing traditional dances along with singing.

We saw a little of it before making the decision to find somewhere to eat, opting for Thai in a restaurant opposite the very busy and noisy Shenanigans. The meal was very good and more than I could eat. I was glad to get moving again when it was all done.

We returned to the van, happy to kick back. I had more mozzie bites bothering me despite being lathered in rid. I used some soothing gel, but they were still calling out scratch me.  

Day 148 - Thursday 25 May - On my own

Day 148

Thursday

25 May 2017 – Finished Paula Hawkins novel Into the Water, it wasn’t as great as The Girl on the Train and I don’t feel that it finished satisfactorily.

Alarms again. It’s worse than being at work.  We had to be up early today as we were going fishing with Darryl and he wanted us at his place for 7.30am. The drive to the suburb of Coolalinga took about 20min and when we arrived and I saw the little tinnie that we were going out in, I told Paul I was going home. I didn’t fancy bobbing around in croc infested water, getting burnt to a crisp.  I said my goodbyes and then made my way back to the park.

Once back, I sat outside and read my book, finishing Into the Water. I then decided to see if the internet connection was better at the pool area, so I grabbed the computer and ipad and made my way there, sitting on a lilo and logging in straight away. Yay! I spent the best part of an hour and a half, just adding photos and trying to do updates on the ipad. In the meantime other people came to swim and enjoy the wet.

At 11am I returned to the van and decided to head out, I had thought about doing a Segway tour but they didn’t get back to me so I wasn’t doing that. I did however venture to the Darwin Museum and art gallery and had a wander around their premises for a couple of hours. They have the usual kinds of museum exhibits, birds, fossils, crocs but they also had a large display on cyclone Tracy who tore through Darwin Christmas 1974. I wandered the photo display and the audio visual information, finding an interactive evacuee list. Here I found my girlfriend and her family listed, so that was interesting. 

I continued through the art gallery checking the paintings they had on show and a photographic display of a New Guinean tribe along with the town they live in. I really enjoyed looking at the images captured.

At 1.20pm I left, remembering I had left my purse at home, I wasn’t able to head anywhere where I would need money, so I returned to the van to collect it and then drove out to Casuarina Square again for a quick food shop.

I spoke to the AC mob, who were only just ordering the part today! I hope it arrives in time, damn Darwin time up here, nothing happens in a hurry.

When I was back, I made lunch as I was starving being 2.30pm and then figured I would go to the pool for a cool down swim. I chose the cold pool, as a little boy had peed in the other pool this morning much to his family’s embarrassment. 

I chatted with some fellow campers, enjoying hearing their stories of life on the road.

4pm I returned to the van, changed and was just about to put on a DVD when Paul rang asking to be collected, so it was back in the car and off to Coolalinga. He hadn’t had that successful a day fishing, catching a bull shark, which he released and a black cod. 

We made our way back to the van. Paul unloaded the car of everything, ready for it to go in for a service tomorrow. I enjoyed the peace and coolish weather outside. 

We had our dinner and then relaxed in the van. I rang home to wish dad a happy birthday and we caught up on all the gossip, not much.  We then made our way to the pool for our nightly swim and cool down. We again had it to ourselves, which was wonderful.

We returned to the van to read for a short while before turning the lights out if only we could sleep over the sound of the military helicopter trying to land on our roof!

Day 147 - Wednesday 24 May - Fishing, shopping and being tourists

Day 147

Wednesday

24 May 2017

Darwin

6.30am! True, we were up at 6.30am as Paul had booked into a half day fishing charter with Arafura and he had to be at the Cullen Bay ferry terminal for 7.50am. I kind of stumbled through the morning routine before we bundled ourselves into the car and drove the 15min to the wharf. 

We located the tour operator then stood watching the wharf lock operate, allowing the boat passage to the Arafura Sea. Paul boarded the vessel with 8 others and off they went.

To start off my day I had decided that I would check out the largest shopping centre in town, Casurina Square. The GPS set a course that I followed and by 8.30am I was in the car park and ready to go shopping. 

The centre is much like our large malls at home and I was happy to wander aimlessly through the various department and boutique stores picking up a few bits but nothing too extravagant.

At 10.45am I left the shop and made my way to Stoke Hill Wharf. I wanted to check out the Royal Flying Doctor Service and WWII Museum they have combined in one centre in one of the wharf buildings. I paid my $26 entrance and then made my way around, starting with the first of two holographic movie. The first was of John Flynn, the man behind the beginning of the RFDS that was very informative.

I then checked out the virtual reality presentation of the bombing of Darwin, this was cool. With the goggles on you are completely immersed in the action. The chair you sit in vibrates and rotate so you can take in the full 360 view, it was the best part of the museum.

I wandered through the exhibit reading some of the information boards and watching and listening to holographic representations of key figures. Every 20 min there is a video and sound sequence of the Darwin air raid. You stand on a platform to watch and this moves around as the bombs are dropped and detonate.

I watched the second movie presentation of an American navy captain stationed in Darwin when the Japanese dropped their bombs on the 19 February 1942. It was again highly informative and interesting to listen to.

I finished my tour at the RFDS end, wandering through one of the planes and checking out the pedal powered radio transmitter used in rural homes to contact others for help. It was all highly informative.

I left the wharf and did a quick photo stop at the WWII oil tunnels before making my way back to Cullen Bay and collecting Paul and his bag of fish fillets. We returned home and while he went through and cleaned up the fillets, I had lunch.

We rang the AC people to find out about our part only to be told it was ordered yesterday and may not make it for Friday, so we decided we would book in until 31 May and hope everything was finished for then.

We drove back in to the city so Paul could try a couple more One Mile Brewery beers. After we parked at the woollies, we walked to Rorkes where a lovely, young American man served and entertained us. Paul was able to try the cider for free so he was happy.

We then walked down towards the waterfront, checking out the interesting old buildings and art along the way. We eventually made it to The Precinct and Paul had the Red Ale, which smelled of caramel. They also had a good selection of craft beers in bottles.

Remembering the Oyster Bar was having half price night we returned to the car and drove back to the waterfront, parked in the multi-story and then found a place to sit at the restaurant. They had 9 varieties of oysters to try and of course Paul wanted them all, so we had a bakers dozen and a drink and enjoyed the view as we swallowed the tasty morsels.

With entre complete, we returned home to cook up some of the golden snapper Paul had caught. He then organised with Darryl, to go fishing tomorrow, another early start.

We sat around for a little while and then made our way to the pool for a dip. Tonight we had it to ourselves that was nice. After the dip I had a shower before returning to the van to read and get ready for the day ahead.

Day 146 - Tuesday 23 May - Crocs galore

Day 146

Tuesday

23 May 2017

Darwin

After a heavy night on the champagne, I was a little slow this morning, not waking til 7.45am, but once awake I was happy to get out and start our morning. We had breakfast and sat around lazily.

At 9.30am we drove out to Crocodylus Park to check out the animals they have in their zoo.

We paid the $55 a person entrance and then made our way through to the crocodile pond. I didn’t expect to see the crocs up against the fence as we walked through and I jumped and yelped on seeing the first one. Paul thought it was a great joke.

Connected to the pond are the breeding cages that we wandered through spying the crocs from the safety of the platform above. There were some MASSIVE crocs here. Signs all around us warned that they jump and bite, yeah no joke!  

A feeding session took place at 10am. Here we got to see the jumping croc display from the pond and then some people were able to feed the crocs in the breeding cages using a long pole with a chooks head attached with string.

When the feeding was over, we were ushered to the croc handling area. Two one-year old crocs were presented for people to hold. I wasn’t interested, but Paul was happy to have a hold. I stroked the head and belly and took photos before we wandered down towards the big cats. We stopped at the meerkats when the keeper came out to feed them with a group of tourists.

At the park they have white lions as well as tawny lions and we were able to watch the lions feed on some chunks of red meat. The white lions were hand reared by Tate, the keeper and seemed quite affectionate towards him, but he no longer gets in to the enclosure just in case.

After the feeding we walked past the tigers who were happy to be lazy, one was asleep with his tongue poking out. We made our way back to the croc handling area and waited again for Tate to take us out on the boat.

We were given strict instructions about staying inside the cage of the boat and to keep the balance of the boat. Hmm. We were also told that once we entered the pond we were no longer the apex predator, great.

We cruised on the pond, being told there were 43 crocs in the pond and we saw a fair few of them. Tate pulled out the feed to give “Sunshine” a feed. The pole was right next to me and when it jumped up it was right there. Paul took a photo and all he got was the underside of its belly!

We continued to croc spot as we cruised along, they were in the water and on the banks sunning themselves. I was glad the boat was remaining upright, I did not want to go swimming. They don’t have life jackets on board, because if we fell in they would be no use to us; another fact to make me feel completely at ease not. I was happy to return to the dock about 45min later and return to dry land.

We returned to the croc handling area and another keeper had a python out for people to hold, again I wasn’t going near it, but Paul happily took a hold. I was happy to take some photos of it as it made its way across various body parts.

With all the tour and meet the animal bits done, we made our way through the park checking out the animals. They had a few pythons and a curious iguana that was happy to come up close and say hi. I could have taken that one home.

We checked out the ostriches, the female was busy clucking over her clutch of 5 eggs, while the male was happy to follow you along the fence and give you the eye as well as bow down and sway around. I wasn’t sure if this was an aggressive move or a mating one.

We moved through the monkey enclosure and revisited the now sleeping lions, tigers and ocelot and then it was into the native animal enclosure where emus, dingoes, kangaroos and various birds could be found.

Finishing at this point, we returned to the snake and museum enclosure, checking out the different pythons before walking through the museum that outlined information about the different reptiles of the crocodilian family along with skeletons skins and stuffed animals.

Before leaving we picked up some croc sausages for dinner and then we made our way into the city for lunch. We found a place with lunch for $12.50 with a drink and put in our order before finding a place to sit and wait. We read the local paper and watched the news then ate our salads before returning to six tanks for a beer.

At 2 we made our way back to the van, donned our bathers and took off for the pool, happy to bob around and chat to other travellers. It wasn’t as warm or humid today and there had been a pleasant breeze, but it was still great to cool off.

Once back at the van, I went through the photos while Paul organised to meet with the One Mile brewers later in the week. He also caught up with Darryl Anderson and will probably catch him at some stage too.

Paul went to the BBQ to cook up our crocodile sausages while I put the salad together. They were yummy but tasted like chicken.  
After our dinner we wandered back to the pool for our evening swim and cool down. We bobbed about listening in on others' conversations before returning to the van ready for an early night.